Catnap
Also called cat nap, catnapping, catnapper, cat napper
A catnap is a short, light nap, and for babies it usually means a daytime nap that ends after one sleep cycle, often 45 minutes or less. A baby who naps this way most of the time gets called a catnapper.
How it's said
Who says it
Where it came from
Catnap is an American word from the early 1800s, made from cat and nap. It is named for the way cats doze in short, light spells through the day rather than in one long sleep.
Baby sleep books use it too: Tizzie Hall's 2010 book Save Our Sleep: Toddler describes a toddler on two day sleeps having one good sleep and one catnap. Baby sleep guides now use catnapping for naps that end after a single sleep cycle, and parents use catnapper for the baby who takes them.