How Daily Napping Can Be Beneficial for Your Little Ones?

nap "How important are 40 winks?" napping Daytime Sleeping

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Nov 12, 01:12 pm

Nighttime sleep is very important, but daytime naps matters just as much as it also serves as a key to ensure young kids sustain the hours of rest they need every day. In addition, naps provide kids benefits for both mood and physical health. As children grow and develop, naps give both minds and bodies time to recharge specifically during those big changes. If youngsters get overtired, it would be harder for them to fall asleep easily at night time.

One study of preschool children entitled "How important are 40 winks?" suggests that napping helps them do better, particularly at playing a memory game. The study determined that those who got the ultimate benefits from the nap were those who made a habit of snoozing every day. It also shows that those who have irregular sleep or don't get enough sleep tend to have higher rates of obesity, linking it to how kids eat when they are overtired. Moreover, when kids are tired, they also tend to eat more and prefer foods that are not healthy. As a result, they will not have much energy to be active and get sufficient exercise.

According to data published on WebMD, one study determined that two-year-olds who skipped their naps were more anxious, less joyful, and had an adverse reaction to certain frustrating events. Almost every parent knows that napless days can be full of tears and loud tantrums.

How much naps do kids need?

There's actually no one rule about how many naps children need as it depends on the age, child, and the sleep total during a 24-hour period. For instance, a certain toddler may sleep 13 hours at night with only some daytime napping, while another sustain nine hours at night but takes a solid 2-hour nap each afternoon.

Birth to 6 months: Infants need approximately 14-18 total hours of sleep per day while 2-3 daytime naps which usually last about 30 minutes to 2 hours each.
6 to 12 months: Infants this age usually sleep roughly 14 hours total for the day and would include two naps a day which may typically last 20 minutes for some and a few hours for others.
Toddlers (1 to 3 years): Toddlers need to have 12-14 hours of sleep which would include an afternoon nap of 1-3 hours. Some might be taking two naps, however, such naps should not be too close to bedtime.
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): Preschoolers would need to have 11 hours at night plus an afternoon nap which commonly lasts for a few hours.
School-age (5 to 12 years): School-age children approximately need 10-11 hours at night and a nap for a few hours but should not be done close to bedtime as they would have a hard time sleeping at night. Moreover, if a nap is not possible, kids might need an earlier bedtime, per Hopkins All Children.

When should your child give up a nap?

Truthfully, there is no set age when your child needs to start giving up his nap. Like all other transitions in the toddler years, some kids stop napping right after their first birthday. Other kids continue to nap into the early school years. Some children prefer not to nap as they can't sleep and parents should not force them to sleep as they would surely have a hard time sleeping at night.

Pajama Program says kids can probably skip a nap. Giving up is generally between ages 3 and 5 while for some, it could be as young as 2 years old especially if they have older siblings running around and not napping.