Contact naps: are they OK, how to do them safely, and how to move on

Your baby falls asleep on your chest, sighs, and stays asleep for an hour and a half. You lay them down in the cot, and twenty minutes later (or two) they’re awake and furious.

If this is your life, you’re in very good company. Contact naps, where a baby sleeps on or against a parent, are one of the most common things parents ask about.

Is it OK that my baby only naps on me?

Yes. Young babies are wired to want closeness, and many sleep longer and more deeply when they’re held. Your warmth, heartbeat, smell and movement are deeply soothing. The NHS acknowledges that early on, babies may only fall asleep while being held. It isn’t a habit you’ve created or a problem you need to fix.

Contact naps can also be a gift: a chance to sit down, rest, read or simply be with your baby.

The two real questions are:

1. Is it safe?
2. Is it still working for you?

Contact naps, safely

If you think you might fall asleep, for example during a night feed in bed, the Lullaby Trust suggests preparing the bed in advance: pillows and duvets away from your baby, no gaps where they could get trapped, and never leaving them alone on an adult bed (Lullaby Trust). Our safe sleep guide has the full picture.

Slings and carriers

A sling can make contact naps much easier: hands free, and often a longer sleep. Follow the T.I.C.K.S. checklist (Lullaby Trust):

• Tight
• In view at all times
• Close enough to kiss
• Keep chin off the chest
• Supported back

Don’t feed your baby while they’re in the sling; take them out first (NHS). The AAP advises moving a baby who falls asleep in a carrier to a firm, flat sleep surface as soon as practical.

Moving towards cot naps, when you’re ready

There’s no deadline. Some families love contact naps for months; others need their arms back sooner, perhaps for a return to work, a toddler to care for, or simply rest. When you’re ready, go gently.

Start with one nap

The first nap of the day is often the easiest to move to the cot, because sleep pressure is high and babies tend to settle more easily in the morning. Keep the other naps as they are for now.

Make the cot familiar and inviting

• A dark room (blackout blinds help for naps)
• A short pre-nap routine: nappy, sleeping bag, a song, the same words each time
• Steady white noise, if your baby likes it
• Warm the fitted sheet with your hand before laying them down (never use a hot water bottle in the cot)

Help with the transfer

• Wait until your baby is in a deeper sleep (limbs heavy, breathing slow and regular), often 15 to 20 minutes after they drop off.
• Lower them feet first, keeping a hand on their tummy for a moment after you put them down.
• Some babies settle better if you lay them down drowsy but awake and stay close, with a hand on their chest or a soft “shh”. The HSE suggests drowsy but awake for settling (HSE).

Get the timing right

A baby who isn’t tired enough will resist the cot more. A baby who’s overtired will wake more easily. Check wake windows by age as a starting point.

Expect short cot naps at first

Cot naps may be shorter than contact naps to begin with. That’s normal. See short naps for ways to stretch them.

A middle way

Many families settle on a mix: a cot nap in the morning, a pram or sling nap on a walk, and a contact nap on the sofa in the afternoon with a parent who’s wide awake and has a book in hand. That’s a perfectly good rhythm.