Naps

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Sleep: The Brazelton Way

Sleep requirements vary from one child to another, and they change as the child grows. This is true for naps too. As we have seen, newborn infants will sleep and wake through the day and night. At 3 or 4 months of age, babies will need several naps during the day—totaling about 5 hours of daytime sleep. Six-month-olds usually need morning and afternoon naps. Each one usually lasts an hour or two. At a year of age, this pattern may continue though the naps may begin to shorten. Usually well before they are 2 years old, children will stop napping in the morning. They will still need their afternoon nap until at least age 3, and some children will nap until they are 5 years old.

These general guidelines should help you to know when your child's refusal to nap may mean that he no longer needs it. To be sure, you may also want to try to set up the best possible conditions for napping.

Sometimes children need help adjusting their naptimes. Whenever you are trying to change your child's sleep schedule, plan on doing so gradually. Change naptimes by only about 15 minutes (earlier or later) each day. Little by little, your child's body clock will adjust.

Infants who wake up very early in the morning and then nap later in the morning may be saving up nighttime sleep for the day. You will want to help your child stay awake for longer in the morning, pushing his nap back to a later hour. This should help him stop waking up so early.

Children between the ages of 1 and 2 may have trouble sleeping at night if they continue to nap in the morning. When this happens, it can be helpful to make the morning nap later and later, and the afternoon nap earlier. Eventually the morning nap will disappear, and the afternoon nap will be enough.

A child who has trouble falling asleep at night or who wakes up during the night may be an overtired child. This child might sleep better at night if he had a daytime nap. A child who sleeps reasonably well but won't go to bed at a reasonable time may need to nap earlier in the afternoon, or he may be ready to stop napping. When children have outgrown their afternoon naps, they will still need some regular times in their daily rhythm to slow down. After lunch, a child who no longer naps can still benefit from a quiet time to "read" or play alone with toys such as puzzles that demand little physical activity (parents benefit too!). Although he may resist, you can talk about this rest period positively, as his time to recharge and get ready for an exciting afternoon!

To Help a Child Nap

• Strange as it may seem, a well-rested child usually has an easier time falling asleep than a tired one. Be sure that bedtimes are regular, and early enough.
• Never use a nap as a threat or a punishment. Any child will certainly try to resist a nap when presented in this way.
• Prepare the child in advance for naptime. When lunch begins, remind him that naptime is coming soon. But talk about it positively, as a time to relax, read a story, and rest.
• Remove the child from all activities. Use his bedroom or a quiet place, with curtains drawn shut. If he thinks something exciting is going on at the same time somewhere else, an active child is bound to want to be there instead. TV and videos are likely to excite the child.
• Use a child's bedtime rituals—a cuddle, a story, a lullaby. Encourage him to comfort himself with his lovey or his thumb.

Excerpted from Sleep: The Brazelton Way © 2003 by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Perseus.

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