Navigating naptime can feel like a rollercoaster for parents, but it's essential for both your and your child's well-being. Naptimes allow kids to meet their sleep needs throughout the day, but also provides an important break for parents.
This article will discuss the importance of naptime for your child's growth and development and provide tips to help your child get much needed rest during your daily routine.
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Naps vs. sleep
"Naps" tend to refer to shorter stretches of sleep that occur during the day, as opposed to longer stretches of sleep at night.
Both naps and nighttime sleep involve periods of deep sleep, although babies' sleep cycles differ from those of adults. Additionally, both nighttime sleep and daytime sleep have important benefits for overall health.
Just as they do at night, babies progress through various sleep stages during naps, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep, which comprises light sleep and deep sleep stages.
Why children need nap time
Daytime naps are essential for infants and toddlers to achieve the total amount of sleep they need for proper brain and body development and overall health. Even a good night's sleep is not sufficient on its own—children need periods of sleep throughout the day as well.
We'll look at the importance of naptime for different areas of development.
Cognitive development
One of the most remarkable benefits of naps is their impact on cognitive development.
When children nap, their brains are busy organizing and storing information. Research shows that naps improve memory consolidation, which means children are more likely to retain new information learned before sleeping.
Nap time is especially beneficial during periods of intense learning, such as when a child learns to talk or starts school.
Regular naps can also boost problem-solving skills, creativity, and the ability to recall facts, all vital for development and later academic success.
Furthermore, children are often more focused and attentive after a nap. This enhanced concentration can lead to more productive play and learning sessions, whether at home or in school.
Emotional and behavioral benefits
Naps are not just good for the brain, they also play a significant role in emotional regulation. A well-rested child is less irritable and more capable of managing emotions. This can lead to fewer tantrums and a happier household overall.
Naps can also provide a break and reset button after stress and overstimulation. This downtime allows children to process emotions and experiences, leading to better overall mental health.
These emotional benefits extend beyond childhood, as learning to manage emotions early in life is crucial for personal development and social interactions.
Furthermore, napping can enhance a child's social skills. By helping children feel rested and content, naps promote positive interactions with peers and adults. A child who is not overly tired is more likely to cooperate, share, and play well with others, contributing to their social development.
Physical development
Naps play a crucial role in a child's physical development by providing essential rest that supports various growth processes.
As much as 75% of a child's human growth hormone (HGH) level is released into their bloodstream during sleep. HGH plays a vital role in stimulating tissue growth and muscle development. It's also essential in helping the body heal itself and regulating metabolism.
Additionally, enough sleep—both nightly sleep and naps—helps to strengthen the immune system and promotes recovery from daily physical activities. Research has shown that children who are sleep deprived may be more susceptible to illnesses.
Naps also restore energy levels, allowing children to remain active and engaged throughout the day. This is important for developing motor skills and overall fitness and preventing health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
Naptime simple tips
Keeping the following naptime simple tips in mind will make it easier for you to help your child fall asleep and prevent napping issues.
Understand how many hours of nap time your child should have based on their age.
Maintain a consistent nap schedule.
Revise the nap schedule when necessary.
Create a calm nap space.
Establish a consistent nap routine.
We'll discuss each element in more detail below.
1. Understand the correct amount of naptime for your child
The ideal amount of nap time in a day varies greatly depending on a child’s age and individual needs.
Newborns typically need a great deal of sleep throughout the day, while a busy preschooler is usually fine with one afternoon nap lasting up to 2 hours (or no nap at all).
The chart below should give you a sense of approximately how much naptime your child will need:
2. Maintain a consistent nap schedule
Creating a consistent nap schedule for your baby can help them regulate their internal clock and build healthy sleep habits. It also helps parents structure their own day!
Several factors help to determine the right nap schedule for your own baby. Keep these factors in mind as you make adjustments and soon you'll have a schedule that works for your family. Just remember that this process can take some trial and error!
How many naps?
Begin by understanding the average number of daily naps for your baby's age. For example, a nap schedule for the average 6 month old would include 3 naps.
Wake windows
"Wake windows" refer to the amount of time that a baby is awake in between periods of sleep. A child's wake windows get longer as they grow.
It's important to keep wake windows in mind when determining a realistic nap schedule. For example, you should not expect a 6-month old to be ready for another nap if they have only been awake for an hour or so.
Sleep cues
When your child is nearing the end of their wake window, be alert for their sleep cues. Sleep cues are signals or behaviors that indicate a child is getting tired and ready for sleep.
Recognizing these cues can help parents and caregivers put a child to bed before they become overtired, which can make it harder for them to fall asleep.
Common sleep cues include:
Yawning
Rubbing eyes or face
Slowing down or losing interest in play
Fussiness or irritability
Staring into space or zoning out
Wanting to be held or comforted more than usual
Paying close attention to sleep cues for several days should help you determine the time(s) when your child will be ready for their next nap(s) and build a tailored sleep schedule.
Sample sleep schedule
The following sample nap schedule for a 6-month old baby should give you some indication of what your child's day might look like at that age. You'll see that this example includes 3 naps and wake windows of approximately 2-3 hours.
Just keep in mind that this schedule may differ by 30 minutes to an hour or more based on when your baby wakes in the morning and how long they nap at different times of day.
2. Revise the nap schedule when your child is ready
As your child grows, their nap schedule may no longer work for their stage of development. If this is the case, your child may begin to resist napping or sleep for only a short time.
Pay attention to your child's sleep cues and behavior when considering if their schedule needs to be tweaked. Maybe they need to drop a nap and/or shift their nap to slightly later in the day.
Making changes to your child's schedule when appropriate can ensure that they continue to nap and get the restorative sleep that they need.
3. Create a calm nap space
The environment in which your child naps can greatly influence the quality of their rest. The following factors can help to promote deep, restorative sleep:
Darkness: Light plays a substantial role in regulating your child's circadian rhythms. Keep their sleep space dim to promote the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Blackout curtains can be a game changer, especially if your child's room receives a lot of natural light.
White noise: White noise can help drown out household sounds that might otherwise disturb sleep. A white noise machine or smart phone app can provide soothing sounds like ocean waves, but even the gentle hum of a fan can be calming.
Temperature: Experts recommend keeping a baby's room between 68 and 72 degrees F for the most comfortable and safest sleep.
Comfort item: Once a baby is over one year old, you can let them nap with a comfort item, such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal, to provide reassurance and make nap time more inviting.
Consistency: Try to have your child nap in the same place as much as possible, whether that's in a crib, bassinet, or even a stroller. Just keep in mind that naps on the go are generally not as restorative as naps taken in a stationary, quiet environment like a crib, so try to balance those naps with naps at home.
4. Establish a consistent nap routine
A nap routine—like a bedtime routine—creates strong sleep associations for babies by incorporating consistent pre-sleep activities, such as reading a book or singing a lullaby.
These activities act as calming signals that help the baby understand that it's time to transition to sleep.
Over time, these repeated actions become linked with the act of sleeping, making it easier for the baby to fall asleep independently.
A nap routine should not be long or complicated. It can be as simple as a sequence of actions that always leads to naptime—like reading a book, singing a special song or listening to soft music, and then tucking the child into their crib or bed.
Common naptime issues
Naptime challenges are common, but can feel daunting. Nothing has the potential to ruin a day quite like a cranky, overtired toddler!
Below we'll offer some tips for dealing with common nap issues.
1. Naptime resistance
Children resist naps for various reasons, including overstimulation, unregulated sleep patterns, or simply not being tired.
Establishing a consistent naptime routine can make all the difference. Try creating a calming pre-nap ritual that signals it's time to sleep. You may want to consider incorporating relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, to help your child relax before sleep.
Also ensure that their nap environment is quiet and conducive to sleep. Ensure the room is free from distractions, like toys or loud electronics.
Also try to look out for your child's natural signs of tiredness. Rubbing eyes, yawning, or losing interest in playtime are cues that they need to take a nap now. Responding to these signals can prevent overtiredness, which often leads to nap resistance.
It may turn out that your child is ready to nap slightly earlier or later than their current schedule. Shifting the nap schedule by just 15 to 30 minutes might align better with your child's natural sleep rhythm.
2. Short naps
Short naps can be frustrating for parents and may also indicate that the child isn’t reaching deeper, more restorative stages of sleep.
A child might take a short nap if they struggle to transition between sleep cycles. Helping your child connect sleep cycles can encourage longer naps.
Sometimes an overly short wake window can lead to shorter naps because the child is not tired enough to stay asleep. Experiment by adding an extra 10 to 15 minutes to your child’s wake window. Just be consistent to help them adjust to the new schedule.
Additionally, consider your child's nap environment. Ensure it's dark and cool, similar to nighttime conditions. White noise machines can be beneficial in blocking out disruptive sounds, mimicking the womb's consistent environment, and aiding in longer, deeper sleep.
3. Sleep inertia
Sleep inertia refers to the grogginess we all feel after waking. It can also affect children after naps.
Offering a gentle wake-up approach is helpful. Allow some time for gradual waking by opening curtains slowly or playing soft music. Encourage light physical activity post-nap to increase alertness, such as a short walk.
If sleep inertia persists, review your child's nap length. Most toddlers benefit from naps lasting 1 to 2 hours, while older children might need less. Finding your child's best nap length can reduce grogginess and make wake-up transitions smoother.
4. Nighttime sleep interference
Naptime issues can sometimes lead to trouble sleeping or poor sleep quality at night. This can happen for several reasons:
Too much daytime sleep
Too much daytime napping can lead to struggles at bedtime because a child simply isn't tired enough for bed.
It’s important to preserve your baby's sleep schedule, including nap times and bedtime. This may mean that you have to occasionally wake your baby if they have been napping for too long, so that their schedule is not impacted.
But if you find yourself frequently having to wake your child, it might be time to adjust their nap schedule.
Naps too late in the day
Similarly, an overly late nap can also make it harder for a child to fall asleep at night because it shortens the wake window between the end of naptime and the beginning of nighttime sleep.
If you find that your child is frequently taking naps late in the day, it may be time to adjust their schedule. For example, your child might be ready to drop from three to two naps, with the second nap being in the early afternoon rather than later in the day.
Insufficient sleep during the day
On the other hand, a child that does not nap enough can become overtired. It may seem counterintuitive, but an overtired child may struggle to go to sleep at night.
This is because our bodies release several hormones when we are tired, including cortisol and adrenaline.
Cortisol helps to regulate their sleep-wake cycle.
Adrenaline is part of the fight-or-flight response.
Higher levels of these hormones lead to an overstimulated baby who will struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep.
If your child is consistently overtired, it is likely time to adjust their nap schedule or move to an earlier bedtime to allow for more sleep.
The Takeaway
A successful naptime isn't just about getting your child to sleep. It's about creating a restful routine that benefits both them and you. By ensuring a calm environment, understanding sleep cycles, and being consistent with timing and routines, you can turn this daily ritual into a peaceful and productive interlude for the whole family.
Sources:
Cohen S, Doyle WJ et al. Sleep habits and susceptibility to the common cold. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Jan 12;169(1):62-7. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2008.505. PMID: 19139325; PMCID: PMC2629403.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Sleep, available at https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html
