Daytime sleep affects the nighttime sleep profoundly. A child who eats and sleeps well during the day will also tend to sleep regularly and predictably at night, while one who takes short frequent naps during the day will most likely follow the same pattern at night, waking frequently to eat.
Children who do not nap well also tend to have an impaired appetite, so their entire eating and sleeping schedule is disrupted. Good daytime naps are the foundation of a good night’s sleep. Therefore, the solution is not, as many parents believe, to restrict a child’s naps in the hope that he will compensate by sleeping longer at night. Instead, it is the focus of timing and the amount of sleep during the day, ensuring it is correct for the child’s age.
Your child’s napping schedule will change with age, but as your child gets older the less sleep he will need during the day.
What kind of napping schedule should your child follow?
0 - 3 months
A nap every 1.5hours is what I recommend. By 3 months to your baby’s total daytime napping should be around 4 – 5 hours.
3 - 6 months
The time between naps should lengthen to 2 hours, meaning that your baby should have 2-3 regular naps per day. By 6 months the total daily naptime should be 3.5-4.5 hours.
6 - 9 months
Two naps per day at this age is average. A nap in the morning for 1.5-2 hours and the same in the afternoon. Total daily naptime should be 3-4 hours.
9 - 12 months
Still at two naps per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Average daily naptime should be around 2.5 – 3 hours.
12 months - 2yrs
Sometimes children will be able to drop their morning nap and some children will still need two naps. It will depend on your child and how they are sleeping at night. If your toddler is not tired enough for a morning nap but can’t wait until after lunch, simply give him a nap around lunch time and bring his lunch earlier. If your toddler isn’t sleeping well at night then I suggest you cut him down to one nap around lunchtime. The average daily naptime should be around 2 hours.
2 - 3 yrs
One daytime nap is usually sufficient for this age group. Many children will have grown out of naps altogether by 3 yrs. of age. Put your child down for his nap around 1-1.30pm. A daily total naptime of 1-1.5hours is all they will need at this age.
If you are having trouble getting your baby to nap, there are many reasons why. The most common one is that you aren’t able to recognize some of your baby’s sleep cues.
1. Whines and cries at the slightest thing
2. Stares blankly into space
3. Turns his face away from moving objects or people, often to bury his face in your chest.
4. Yawns and stretches frequently
5. Rubs his eye or pulls on his ears
6. Loses interest in people or toys
7. Goes quiet or still.
Put your baby down for a nap as soon as you see one or two of the tired signs above. This will also help him with going to sleep for his nap and also staying asleep, as he wont be overtired.
