Sleep pressure is a biological reaction that drives us to want to sleep, but finding the right balance for babies and young children can be tricky. As your baby grows, their awake windows will increase, and it's important to find the right balance so that they can settle to sleep easily and stay asleep for a decent amount of time.
It's all about balance when it comes to sleep pressure. If a baby's awake windows aren't quite suitable for their age, or if they are having too much sleep during the day, the sleep pressure won't be significant enough to help them drift off.
The environment can also play a role in creating sleep pressure. Having a dark sleep space without too many distractions is important. Think about how you sleep. Do you feel the drive to sleep with bright lights and noise? (really tired Moms and Dads might be an exception😉)
If you're wondering why your little one is waking after 1-hour into their mid-day nap or stalling at bedtime, they might need a slightly longer awake window before bedtime. Keep in mind that if your child is still taking a late long afternoon nap and is finding it hard to settle at the desired bedtime before 7 pm, a long late nap can postpone the drowsiness they would otherwise feel at bedtime. So try to keep this nap short to help create that sleep pressure.
In conclusion, creating the right balance of sleep pressure for your little one is key to helping them settle and stay asleep for a decent amount of time. It's important to pay attention to their awake windows, the environment and nap schedule to help create the ideal sleep pressure.
