Benefits of Contact Napping a Newborn
Your little one spent nine months in your womb listening to the soothing sounds of your heartbeat and the rhythm of your breath. So it is only natural that sleeping on you evokes warmth, connection, and security.
So many sleep consultants push self-soothing and independent sleep for newborns when the truth is they do not have the ability to do either. These are learned skills for a newborn that can take up to 4 months or longer to master!
The practice of contact napping is intuitive and natural.
A contact nap can be defined as having your little one sleep in your arms, on your chest, or in any other position that results in skin contact.
The emotional connection achieved through physical contact can increase your baby’s feelings of security and result in a deeper sleep.
The attachment and bonds formed during a contact nap can have lifelong benefits for your little one.
Benefits for both you and your baby, including:
May lower cortisol levels or stress hormones in both you and your little one
Improves your little one’s sleep quality
Increases the baby’s alertness after sleep due to a ‘deep sleep’
Can foster more successful nursing/feeding habits
Stimulates oxytocin release (calmness and bonding hormone) in both you and your little one
Can reduce the incidence and severity of maternal depression
