Contact naps: Why your baby loves them (and how to make them work for you)

It’s 11 a.m., your baby is snoozing peacefully on your chest, and you haven’t moved in 37 minutes. Welcome to the cozy, all-consuming world of contact naps. You might be wondering: Is this safe? Is this sustainable? Am I creating a habit I’ll regret?

The short answer: Contact naps are a normal, developmentally appropriate stage in early infancy. They meet your baby’s need for comfort, connection, and regulation, and with a few strategies, they can work for you too.

We spoke with Dr. Nilong Vyas, a board-certified pediatrician and founder of Sleepless in NOLA Pediatric Sleep Consulting, to help explain contact naps, why babies love them, and how to gently transition away when you’re ready.

What is a contact nap?

A contact nap is when a baby naps while being physically held or in contact with a caregiver. This includes sleeping in your arms, on your chest, or while being worn in a baby carrier. It’s most common in the newborn phase and early infancy.

“A contact nap is a nap where a parent or caregiver holds the child to sleep, either for the initial phase of sleep or for the entirety of the nap. Contact naps are usually beneficial (and sometimes necessary) in the early days of birth because they provide a sense of comfort for the baby and foster a connection between parent and child. ”

Dr. Vyas further states that when contact naps become a dependent phenomenon for the child in that they are unable to sleep without them, it can create long-term sleep deficiencies and associations.

Contact napping is tied to what researchers call proximity-seeking behavior, where infants naturally seek closeness to their caregivers to feel secure. This aligns with the concept of kangaroo care, which has been shown to promote sleep, regulate temperature and heart rate, and even support brain development in infants.

Your baby’s instinct to nap on you is rooted in biology, not bad habits.

Why babies love contact naps

Contact naps aren’t just adorable, they’re biologically soothing. Your warmth, scent, heartbeat, and breathing mimic the womb environment and signal safety to your baby’s developing nervous system.

A  2010 study published in the Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews found that maternal contact helps regulate infant cortisol levels. In other words, babies feel calmer and sleep better when they’re close to you.

And because young infants spend most of their time in active (REM-like) sleep, which is easily disrupted, being held provides the stability they need to stay asleep longer.

Are contact naps safe?

Contact naps can be safe, but only under the right conditions.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the safest sleep environment for a baby includes:

• Sleeping on their back
  
• On a firm, flat surface like a crib or bassinet
  
• In the same room as the caregiver, but not the same bed
  
• Without soft bedding such as pillows, blankets, or toys
  

Important note: The AAP does not recommend the use of infant carriers, slings, or wraps for routine sleep. While babywearing can be helpful for soothing, these devices are not safe for napping, especially if caregivers are drowsy or inattentive to airway positioning.

That means:

• Holding your baby while awake and upright is okay for short naps.
  
• Avoid napping with the baby on your chest if you’re reclining or sleepy.
  
• If you’re feeling drowsy, transfer your baby to a crib or bassinet.
  

Safe contact napping tip: Have a trusted partner or caregiver check in on you and your baby periodically. Especially during the early postpartum weeks, it’s surprisingly easy to nod off while snuggling a warm, sleepy newborn.

How to make contact naps work for you

If contact naps are the only kind your baby will take right now, breathe easy. This is a normal stage, especially in the first few weeks. That said, it’s also okay to want some flexibility (or free hands!).

Here are a few tips to make contact naps more manageable:

• Create a cozy nap station: Comfy chair, snacks, water, and entertainment nearby.
  
• Use white noise: Mimic womb-like comfort to help prep baby for crib naps later.
  
• Start with the morning nap: It’s usually the easiest time to attempt crib sleep.
  
• Try ‘drowsy but awake’: Around 2–4 months, begin laying the baby down before they fully fall asleep.
  

Dr. Vyas emphasizes that while contact naps may feel necessary at first, they should be a short-term bridge:

“The goal with contact naps is to work towards eliminating them and teach the infant to sleep independently. In the initial days after a newborn comes home, contact naps may feel necessary, but the sooner the infant is taught to sleep independently, the sooner they will develop good sleep habits and hygiene.”

Dr. Vyas further says that whatever you do to and for a baby is what they are going to think is supposed to happen. 

“So, if parents are continuously offering contact naps, their child will have a hard time knowing anything else unless they are taught,” she says.

Pro tip: Think of this phase as scaffolding. You’re supporting their sleep until they’re ready to build it themselves.

When and how to stop contact naps

There’s no universal end date, but many parents start transitioning away from contact naps around 3–6 months, as babies gain better self-soothing and sleep regulation.

Dr. Vyas recommends laying a strong foundation for independent sleep from the beginning:

If you’re ready to make a change, try:

• Starting with one nap a day in the crib
  
• Transferring mid-nap after baby falls asleep in your arms
  
• Using consistent nap cues like swaddles, dark rooms, and white noise
  
• Trying a motion-based bassinet to mimic the soothing rhythm of contact naps
  
• Celebrating small wins—even short crib naps count!
  

Conclusion

Whether your baby is in the thick of contact naps or you’re starting to explore more independent sleep, remember: this phase is both developmentally normal and emotionally rich. You’re not spoiling your baby by holding them; you’re supporting their growing sense of safety and connection.

So take a breath, grab a snack (and maybe a remote), and soak in those contact naps when they feel right. And when it’s time to shift? You’ll have the tools and the confidence to help your little one snooze sweetly in their own space.

And we’re here for every sleepy milestone along the way.

Sources: 

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Proximity-seeking behavior in infants. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
  
• Feldman R, et al. “Maternal and paternal skin-to-skin contact: Impact on parental regulation.” Developmental Psychology, 2002.
  
• Gunnar MR, et al. “The stress response system: Cortisol regulation and maternal buffering.” Biological Psychiatry, 2010. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.09.009
  
• Moore ER, et al. “Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2016. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003519.pub4
  
• AAP Policy Statement. “Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment.” Pediatrics, July 2022. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188274/

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