You do not need to go through your usual bedtime routine at naptime. Though your typical nighttime routine may consist of bathing your baby, feeding your baby, singing to her, talking to her, playing a quiet game with her, or some combination of some of these elements, it is not necessary to do this at naptime. If you wish, you can certainly sing one song or talk to her briefly in a soothing voice, but you do not need to do even that. You can simply tell her that it's naptime, offer her a bottle or your breast, and put her in her crib with the blinds drawn and the room darkened.

It's not necessary to put her into her pajamas to nap, but some of the other conditions she associates with sleeping should be present at naptime. The fact that she's in her crib is the biggest signal. Also you will want to close her blinds to shut out the sunlight and much of the daylight, though of course her room won't be totally dark, nor do you need it to be. As well, you will probably nurse her or give her a bottle right before you put her in, as you also do at night.

Light and Dark

Experts' opinions are divided as to whether your baby should be put in for her nap in a darkened room or not. Those who say “yes” reason that your baby is learning to associate darkness with sleeping, and so darkening the room is a cue to the baby that she's expected to sleep. Those who say “no” reason that your baby should learn the difference between day and night and not have her body confused by “artificial darkness” at naptime. The best answer is probably a compromise. Put her in her crib for her nap in subdued light, but not in total darkness. It's hard to achieve total darkness in the daytime without the use of blackout shades or heavy drapes.

Location, Location, Location

In any case, she should be put to sleep in her crib whenever possible. She may fall asleep in her swing or some other place in advance of the time you had planned to put her in her crib for her nap. There's no reason to get upset should this happen. Let her sleep undisturbed so you don't disrupt her sleeping pattern. But when possible, do put her in her crib for her nap. Let her get used to associating the crib with sleeping.

There are several reasons that it's better if the baby naps in her crib, where she sleeps at night. For one thing, she already associates her crib with sleeping. If you put her in for her naps there, she's more likely to get the idea that it's time to go to sleep. In addition, if she is in the thick of daytime household activities, the excessive noise might interrupt her nap. If she's napping in her swing, in her car seat perched on the floor, or on a quilt spread out on the living room floor, she may be more easily awakened by the sound of the doorbell or phone, by the voices of visitors or family members, or by whatever activities are going on around her.