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How to Set a Nap-Time Routine
Filed under: Toddlers Preschoolers, Health & Safety: Babies, Development/Milestones: Babies, Day Care & Education, Feeding & Sleeping, Baby-sitting, Research Reveals: Babies, Nutrition: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Babies, Health & Safety: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Behavior: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Gear Guides: Babies, Gear Guides: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Research Reveals: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Expert Advice: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Sleep
Rubbing eyes? Time for a nap. Credit: jamiesdesigns, Flickr
Figuring out your baby needs more sleep can be a humiliating experience, as anyone with a screaming child in the grocery store or on an airplane can attest. Coming up with a nap time routine has a big payoff: a few hours of peace for mom and dad and a happier baby.
So how do you make it happen? Experts say there are a handful of telltale clues that your child needs a nap before they completely fall apart. Classics like fussiness and rubbing of the eyes are two obvious symptoms. But keep an eye out for when they lose interest in playtime or get frustrated with toys -- both indicators that it might be time for some shut-eye.
They may not be able to tell you themselves, but you can learn to read the signs of a nap calling.
So how do you make it happen? Experts say there are a handful of telltale clues that your child needs a nap before they completely fall apart. Classics like fussiness and rubbing of the eyes are two obvious symptoms. But keep an eye out for when they lose interest in playtime or get frustrated with toys -- both indicators that it might be time for some shut-eye.
They may not be able to tell you themselves, but you can learn to read the signs of a nap calling.
"A lot of what we're talking about is paying attention to your child," says Dr. Jeffrey Cain, chief of family medicine at The Children's Hospital in Denver.
As they get older, babies' sleeping habits space out a bit and become more routine. Most babies need two naps a day -- mid-morning and mid-afternoon -- for about two to three hours each. Then, sometime after their first birthday, most children will drop down to one nap a day.
For an 18-month-old, one two-and-a-half hour nap is sufficient, Cain says.
Growth spurts also require more sleep, so the baby might take longer naps during those times.
Once parents notice the cues of crankiness, get into a regular nap time pattern. Because kids thrive on routine, setting one for nap time can help ease even the most reluctant child to sleep. Start with a quiet room, maybe give them a light snack. If it's noisy, turn on some soft music or white noise and give the baby a special blanket or other snuggle item. Reading is a great way to calm a baby or toddler down. Make sure the room is dark.
By 3 or 4 years old, your child will likely shorten the nap to an hour and a half or so. By the time they are 4 or 5, most children are ready to give up their naps, even if their mothers aren't.
You'll know they are done with napping when they are happy and full of energy without some midday sleep.
Related: Bedtime Sleep Patterns
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-17-2010 @ 7:21PM
novaviolin said...Why a humiliating experience!!!????? Frustrating-may be, humiliating-????? My precious baby is crying at the grocery store and all I'm thinking about is how much he is embarrassing me in front of all that "high class" "well mannered" crowd. Is that how self-conscious parents are now days??? I hope not...
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3-18-2010 @ 11:30AM
Karen Monaghan said...I feel so sorry for the babies who are crying at the mall in mid-afternoon or late evening.
Paying attention to your babies needs makes for a wonderful experience for both of you. My grandson was so used to his routine he would say, "After we have lunch and after I have my nap, ....can we?" He knew it was lunch, book, cuddle and nap.
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3-31-2010 @ 4:53PM
nestandgrow said...I highly recommend following a sleep schedule. I even developed an app for Android phones called Cub-Cal Baby Tracker that helps parents create and maintain a routine for their baby. You can plan the ideal day by scheduling recurring activities. You check items off as they happen and enter times only if they vary from what was scheduled. In addition to sleep, you can track feedings, diapers, walks, baths, medicine and more. Cub-Cal is available on the Android Market.
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