Contact Naps and Newborn Sleep
If your newborn will only sleep while being held, you are not doing anything wrong.
Contact naps are one of the most common and biologically normal features of newborn sleep. For many babies, being held is not a preference or habit, it is a regulation need. Understanding why contact naps happen, and why they are so common in the early weeks, can help take a lot of pressure and worry out of sleep.
What are contact naps?
A contact nap is when your baby sleeps while being held, worn in a carrier, or resting on your chest rather than sleeping independently in their cot.
In the newborn stage, contact naps often happen because your baby settles more easily and stays asleep longer when close to you. This is not a sign of a sleep problem, and it does not mean you are creating bad habits.
If you are still learning what newborn sleep actually looks like overall, you may also find it helpful to read What to Expect With Newborn Sleep, which breaks down what is normal in the early weeks.
Why contact naps are so common in newborns
Newborn sleep is very different from adult sleep.
Your baby has spent months in a warm, enclosed environment where movement, sound and closeness were constant. After birth, your body remains their most familiar and regulating place.
Contact naps help newborns because:
Your body temperature helps regulate theirs
Your breathing and heartbeat support their nervous system
Physical closeness reduces stress hormones
Movement helps them stay in deeper sleep
Being held meets their need for safety and connection
This ties closely into how newborn sleep cycles work, which is explored in more detail in Understanding Newborn Sleep Cycles.
For many newborns, sleeping flat and alone in a cot can feel unfamiliar and dysregulating, especially during the day when sleep pressure is lower.
Are contact naps bad for newborn sleep?
No. Contact naps are not bad for newborn sleep.
They do not spoil your baby, create dependence, or prevent future sleep development. In fact, for many babies, contact naps are what allow them to get the rest they need in the early weeks.
Well rested newborns often cope better with feeds, evenings and night sleep. Supporting sleep during the day, even through contact naps, can reduce overtiredness and help prevent long unsettled periods later in the day, including the witching hour, which many families experience in the early weeks.
Will contact naps cause sleep issues later?
This is a very common worry, and one that causes a lot of unnecessary stress.
Newborns are not developmentally capable of forming sleep habits in the way older babies do. Their sleep is driven by biology, not behaviour.
As your baby matures, their ability to tolerate space, stillness and independent sleep naturally increases. Many babies move away from contact naps on their own as their sleep cycles mature and their nervous system becomes more settled.
Contact naps in the newborn stage do not mean your baby will always need to be held to sleep.
Contact naps vs cot naps
Some newborns will happily nap in their cot from the beginning. Others will need a mix of contact naps and cot naps. Many will prefer contact naps for most daytime sleep early on.
There is no correct ratio.
If your baby naps well on you but wakes quickly in the cot, that does not mean the cot is wrong or that you need to force it. It simply means your baby is still adjusting to life outside the womb.
You can gently offer cot naps when it feels manageable, while still using contact naps to ensure your baby gets enough rest overall.
For families navigating night settling alongside naps, Creating a Newborn Night Routine can also help bring a sense of rhythm without pressure.
Do contact naps affect night sleep?
Contact naps during the day do not cause poor night sleep.
In fact, supporting daytime sleep can improve night sleep by preventing overtiredness, which is a common contributor to unsettled evenings and frequent night waking.
Newborn night waking is normal and expected, and is not caused by contact naps during the day. If frequent waking feels excessive or concerning, it is important to rule out potential newborn sleep red flags rather than assuming it is behavioural.
Is it okay to enjoy contact naps?
Yes.
It is okay to enjoy the closeness, to sit down, to rest, and to let your baby sleep on you if that is what works right now.
Supporting your baby to sleep in ways that feel calm and responsive helps build trust and security, which supports sleep development over time.
You are not meant to be fixing newborn sleep. You are meant to be supporting it while it matures.
When do contact naps usually change?
There is a wide range of normal.
Some babies begin tolerating cot naps more easily around three to four months as sleep patterns shift and cycles mature. Others continue to prefer contact naps for longer, especially during regressions, growth spurts or periods of development.
Change happens gradually, not overnight.
If contact naps are working for you and your baby, there is no rush to change them.
When to seek extra support
If contact naps are the only way your baby sleeps and you are feeling overwhelmed, touched out, or struggling to rest, support can help.
Likewise, if your baby seems uncomfortable, very unsettled, or unable to sleep even with support, it is worth exploring possible underlying factors, including feeding challenges or sleep environment considerations.
Sleep support is not about removing contact. It is about helping you find a balance that supports both you and your baby.
What happens after the newborn stage?
As babies move beyond the newborn period, sleep needs, awake windows and settling patterns naturally begin to change. What worked in the early weeks may start to feel less effective, and that can be confusing for many families.
If your baby is moving past the newborn stage and sleep is starting to feel harder rather than easier, structured guidance can help. The 5–24 Month Sleep Course supports families through routines, regressions, naps and night sleep as development continues, without pressure or one size fits all approaches.
The takeaway
Contact naps are a normal, biological part of newborn sleep for many babies.
They do not create bad habits, they do not delay sleep development, and they do not need to be fixed.
Supporting your newborn to sleep in ways that feel safe and calming is exactly what their developing nervous system needs.
Sleep changes with time. For now, closeness is enough.
Eva Beke
Certified Paediatric Sleep Consultant
Founder The Sleepy Little Bubs
I’m Eva Beke, a certified baby and toddler sleep consultant and founder of The Sleepy Little Bubs, supporting families across Australia and the world with evidence based baby and toddler sleep support.
My approach is realistic, supportive, and designed to evolve as your child grows, so you’re not just getting help for today, but confidence moving forward.
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