Is there a right or wrong time to offer a nap?
The short answer…No.
If your little one needs a nap because they’re tired or reached the end of the awake window or are sick, of course offer them a sleep.
However, there are optimal times to offer naps. These are called biological sleep windows.
Scheduling Naps
All babies have biological sleep windows, which are certain times of day which are optimal sleep times. During these windows, their bodies experience a dip in energy levels and a rise in the sleep hormone melatonin, making them easier to settle and primed for a longer sleep. For a baby these nap windows fall between 9-10am, 12-2pm and 6-7pm. This is why it is recommended to aim for a bedtime around 6-7pm for most children under 5 years of age.
Melatonin is produced in darkness, so make sure you have a dark room ready to help your little one fall asleep.
Afternoon Nap
The afternoon nap is always the hardest to land because is falls outside of the biological sleep windows. I always recommend having the afternoon nap assisted to ensure your little one gets the rest they need. As this nap is usually an hour or less, they are safe to have in the car or pram if your seats meet safety standards. Assisted naps can be:
In the car
In the pram
In the baby carrier
Contact naps
How Much Sleep
It can be hard to keep track of how many naps your little one should be having a day. This also depends on how long your baby sleeps for at each nap. Follow your baby’s sleep needs in a 24 hour period to help you determine if you need to offer your baby an additional nap to get them through to bedtime.
Below is a guide to how much sleep babies need in a 24 hour period:
Age | Average Total Sleep | Also Normal | Number of Naps |
Newborns | 14-17 hours | 11-19 hours | Sleeping between feeds |
4-6 Months | 14-16 hours | 10-18 hours | 3-4 |
9-16 Months | 12-15 hours | 9-17 hours | 2 |
18 Months - 2.5 Years | 11-14 hours | 9-15 hours | 1 |
Transitioning and Dropping Naps
All babies are different, therefore there is a rough guide for when babies drop a nap, as follows:
When bub is 4 months old, they’ll usually have 3 naps.
When they reach 6-8 months old, babies usually drop to 2 naps.
Around 15-18 months old, the 2 naps merge to form 1 long midday nap; and,
When your toddler is 2.5-3 years old, nap time might disappear forever.
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