Kids and Naps

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Nap time. Parents love it and kids hate it. Well, sometimes they hate it. My kids have always fought the nap, even when they needed it. Parents love nap time because it gives them some downtime during the day and it generally prevents the early evening tantrums that often occur when you have a sleepy child on your hands. So, what do you do when your child won’t take a nap? How do you get him to sleep? When is it time to give up on naps altogether and how important are these naps anyway?

How to Decide If Your Child Still Needs a Nap

When you are considering whether or not your child still needs his daily nap, you’ll need to look a few different factors. Babies needs a lot more sleep than small children, but each child is still different. Most children around the ages of two to four do well on about 12 to 14 hours of sleep per day. So, if your three-year-old is sleeping 12 hours a night, he might not need a very long nap in the afternoon. If your child is like my daughter, who only needs about 10 hours of sleep a day, he or she  might be ready to give up naps altogether. My daughter stopped taking naps when she was three. She simply didn’t need them anymore. My son is almost four and still struggles through the day if he doesn’t get at least 45 minutes of shut-eye in the afternoon. He needs a nap as well as a full night’s sleep in order to function well throughout the day. Even if you’ve decided that your child can make it through the day without his nap, you should still schedule some quiet time during the day. We all need down time and that includes children. Encourage your child to take some time to play quietly with blocks, color, or read. Quiet time is great for everyone. You can join your child or have him enjoy this time on his own– whatever works for both of you.

If He Still Needs a Nap But Doesn’t Want One

If you’ve determined that your child still needs his daily nap, but every day presents a new struggle, you may need to resort to some of the same tactics you use at bedtime. As you’ve heard me mention before, you’ll want to create a routine and stick to it. That includes on both weekdays and weekends. Sticking to the routine as much as possible is going to be your best bet. For example, if you have scheduled nap for after lunchtime, try to keep lunch near the same time every day. Let your child know that after lunch he’ll be lying down to rest for a while. Sometimes avoiding the word “nap” will help you avoid the some rebellion. You certainly don’t want to ask the question, “Do you want to take a nap?” Presenting this question to a child who is a nap-fighter is definitely going to illicit a negative response. You’ll want to avoid this because it can cause your child to become excited and start fighting you before you’ve even begun. Once your child has finished his lunch or whatever activity that occurs before nap, escort him to his bedroom and tuck him in just as you would at night. This is a great time to read some stories or sing some quiet songs. Help your child relax just as you would for a nighttime bed routine. By helping him transition into nap time gently, you should see an increase in nap time success.

If He Fights You

If your child continues to put up a fight about taking naps, advise him that he simply needs to stay in bed. Let him have a book or a stuffed animal. Do not allow him to bring noisy toys into the bed. Keep it simple and let him know that it’s quiet time. Tell him that you hope he’ll get some rest. You can’t force him to go to sleep, but you can let him know he must stay in his bed. If he is agreeable to this, you might find that he’ll fall asleep on his own. Just make sure he’s aware that the rule is that he has to stay in his bed. Keep an eye on the clock. Don’t let him stay in there too long or you’ll find it harder to get him to sleep at night. If nap time is scheduled from noon until 1:30, wake him up at 1:30 regardless of what time he fell asleep. This is part of keeping your schedules on track and getting your child into the routine.

A Couple More Things on Napping

Finally, keep in mind that there really is no magic trick to make kids sleep on command. Some kids can keep themselves awake regardless of how much we want them to sleep. They are certain that they are going to miss something exciting while they are sleeping. Your goal is to get your child to rest. Some children have trouble sleeping when it’s light outside. If you can invest in room darkening shades or curtains, this will help. Make the room as much like nighttime as possible. We’ve all probably heard the rule about making noise while our newborns sleep. If you make noise while they sleep, they’ll get used to it and you can get more done during the day while they are napping. This may or may not be true for your child. If you find that vacuuming wakes your child up, then wait and do it after nap time. Maybe you’ll decide you want to take a nap too anyway. Like I said, we all need some down time each day! Why not try to get some for yourself?

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