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Crib nap

A daytime nap a baby or toddler takes in their own crib, instead of in arms, a car seat or a stroller.

What It Means

A crib nap is a daytime nap a baby or toddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more takes in their own crib, as opposed to a nap in someone's arms, a car seat, a swing or a stroller. Parents often use the phrase when they're working on getting naps to happen in the crib. For babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and NICHD's Safe to Sleep campaign apply the same rules to naps as to nights: on the back, alone, in a crib with only a fitted sheet.

Try It: Step Through Putting a Baby Down for a Crib Nap

Step through a crib nap the way the AAP, Safe to Sleep and CPSC describe it.

Step 1 of 4: Clear the crib. Only a fitted sheet on the mattress. No pillows, blankets, bumpers or soft toys.

How Parents Say It

  • "We're working on crib naps this week."
  • "He'll do a car nap but never a crib nap."
  • "Finally got a two-hour crib nap."

The Breakdown

Crib naps by stage

StageWhat to doSource
From birthOn the back for every nap, in a bare crib with only a fitted sheetSafe to Sleep; CPSC
Nap started in a car seat, swing or carrierMove the baby to a firm sleep surface on their backAAP
Rolls both waysYou don't need to turn them back over; keep the crib bareHealthyChildren.org
Before sitting upLower the mattress so they can't lean or pull over the sideHealthyChildren.org
Before standingSet the mattress at its lowest positionHealthyChildren.org
35 inches tall, or side rail under three-quarters of their heightMove to another bedHealthyChildren.org

Check the crib itself. Federal crib standards took effect on June 28, 2011, and CPSC says traditional drop-side cribs can't be sold after that date. A hand-me-down crib made before then may not meet today's rules, and HealthyChildren.org has a parents' guide to the newer standards.

When to talk to your pediatrician. Ask if your baby only naps in arms or on the move and you're struggling to make crib naps work, or if naps seem much shorter or longer than you'd expect.

Good to Know

Safe to Sleep, the National Institutes of Health campaign, says the most effective step against SIDS is placing a baby on their back to sleep for naps and at night, every time. CPSC's "Bare is Best" rule for the crib is the same for a 20-minute nap as for a full night. When your baby falls asleep in a car seat or stroller while you're out, the AAP's advice is to move them to a firm, flat sleep surface on their back once you can. If your baby isn't breathing or can't be woken, call 911.

FAQ

Do the safe sleep rules apply to naps?

Yes. Safe to Sleep says to put a baby on their back for naps and at night, and CPSC's bare crib advice doesn't change for daytime.

Can my baby nap in the crib on their stomach?

Lay them down on their back. HealthyChildren.org says that once a baby rolls both ways on their own, you don't need to turn them back over, as long as the crib stays bare.

When should the crib mattress be lowered?

HealthyChildren.org says to lower it before your baby can sit, so they can't lean or pull over the side, and to set it at the lowest position before they learn to stand.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar and Handoff Card

Put nap times on the Calendar in a Household Space in Buhata, and keep the crib nap rules on a Handoff Card (Premium) for anyone doing daytime care.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Nap schedule

    The usual pattern of a baby's or toddler's daytime naps: how many, roughly when and for how long, which shifts as the child grows.

  • Safe sleep

    The AAP's rules for lowering the risk of SIDS and suffocation: baby on the back, alone, on a firm flat surface in their own sleep space, every sleep.

  • Drowsy but awake

    Laying a baby down in the crib when they're sleepy but still awake, so they practice falling asleep on their own.

  • Crib transition

    Moving a child from a crib to a toddler bed or regular bed, which the AAP ties to height or to the crib rail getting too low for them.

  • Wake window

    The stretch of time a baby stays awake between one sleep and the next, often used as a rough guide to when the next nap is due.

Baby and toddler

Sources

NICHD Safe to Sleep, "About Back Sleeping" and "Safe Sleep Environment for Baby"; CPSC, "Safe Sleep/Bare is Best"; CPSC, "CPSC Approves Strong New Crib Safety Standards To Ensure a Safe Sleep for Babies and Toddlers"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Make Baby's Room Safe: Parent Checklist"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "New Crib Standards: What Parents Need to Know"; American Academy of Pediatrics, "Safe Sleep and Your Baby: How Parents Can Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Suffocation" (patient education)

Last updated .