Should Parent Sleeping While Child Is Awake – Never Do It Again?

I know how tiresome a day you pass running behind your kid! And when they sleep you barely get a few hours of sleeping time. But the problem is sometimes babies don’t sleep long. So, very often we notice parents sleeping while the child is awake. 

Parent-Sleeping-While-Child-Is-Awake

But what do you think as a parent, should you do it? There is no legit answer to this question. But considering several factors The Private Night Nurse thinks it’s a No. So, you should never sleep when your baby is awake. Instead, they suggest a  cat power nap.

Below in this article, I’ll show you the factors why sleeping isn’t recommended and things about a power nap. 

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Sleep While Baby Is Sleeping

Here I’ll now explain all the reasons why it’s risky for the baby. So let’s dog in.

Risk of Electric Shock Injury

The very first thing I want to mention is the risk of having electric shocks. There are so many electric appliances in our house. Your babies always notice you are plugining them before use. So it’s a curiosity what happens after that.

Behind your eyes, they can try to plug-in electric machines which is highly risky for kids. 

Another thing is babies, something starts chewing on the electric cords. Which sometimes causes an electric shock.

Now the most common thing is babies poking metal objects or their fingers in electric outlets. Here if the electric volt for the outlet is higher then it can cause cardiac arrest, seizure, brain damage, or even death. 

So, now you understand why it’s so risky to leave a child alone while you’re sleeping. 

Before getting into the next segment a few statistics are here for you. 

  1. Every year 1000 people die (Approximately) due to electric shock which is 1% of all deadlines. 
  2. Every year 4000 injuries occur (approximately) due to electric hazards. 

Unexpected Falls

When you are sleeping nobody is there to forbid the kid from running fast or getting into slippery surfaces. It’s very natural for them to be whimsical and fall from running and getting injured. 

The worst-case scenario is falling from the stairs. No parents want to wake up hearing a loud shout from their kid.

So you shouldn’t fall asleep when the kid is awake. 

Babies Can Destroy Your Precious Things

Babies don’t understand which is important and which isn’t. Anything in uncommon they noticed they like to explore no matter what and how. That’s why  it’s quite normal they can ruin your most memorable, precious, or expensive unknowingly. 

So stay awake with your kid, monitor them, and keep things safe and secure for your baby.

Tips to Stay Awake With Your Kid

By now you have understood why you should stay awake with the baby. So now here I’ve got some tips for you to stay awake with babies. 

1. Understand Your Child’s Sleep Pattern

If you can understand the sleep patterns of your kid then it will be easier for you to get some extra sleep time. Mainly there will be no waste in time while they sleep. As a result, it will be easier for you to stay awake with them 

2. Try Relaxation Exercise And Pressure Points

When you are too sleepy try relaxation exercises for 5-10 minutes. It’ll help you to stay awake.

Next, there are also some pressure points. Pressing the points helps to stay awake. It’s more recommended to have visual ideas on the points. So a related video is given for you. 

3. Get More Caffeine

You never know when the baby will wake-up and won’t go to sleep. For example, your baby can wake up all of a sudden after a 2 am feed. But it is very tough to have some exercise at that late night.

In that condition, the best advice for you is to prepare a cup of coffee while preparing food for babies. Caffeine helps to keep you awake. 

Can I Nap While My Baby is Awake? 

Sometimes it gets almost impossible to stay awake with the child. I know how it feels to pass a sleepless week. In such cases question arises – is it okay to take a nap when the baby is awake?

Yes, it’s okay to take a nap while your baby is awake. In fact it is found beneficial to take a 10 minutes power nap for the mother’s health. 

But again here you’ve to follow some precautions and do some tricks. Don’t worry, you’ll learn all these in the next segment.

3 Tips to Sneak in a Nap when Your Baby is Awake

Here I’ll explain 3 ways you can have a nap fooling your kid. Let’s see it.

1. Use a Crib (Only for infants)

When your kid is only a few months old the only way you can try to get a nap is by keeping them in the crib.

For that first, make sure the crib is highly secure and your baby can’t reach the height. 

Then add some toys to the crib. It should be enough for them to play for 15-20 minutes. Take a nap by that time.

2. Use Sunglasses

This is a tricky way to fool the baby. Your baby always wants your attention and whenever they see you sleeping they come back to you and wake you awake. 

In that case wear sunglasses, get on a couch, and act like you are awake. Don’t let the baby understand you’re taking a nap so that they won’t be doing anything wrong.

However, make sure if you’re in the room then keep the door locks and electric things away from the kid. 

3. Keep the Kid Busy

Another easy method is to keep your kid busy. But how?

You can ask them for a drawing and instead, you’ll be giving her/him a special candy.

So get a paper, color, or pencil and ask them to finish in 15 minutes. In the meantime take a nap. They shouldn’t be mocking you because most of their attention will be on drawing.

At What Age Is It Safe to Take a Nap While Kids Are Awake?

There is no proven statement to this question. But in-general most moms start taking naps from when the kids get 6 months.

Until they are 3 years old even though you take a nap you have to be highly cautious. After 3 you can slightly rely on them. You can even let them sleep alone in a single bed.

And after they are 5-6 years old, you can sleep even if they are awake.

Conclusion

So the topic of parents sleeping while child is awake is now clear. Once again Never do it. I have explained the risk factors and now everything is up to you.

However, the solution is to nap and I have also explained how you can sneak in a nap in front of your kid. 

That’s all for today. Stay conscious and take good care of your baby.

About Smily Mom

Smilymom is an initiative by a group of four friends who simply wanted to help you make good decisions. We bring you the greatest and latest information about parenting, baby wellness, housekeeping, and home decoration along with expert advice and trusted product reviews. We don’t settle for misleading, half-baked information and we take pride in it.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.