Is Naptime Important On Baby?

Parents often have as many questions about naptime as they do about nighttimes sleep. There are no hard-and-fast rules about naps, but below are some guidelines.

Where should my baby nap? During the first few months, your newborn will likely sleep anywhere, whether at home or out at the grocery store. This won't last long, though. Once your baby gets older, being out will likely be too stimulating and your baby will be much too interested in the world around him to fall asleep.

It's best to have your child nap at home and, more important, in the same place he sleeps during the night. Avoid falling into the habit of having your baby take a nap only in the swing or in the stroller. It may seem fine for the moment, but it won't be fine when your little one is two or three years old and won't nap elsewhere. The earlier you make the transition to naps in the crib (or wherever your little one sleeps at night), the more easily and smoothly it will go.

How long should my baby nap? All children are different, as you will find out in many, many ways. Some babies and toddlers need lots of daytime sleep, while others do not. Parents of fraternal twins often note the difference in how much sleep their babies need. Barbara found that her eight-month-old twins were dramatically different in how well they napped every day and how much sleep each needed.

Donovan usually took two naps each day, each lasting at least an hour and a half, whereas she was lucky if she could get Michael to sleep for more than forty five minutes in the morning and in the afternoon. There are things parents can do to encourage naps (see below table), but you can't make a baby fall asleep and stay asleep for a long time.

What time should my baby take a nap? In the first couple of months, your baby will likely take a nap many times throughout the day, often with no set schedule. As your newborn gets a bit older, you can start setting naptimes. Starting around two to three months until about six to nine months, you can follow one of two schedules, you can either set naptimes by the clock or by the two hour rule.

If you set naps according to the clock, stick to the same time every day. For example, your baby may nap every day at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. What time you set will likely be determined by the time your baby usually wakes up in the morning. If you have an ear riser, the first nap will be closer to 8:00 or 8:30, and around 9:00 9:30 if you have a later riser.

The afternoon nap will also shift a accordingly. Once your toddler moves to one nap a day, naptime will likely start between 12:30 and 1:30. Once this schedule is established, you will be amazed at how precisely your baby's internal clot will be set to her naptimes. Allison found this to be the case with he two year old daughter Annie. Annie took a nap every day at 1:00 pm. On family car trips, whether the family left at 10:00 am in the morning or at 1:00 pm in the afternoon, Annie fell asleep at exactly 1:00 pm It was uncanny.

If you set naps according to the two-hour rule, your baby will take a nap exactly two hours (usually almost to the minute) from when she last woke up. Follow this schedule throughout the day. So if your baby wakes up for the day at 6:35 am, her first nap will be at 8:35 am. If she sleeps for an hour, her next naptime will be at 11:35 am but however, if she sleeps for two hours, her next nap will be at 12:35 pm.

This schedule means less predictability from day to day, but it's amazing how babies on two-hour schedules get sleepy precisely two hours after they last woke up. Note, though, that some young babies are ready for their morning nap one and a half hours after waking up, and every two hours thereafter.

What should my baby’s nap schedule be like? Every baby is different. Some babies take two naps a day, each lasting an hour or two. Other babies will take three naps, each lasting thirty to forty-five minutes. The best way to tell if your baby is getting enough daytime sleep is by whether he seems happy and alert. If he's frequently cranky, try making changes in his nap schedule; otherwise, don't worry about it. Also, there is no rule that says how long your baby must sleep. To gain a sense of the average amount of time young children nap at different ages, see the chart below:

Should I ever wake my baby from his nap? Absolutely! To keep your baby on schedule, wake him when naptime should be over. For example, Danny would wake Eric from his morning nap at 11:00 am so that he would be ready for his afternoon nap at 2:30 pm. She would also wake him at 4:00 pm from his afternoon nap so that he would be ready for bedtime at 7:30 pm. Most days she did not need to get him up, but it helped keep him on schedule. It seems crazy to wake a sleeping baby, but it works!

How late should my baby nap? Most infants and toddlers shouldn't nap after 4:00 pm or so, as later napping will make it hard for them to fall asleep at bedtime. Very young babies, however, can often take a late afternoon nap around 5:00 pm and still be ready for bed at 7:30 pm.