Can you sleep train at night but not naps?

You can sleep train at nights and not naps. But, there are certain things you should do at naps so that you don't impact your sleep training success.

Please note that you should only start sleep training after your baby is four months post their due date.

You want your approach to naps to be in line with your night approach. Otherwise, it's like teaching your baby two different languages. If you don't yet know, teaching a baby two languages means that they will speak later in life. It's not that it's impossible, it's just that it's much harder for them to understand what you want them to do.

So in order to make sure that sleep training only at night does not impact your ultimate success, take these steps:

1) Start your sleep sessions the same way.

The hardest thing for a baby to figure out is how to fall asleep. You want to make sure that how you are starting your night and how you are starting your naps is the same. Every step in your routine doesn't have to be the same, but if you are teaching independent sleep at night and your baby is falling asleep alone and during the day they are rocked to sleep, it will take much longer for them to figure out how to fall asleep. Pick how you want your baby to fall asleep initially and keep it consistent across nights and naps. Want to know the best ways to start sleep sessions for longer sleep? Download the Lovebug app and we'll help you find the best routine for your baby.

2) Make sure your environment is the same.

When you have two different environments for naps vs. night, your baby has to perfect sleep in TWO locations and it will take longer for them to learn to fall asleep. Instead, invest in some black out shades, a sound machine and a fan so that you can keep it consistent. This will help them because when they enter the space, it will feel very comforting to them. They will know exactly what you want them to do.

3) Start setting up proper nap timing.

The timing of your naps will impact your night sleep. When you have naps that are different from your baby's body clock times, it can cause early morning wakings, bedtime battles, short naps or even split nights. If you are experiencing any of these and are practicing wake windows, you want to immediately switch to a flexible clock based schedule. If you don't know where to start, then the Schedule Membership of the Lovebug app can help you establish a flexible clock based schedule quickly.