BaBies, Teens
& inBeTweens
Shifting Schedules –
When to Change from Two Naps to One Nap
During the early years of life, nap schedules are in a
continuous state of change. After a newborn period of
all-day napping, babies eventually settle into a regular
two-nap-a-day routine. Most children switch from these
two daily naps to one nap sometime between the ages of
12 and 24 months. However, that year of difference is a very
long span of time. This shows that age alone is not the only
factor to consider when changing your baby’s nap routine.
Changing your baby from two daily naps to one nap
isn’t about what your child thinks he wants, nor is it about
the schedule you’d like to have. It’s about the biological
need for two naps versus one. Naps at different times of the
day serve different purposes in mind and body
development at different ages. For example, morning naps
have more dreaming, or REM sleep, which makes them
important for young babies who require it for early brain
development. You don’t want to rush the process if your
child is still benefiting from this important sleep time.
There is another consideration when deciding to make
a schedule change: The length of time that your child is
awake from one sleep period to the next has an effect on
his mood and behavior. No matter how well your baby
sleeps at night, naps are still very important. The older your
child is, the longer he can go between sleep breaks without
getting cranky. The biology behind this reason dictates that
young babies need to divide their day up with two naps,
but older babies can handle a full day with only one nap.
Since there is a wide range of what’s normal it’s
important to study each child’s behavior to see when he is
ready to transition to one nap a day. Use the following lists
as a guide.
Signs That your Child Needs TWO NAPS Daily
• Your child is under 12 months old
• When you put your child down for a nap he plays,
resists, or fusses for a while but always ends up sleeping for
an hour or more
• When you take your child for car rides during the day
he usually falls asleep
• If your child misses a nap he is fussy or acts tired until
the next nap or bedtime
66 March 2009 |
www.siparent.com
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