Babies and toddlers require a lot of sleep in a 24-hour period, and some of it needs to happen during the day. We’ll talk about how naps evolve during months 0-24, but first let’s take a look at why they’re a must for little ones.
Why Are Naps Important for Babies & Toddlers?
Most seasoned parents and caregivers can tell you that skipping little ones’ naps (or an irregular nap schedule overall) is a recipe for irritability, feeding problems, meltdowns, and even poor-quality sleep at night.
As it turns out, science and child development experts also have quite a bit to say about the importance of naps during the early years. Here are a few main takeaways:
Babies and toddlers do not tolerate being awake as long as older children and adults do.
There are two biological processes that regulate sleep: The circadian process, which is based on light and dark, and the homeostatic process, which is based on how long we’ve been awake. For young children, the homeostatic process happens more quickly, simply meaning that they cannot tolerate being awake for long. Some experts believe that the rapid brain development happening during the early years tires little ones out!
Needing to snooze to get through the day is most evident in newborns, who stay awake for only brief periods at a time. Awake-time tolerance gradually increases over the first few years of life. By age 5, most children no longer need to nap.
Naps enhance learning.
Several studies involving babies and toddlers demonstrate that little ones who nap outperform their non-napping peers in tasks involving language learning, memory, and other cognitive functions.
Naps are linked to better emotional regulation.
Parents, caregivers, and child-development experts agree that a well-rested child is a happier child. What does the research say? This study involving 2 year-olds found that toddlers who miss just one nap became more anxious and withdrawn, more irritated by even small stressors, and less happy about exciting things.
Naps can support better nighttime sleep.
Several child sleep experts point out that if your little one isn’t sleeping well at night, better naps may help. When children are overtired, they say, their bodies can become flooded with the stress hormone cortisol. This energizes them and interferes with falling and staying asleep at night. The timing of naps does matter though, especially as children get older. Research shows that napping too late in the day pushes toddlers’ bedtimes later. And, for some babies and toddlers, napping more than average during the day may result in less nighttime sleep.
How Much Do Babies & Toddlers Need to Nap?
Below are general guidelines for how much (and when) most babies and toddlers nap.
It’s important to remember that when it comes to sleeping, the first 2 months of life are like the Wild West: There are no rules! During this period babies tend to sleep around the clock, with brief stretches of awake time day and night.
|Age||Total Hours of Daytime Sleep||Number of Naps||Timing of Naps|
|Newborn – 2 months||7-9||Varies||Varies|
Late Afternoon (if needed)
Morning (if needed)
|18-24 months||2||1||Early Afternoon|
Now that you know the why, how much, and when of naps, it’s time for the how. You can find tips for creating nap schedules and helping your little one nap well here.