What Exactly Is A Good Nap?

Good nap, bad nap, no nap…

Have you ever said, “oh my baby is just a bad napper!”

I have! 

With both of my older son’s, before I studied to get my Sleep Consultant Certification, I thought my children just were incapable of taking “good” naps. But now, looking back, it probably had more to do with when I was offering these naps, rather than their ability to “take good naps.” 

First of all, let’s quickly touch on what exactly qualifies as a good nap!

Good Naps should:

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Now let’s talk about when naps should happen… 

Have you ever noticed that even on vacation—when you finally get a break from setting an alarm—your body still wakes you up at the same time as usual? Or maybe you’ve tried to stay up late for a fun night out, only to find yourself yawning because your normal bedtime has long passed. That’s your internal clock at work!

This internal clock, also known as a biological clock, starts developing in babies as young as 3-4 months old. Even though they haven’t spent years waking up for work or school, their bodies still have built-in rhythms that signal when they should be sleeping. While every baby is different, research shows that the body naturally leans toward a morning nap around 9 AM and an afternoon nap around 1 PM. Of course, this can shift depending on your little one’s age, morning wake-up time, and bedtime, but in general, these are the windows when their bodies are primed for quality naps.

(Here is another blog post I wrote about naps… can you tell, I love naps!)

What if my little one naps outside those time frames?

When naps happen outside of these ideal “biological sleep windows,” they may not be as restorative. That’s where being a bit of a nap ninja (or just a well-informed parent) comes in! By keeping an eye on the clock and watching for drowsy cues, you can time naps just right—leading to the most refreshing, beneficial daytime sleep possible.

On the flip side, sleep that happens when the body isn’t primed for it is often what we call “junk sleep.” Think of it like junk food—it might take the edge off hunger, but it won’t nourish your body the same way a well-balanced meal would. The same goes for sleep. And here’s another factor: sleep that happens on the go (in a car seat, stroller, or carrier) is usually less restorative than motionless sleep in a crib or bed. So while some sleep is better than no sleep, aiming for well-timed, high-quality naps will set your little one up for better rest overall!

Back to my not-so-great nap takers…

As a new mom, I had no idea about any of this.

With my first son, I scheduled his naps based on my needs—when it was convenient for me. Since he was a pretty easygoing baby, he would usually fall asleep, but the problem was, he never stayed asleep for long.

Then came my second son. I tried to get him to nap at the same times as his older brother, again fitting naps into my schedule. But this time, I hit a roadblock. Unlike his brother, he wasn’t flexible—he was a sensitive sleeper. I spent hours trying to force him to sleep, convinced that he just “didn’t like to nap” and that this was just how things were always going to be. At the time, I didn’t realize there were things I could change to help him sleep better. I assumed all sleep was the same—whether it happened in a crib, stroller, or car seat. I had no idea that timing and sleep environment played such a huge role in the quality of sleep.

I’m sharing this story not because I feel like I was a bad mom—because honestly, I don’t! I was doing the best I could with what I knew at the time. But that’s just it… you don’t know what you don’t know. And now? I want you to know! 💜🧸