Dropping naps
Dropping two naps
If you notice your child fussing
during daytime naps, falling asleep then waking again soon after or being
reluctant to sleep at night, she may need to drop one of her naps. Most
children drop two naps to one around their first birthday, but don’t rush your
baby into it if she isn’t ready.
Which nap should I drop
Rather than dropping one nap and
letting your child go for longer without sleeping (which is bound to make her
feel cranky and tired) try making the morning nap later, say about 12-1pm. That
way she’ll hopefully have a longer nap (an hour to an hour and half) and can
probably make it though to bedtime without any more sleep.
How do I do this
Move the morning nap back by 15
minutes everyday until you reach the desired naptime, to ease your child in
gradually. Some babies will take just a few days to adjust, especially if they
were ready to drop the nap; others may take a few weeks and will still need a
short nap in the afternoon to get them through for a week or so. If this is the
case, keep the nap short and not too late in the day.
Dropping one nap
Most children need to have a
daily nap until they are around three years old, and some continue to have naps
until they are five. Dropping one nap is much the same as dropping two, so your
child will display the same signs as when she needed to drop two naps (fussing
when being put down for her nap, not going to sleep for very long or finding it
hard to sleep at night). The best bet is to shorten the daytime nap by 15
minutes over a period of time so eventually she has no nap. Most children still
need ‘quiet time’ in the afternoon when they previously had naps, so that their
body and mind have the chance to relax.
If you have any unanswered
questions, use our answers page to gain wisdom from other parents or our resident
experts.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 11/07/2007
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