My baby doesn’t sleep during the day: what should I do?

Is your baby not sleeping during the day or struggling to fall asleep at nap time? You are not alone — many parents face challenges related to their newborn’s sleep. Why does your baby refuse to take naps? How can you encourage good daytime sleep?

My baby doesn’t sleep during the day: practical tips.

Understanding baby sleep

To better support your baby’s sleep, here are a few general guidelines about their needs.

Sleep needs by age

Sleep requirements change quickly over the months. During the first year, the wake-sleep rhythm develops gradually and is mainly influenced by your baby’s biological clock and their increasing alertness.

Here is a summary table of your baby’s sleep needs by age (note: these are only approximate figures and can vary from one child to another).

The role of naps in your child’s development

Did you know? Naps are not just for recharging batteries! Daytime sleep plays a key role in your child’s growth and development:

• Growth: growth hormones are mainly secreted when your child sleeps, especially during slow-wave and REM sleep.
• Brain and cognitive development: during naps and night sleep, your baby’s brain consolidates the day’s learning, organizes memory, and strengthens neural connections.
• Immune system strengthening: good sleep, both day and night, promotes the production of hormones that protect your baby and boost their immune system.
• Mood regulation: a baby who doesn’t get enough sleep often shows signs of irritability such as crying.

Why is my baby not sleeping during the day?

Several factors, often related to age, physiology, or environment, can explain why your baby doesn’t sleep during the day. Here are the main ones.

Between 3 and 4 months, many babies start sleeping better at night: their biological clock adjusts, they ask for fewer nighttime feeds, and some can even fall asleep or go back to sleep on their own after waking at night. Paradoxically, this is also the time when napping during the day becomes harder. Around 4 months, your child becomes more alert and curiosity increases: they explore the world, interact more, and may have trouble letting go at nap time. They may want to stay awake so they don’t miss anything.

Physiologically, melatonin production, the sleep hormone, is much lower during the day, making it harder to fall asleep at nap time. Exposure to natural light, surrounding noise, or play stimulation can also disrupt the need for sleep and cause wake-ups or difficulty falling asleep.

Other causes may explain why your baby isn’t sleeping during the day, such as unstable sleep cycles (especially during transitions between slow-wave and REM sleep) or an unsuitable sleep environment (too much light, noise, temperature, or lack of relaxing conditions).

Good to know: bedtime also plays a very important role. Putting your baby down when they show signs of tiredness (rubbing their eyes or touching their face) helps promote sleep.

Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your journey as a new parent.

How can I help my baby sleep better during the day?

If you think your baby is lacking sleep, don’t worry. Usually, a few adjustments in their routine, environment, and pre-nap moments are enough to get back on track.

Create a reassuring nap routine

Establishing a nap-time ritual (and more generally, a bedtime routine) helps your baby recognize when it’s time to sleep, which encourages the relaxation needed to fall asleep. Here are some tips.

• Short, gentle routine: changing the diaper, offering a cuddle, singing a lullaby, or reading a short story every day before sleep signals to your child that it’s time to rest.
• Keep regular times: try to offer naps at the same times each day, following signs of tiredness (yawning, rubbing eyes).
• Promote consistency: the more regularly you apply this pre-sleep ritual, the more effective it is.

Good to know: babies need routines — regular cues reassure your child and help them fall asleep more easily.

Adapt your baby’s sleep environment

An appropriate environment is essential to help your baby distinguish between awake and sleep times.

• A calm and reassuring bedroom: choose a space where your baby feels safe. You can spend some quiet time there together.
• Soft lighting: slightly close shutters or draw curtains to promote melatonin production, without making the room completely dark to preserve the day/night distinction.
• Ideal temperature: ideally, keep the room between 18 and 20°C (64–68°F).

Remember: some babies need more support or time to find their rhythm. The key is to set a reassuring framework, observe your child’s needs, and be flexible with routines during periods when your baby isn’t sleeping well during the day.

How to identify sleep deprivation in my baby?

Prolonged lack of sleep can have serious consequences for your baby’s health, behavior, and well-being. Here’s how to recognize the signs of sleep deprivation in your baby.

• Irritability and restlessness: a tired baby becomes easily cranky, gets upset quickly, and has trouble calming down.
• Frequent crying: unexplained crying episodes, especially in the evening, may reflect an unmet need for naps.
• Feeding issues: lack of rest may make your baby less interested in the bottle or breastfeeding.
• Difficulty falling asleep: contrary to what you might think, a baby who doesn’t sleep enough during the day will find it harder to fall asleep at night. Accumulated fatigue makes it harder to relax and promotes night wakings.
• Daytime drowsiness: your baby may struggle to stay awake or yawn frequently during wake periods.

My baby doesn’t sleep during the day: when to seek medical advice?

It’s normal to worry if your baby isn’t sleeping during the day despite your efforts to establish a comforting routine. Most of the time, daytime sleep difficulties are temporary and related to developmental phases, environmental changes, or the maturation of sleep cycles. However, some signs should prompt you to consult your doctor or pediatrician to make sure everything is fine and to get advice tailored to your situation.

Here are situations where it’s recommended to seek medical advice:

• If, despite setting up a regular nap routine, a suitable rest environment, and appropriate schedules, your child continues to have major difficulty falling asleep, napping, or staying asleep during the day for several weeks.
• Total absence of naps (in an infant or young child) while their total daily sleep needs for their age are clearly not being met (see sleep needs table above).
• Excessive irritability, inconsolable crying, or signs of severe fatigue that don’t improve, even with comfort and rest attempts. Chronic sleep deprivation can affect your child’s emotional and physical health.
• Very frequent night wakings or inability to link sleep cycles, leading to fragmented nights and marked daytime sleepiness.
• If you notice that your baby is no longer progressing as usual in motor, cognitive, or social development, or shows very limited alertness outside of sleep periods.
• Feeding difficulties, weight loss, fever, digestive issues, or any other unusual symptoms accompanying sleep problems.

A healthcare professional can help you distinguish between a normal sleep “regression” phase linked to development (which is temporary and common around 4, 9, 12 months…) and a real sleep disorder requiring specific care.

Keep a small sleep diary for your child: note nap and nighttime hours, wake periods, difficulties falling asleep, and any changes in behavior. This will help the doctor better understand the situation and offer personalized solutions. Psst! On May, we offer a tool specifically designed to help you address your child’s sleep difficulties.

Sleep is essential to your child’s development. If your baby doesn’t sleep during the day, don’t hesitate to seek medical advice to establish good napping habits.

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Photo credits: solovei23 | Prostock-studio | YuriArcursPeopleimages | seventyfourimages | joaquincorbalan | halfpoint

This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May US/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.