Regular napping schedules for babies and toddlers contribute largely to their physical and emotional growth and development. Babies and young children are developing at fast rates. All that growing and learning can make them a little tired, and usually very cranky. From newborns to toddlers the lack of sleep will not go unnoticed, tired children often get fussy or easily irritated. They may also be less cognisant and seem more confused or hazy. The best practice is to implement regular eating, sleeping, and playing schedules to help them get the most input and output of energy.
When babies and toddlers are not getting enough sleep or sleeping at the right times, it will also affect the sleep schedules of the parents and caretakers. The more rested a child is, the more easily sleep will come to them when it’s time. Everyone deserves quality sleep, especially hard-working moms and dads. Follow these tips to instilling proper sleep habits for your children; it’s never too late to start.
Napping Schedule for Newborn Babies (0–3 months)
Newborns sleep throughout the day with varied waking and feeding intervals throughout the day. What most parents struggle with is a newborn sleeping through most of the day, which leads to sleepless nights. For the first 3 months of age, the leading waking factor is not restfulness, but hunger. For this time period, parents should follow their baby’s schedule in terms of waking and sleeping. This is usually one to two hours of being awake followed by 3-5 hours of sleep. Because these babies can’t self-soothe, they need assistance and comforting to help them rock back to sleep.
For newborns, every sleep schedule is considered “normal.”Some helpful tips for new parents that are lost with their lack of sleep include creating a sleep environment that gives them the best chance for staying asleep. No outside light or lights within the room, and a quiet environment. Parents should also try encouraging newborns to self-soothe to sleep by putting the baby down tired, but awake, and letting them fall asleep on their own.
Napping Schedule for Infants (3–12 months)
After the first 3 months, infants begin to sleep for longer periods of time, about 2-4 hours.
Most babies can start learning to fall asleep on their own, including for naps. At this stage, infants can start to develop a naptime routine. They still need to have about 3 naps during the day until they get to about 6 months old. By this time, the 3rd nap can be dropped and bedtime can be moved up a little earlier. It’s common for parents to experience erratic, newborn like sleep schedules during this age. However, parents should do their best to ensure that naps are limited to no more than 3 a day. This will involve keeping babies awake for a longer period of time with food and playtime.
Napping Schedule for Toddlers (1–3 years)
Toddlers will nap anywhere from 2-3 hours and still nap twice a day until about 18 months.
Once the second nap-time has been dropped, napping should be moved to after lunchtime, and bedtime can be moved to between 6 pm – 8 pm. Many parents struggle with weaning toddlers off of their 2-nap schedule or getting their child to sleep in a bit more.
Napping Schedule for Preschoolers (3–5 years)
Most pre-schools still have regular napping schedules for children, but kindergarten classes do not. About the time your child reaches 4 -5 years old, dropping the nap-time routine before starting school will help them be more successful in class. If you notice your child is resisting bedtime, it could be because of the rest they’ve had from their afternoon nap. It may be time to cut out the daytime nap and stick to a regular bedtime schedule. At first, when nap time is taken away, you may notice that your preschooler is a little fussy. This can be helped by moving bedtime a little earlier and letting them get more sleep in one sleep schedule.
If you’re noticing your child is having difficulties in falling asleep or staying asleep, it could be beneficial for both of you to consult with a sleep medicine practitioner. At Gingras Sleep Medicine, we help babies, children, and adults get the quality sleep they need. Call our office at (704)944-0562 to schedule an appointment or visit our website at http://gingrassleepmedicine.com.