Are contact naps safe? A pediatric sleep consultant weighs in

In those early days of parenting, there’s nothing better than enjoying sweet snuggles with your baby as they snooze on your chest. In fact, in the newborn stage, the majority of your baby’s naps will likely be contact naps. But do they count as safe sleep? As a pediatric sleep consultant and mom of seven, I fully promote contact naps through your baby’s first year of life. I loved contact naps with all of my children, but it’s also important that you practice naps in your baby’s crib or bassinet.

Here’s what to know about making sure all of your baby’s contact naps are safe—so you can both rest easier.

What are contact naps?

Contact naps are just as they sound; naps that promote skin-to-skin contact with you and your baby, when you hold your baby in your arms while they sleep. Naps in the carrier, in your arms, or on your chest are all considered contact naps.

Babies love contact naps because they help them feel warm and snuggly, similar to how they felt in the womb. Contact naps also promote the release of oxytocin (for both mom and baby), promoting bonding, and can even help regulate your baby’s body temperature and breathing rate. This is one of the primary reasons that immediate skin-to-skin is so important right after birth.

Most parents will find that their newborn baby will take long contact naps, sometimes up to three hours, but when placed in a crib or bassinet they struggle to sleep longer than 30 or 45 minutes. This is completely normal and expected as your baby adjusts to sleeping on a firm and flat surface, which is very different from how they slept in the womb!

Of course, babies would rather sleep pressed up against their caregiver, but this can often become frustrating as a parent  if you need a break or need to take a nap yourself. This is often why parents decide to start co-sleeping or bed-sharing, because their baby struggles to sleep in a separate sleep space.

How do contact naps differ from bed-sharing?

Contact naps and co-sleeping/bed-sharing differ in a few ways.

When co-sleeping, parents are actually sharing a bed with their baby either for naps, night sleep, or both, and typically parents are sleeping when their baby sleeps. While there are many countries around the world where this is considered the norm, co-sleeping is not a recommended practice for babies 0-12 months old in the US due to increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Are contact naps safe?

Contact naps are a completely safe option for your baby as long as they are performed correctly. During a contact nap, parents should be awake and alert and not on the verge of falling asleep themselves. The safest way for babies to contact nap is to sleep in a parent or caregiver’s arms while they are sitting in a rocking chair, on the couch, or on the bed while the parent is fully alert.

Posture is also important. When holding your baby for sleep, you’ll want to make sure that their airways are open, they aren’t slouched forward, and they are not at risk of falling off of you.

If you are feeling drowsy or sleepy while holding your baby, it’s best to place your baby down for a crib or bassinet nap instead.

To do this you can carefully transfer your baby to their sleep space once they have fallen asleep on you and then support them if they wake up in the process. Even if a crib nap only ends up being 20 or 30 minutes, don’t give up on them! It will take time for your baby to get used to sleeping independently, but it is important to keep trying to expose them to the crib.

Contact naps while babywearing

Contact naps can also happen in a baby carrier while parents are doing household tasks, out on a walk, at an event, etc. When babywearing for a nap, I recommend you follow the “TICKS” rule:

• T: Tight enough that your baby is securely up against your chest

• I: Is in view at all times (you should always be able to see your baby’s face when faced inward)

• C: Your baby’s head is close enough to kiss

• K: Your baby’s chin is off of their chest to allow airways to be open

• S: Their back is supported at all times

When should my baby start contact napping?

Infants can start contact naps as newborns—that’s when I typically recommend between 1 to 2 contact naps per day. As your baby gets older, I recommend limiting contact naps to one per day. This is also because contact naps get harder as your baby gets heavier and becomes more distracted and aware of their environment.

When should my baby stop contact napping?

Once your baby exits the newborn stage (after 3 months of age) and they are no longer in that constant sleepy state, you may find that contact naps are too stimulating for your baby, and they actually prefer their dark and quiet environment. That’s when many families find it’s a good time to stop contact napping.

To help transition to a crib or bassinet instead of contact naps, be sure to set up your baby’s sleep space to ensure it is dark, cool (between 68-72 degrees F), quiet with white noise, and free of strong smells or scents, can help promote longer stretches of sleep. Putting your baby down within their recommended awake window and following their sleepy cues can also prevent your baby from going down overtired and rejecting the entire nap process.

It can take some time to transition your baby into their crib/bassinet for naps, but just remember it is not an overnight process. Consistency is key to getting your baby used to a new sleep space, but it will click. And once it does, you will be able to enjoy some much needed alone time as your baby snoozes sweetly in their safe sleep space.

But throughout the first year of life, if you prefer to keep one contact nap per day, then go for it! Remember, you get to make the decisions that work best for you and your baby—and it’s up to you when you decide to make this transition.

If you are struggling with this process and you need more individualized guidance, you may consider hiring a sleep consultant to walk you through this transition in the best way for you and your baby.