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August 29, 2024
How Many Naps Does My Child Need?
Naps are an essential piece of the sleep puzzle! Often it is hard to know when it is time to drop a nap. If a nap is dropped too early, it can lead to over-tiredness. It is important for your child to get the right number of naps at the right times to keep your child well rested.
Naps are more than just extra bits of sleep you sprinkle in when you can. Day sleep will support night sleep so getting the right amount of day sleep is important in keeping your child’s sleep tank full!
Here is the age-appropriate sleep scheduled:
4-6 months of age: Your child should have 3 naps a day. The morning and afternoon naps should be about 1-2 hours with a short later afternoon catnap.
6-8 months of age: This is the transitional stage from 3 to 2 naps. Every child is different so that is why you see a range. So, look for the clues (see below)!
9-15 months of age: Your child should have 2 naps a day. These naps should be 1-2 hours each.
15-18 months of age: This is the transitional stage from 2 to 1 nap. Every child is different so that is why you see a range. So, look for the clues (see below)!
18 months to 3 years of age: One afternoon nap a day. This nap should be 1.5-2.5 hours a day.
3 -5 years old: This is the transitional stage from 1 to 0 naps a day. Every child is different so that is why you see a range. This range is big! My suggestion during this time is to offer quiet time to give your child the opportunity to sleep. Look for the clues (see below)!
You will notice that during each transitional stage, there is a range. It is important to note that it doesn’t happen in a day. For example, your 7-month-old child won’t go from today I need 3 naps, but tomorrow I only need 2. It is important to note that when you are looking at these clues, you want to look at patterns and not a one or two off day. I suggest looking for these clues over a two-week period to decide if your child is ready to drop a nap and fall within the age range.
Clue to look for:
1. Your child is taking a long time to settle when you put them down for a regular nap.
2. Your child settles nicely, but then begins to wake up early from the nap.
3. Your child will take one of the naps nicely but struggle with the other nap.
4. Your child still loves their naps, but then struggles at bedtime (just doesn’t seem tired).
5. Your child, who previously slept well at night, suddenly begins to have night wakings.
6. Your child, who previously slept between 6-7 am suddenly begins to wake up earlier and is unable to settle back to sleep.
Tips for Transitioning naps:
1. As I mentioned, the nap needs do not change in a day. It is more of a gradual change. So, while going through this transition, offering the nap to see if that day, the nap is needed. If you notice for about 2 weeks, it is just skipped or there are other signs (look at the clues, and your child is not melting down at the end of the day, your child has told you they are ready to drop the nap, and you can stop offering it.
2. You can preserve a nap a little longer, especially from the transition from 2-1 nap transition, by slowly capping nap number 1.
3. You may notice that there are times outside of the age range that your child might be showing some of the clues. It is important to be aware that there are known sleep regressions that appear here and there called a nap strike. A nap strike is exactly what it sounds like, your child protests naps. If your child isn’t between the age ranges mentioned above, but showing some of the clues, continue to offer the nap. Your child still needs the nap and with your consistent offering the nap will get back on track! Naps strikes can happen anytime you notice developmental leaps! Who wants to nap when there is something so much more fun to do? It is often common for a child to go through a nap strike at 12 and 24 months.
4. It is much easier to tell if your child is ready for a nap transition if the foundation for the nap(s) is on track. If your child struggles with short naps regularly, their timing of nap transitions will be harder to read and may not align with the ages above.
Naps can be hard to navigate and nap struggles are real! If your child is struggling with naps, I can help! Please reach out by emailing me at backtozzzs@gmail.com or check out my website Backtozzzs.
It is coming. March 9th the time will spring one hour ahead. The springtime change means that your child’s sleep may need some adjusting. When we change our clocks on March 9th we will move our clock forward one hour. Your child’s schedule will be off one hour which could result in sleep disruptions and bedtime battles. If your child usually wakes up at 6:00 am, that now means they will be waking up at 7:00 am. This may appear to be a good thing, but that also may mean your child will want to go to bed an hour later. This can easily start the cycle of going into an overtired state. Adjustments will need to be made to prevent this from happening. The good news is your child will adjust to the time change. You just need to prepare, be patient, and be consistent. Here are a couple of methods to help your child deal with Day Light Saving Time. Method One: The Ease into It Approach When daylight savings time is approaching, you can prepare your child ahead of time by adjusting everything little by little. We have to adjust for one hour in their schedule. To do the gradual change, you shift your day forward in 15-minute increments. You can start this a week or more ahead of time allowing for a couple of days at each interval change. We would start the bedtime about 15 minutes earlier each day. For example, if your child’s bedtime is 7:00 PM you would put them down to bed at 6:45 PM for a couple of nights. After a couple of days of the 6:30 PM bedtime, you would bump it up to 6:15 PM. You would adjust the time every two to three days until you reach the one-hour mark. You also want to adjust the morning wake-up and all naps and meals, so everything is in place. In using the gradual method, your child will be adjusted by the time the big day arrives. Method Two: The “Just Do It” Approach For this method, you just rip off the band-aid on D-Day. On the day of the time change, you shift everything accordingly. We also want to keep in mind that your little one might be tired for up to a week as they adjust. If they lose sleep due to the time change then compensate for the lost sleep by offering an extra early bedtime so that they do not collect a sleep debt. Tips For Both Approaches Make sure the room is extra dark for each sleep cycle to help the body shift the production of melatonin as your child adjusts to the new time change. The better rested your child is going into the shift in time, the better they will adjust. Choose a method that fits your child’s temperament best. If your child has a hard time with change or is sleep-sensitive, then the “Ease Into It Method” might work best for your family. If your child is flexible and handles change rather smoothly then the direct “Just Do It Method” might be the option for your child. Help your child adjust to the time change as well as any other disruptions to the sleep schedule by being consistent It is important to have a consistent soothing routine. The sleep routine is a wonderful cue to your child that it is time for their bodies and minds to start to relax and get ready for sleep. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. Consistency is also important when we respond to wakings and protests. While your child adjusts to the disruption in the sleep schedule your consistent response will remind them of the sleep rules and help get them back on track. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. You got this! If you need help with your child’s overall sleep. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. I can share with you how I work with clients to see if sleep training might be a good fit for your family. Email me at Backtozzzs@gmail.com to set it up.
The 80/20 Rule, for When Life Happens! If you have ever worked with me on sleeping training with your little one, you will know my #1 tool to reach success. It is to be consistent. Being consistent is the key to getting and keeping sleep on track. It is important while sleep training to offer dedicated time with that consistent message so that your little one will have the opportunity to learn the new skills and routines that are needed for successful sleep training. Once you have your little one consistently sleeping well, then what? Does your child’s schedule mean that you can’t celebrate holidays, have day outings, or take vacations? Does that mean you have to decline all offers for fun activities? The answer is no. You can make exceptions and still keep your child well-rested. This is where the 80/20 Rule comes in. What is the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 Rule means that you stick to your healthy consistent sleep schedule 80% of the time. You then can make exceptions to your schedule 20% of the time. I want to highlight that this rule is for children who are already well-rested and have healthy sleep habits. The 80/20 Rule allows you to “live life” and enjoy those special moments with your family. If your family is celebrating a birthday, a holiday, going on vacation, or has a doctor’s appointment during nap time these are times you can use this rule. 80% of the time you stick to the well-established healthy sleep schedule and then 20% of the time, when you have an event, you have the option to skip naps, go off track on the timing of sleep, take naps on the go, or have a later bedtime. Each child is unique, and their sleep needs and temperaments are different. Some kiddos that are flexible and able to handle change will bounce back without issue. Other children are more sensitive to change and have a harder time dealing with any deviation in timing. For these little ones who are sensitive to change, you might want to consider that the 80/20 Rule isn’t always worth it and be very picky about when you push the limits. You might want to think about a 90/10 Rule. Here are some tips when using the 80/20 Rule: Get right back on track as early as possible. Your child may push back a bit but be consistent. You already know that your child knows what to do. They just need the reminder and the security of their usual routine. Offer early bedtime so that any sleep debt is quickly replenished. Enjoy 20% of your time with your family. Make memories, relax, and know that the healthy sleep habits that you have previously established will allow for more enjoyment during your special family time. I am here to help. If you need help getting your child’s sleep on track so that you can enjoy the benefit of the 80/20 Rule, let’s talk! Email me at backtozzzs@gmail.com to set up a free 15-minute introductory call where I can tell you more about how I work with clients.
It is coming. November 3rd will be the time to move the clocks back one hour! The fall time change means that your child’s sleep will need to be adjusted. Just when you got your little one back on a schedule after the summertime fun, here comes another bump in the road that can mess up your hard work. Your child’s schedule will be off one hour which could result in early wakeups and bedtime battles. If your child usually wakes up at 7:00 am, that now means they will be waking up at 6:00 am. It can also mean that your child will fight when it comes to bedtime as they may not be ready for the usual 6:30 pm bedtime if their bodies are telling them, it is only 5:30 pm. The good news is your child will adjust to the time change. You just need to prepare, be patient, and be consistent. Here are a couple of methods to help your child deal with Day Light Saving Time. Method One: The Gradual Approach You can prepare your child ahead of time by adjusting everything little by little. We have to adjust for one hour in their schedule. To do the gradual change, you can begin to shift your day back in 15-minute increments. You can start 8 days ahead of November 3rd, allowing for a couple of days at each interval change. We would start bedtime about 15 minutes later each day. For example, if your child’s bedtime is 6:30 pm, you would put them to bed at 6:45 for a couple of nights. After a couple of days of the 6:45 pm bedtime, you would bump it up to 7:00 pm. You should adjust the time every two days until you reach the one-hour mark of 7:30 pm (which will be the new 6:30 when the time changes). You also need to adjust the morning wake-up and all naps and meals, so everything is in place. In using the gradual method, your child will be adjusted by the time November 3rd comes along. Method Two: The “Jump Right In” Method For this method, you just rip off the band-aid on D-day. On the day of the time change, you shift everything accordingly. We will want to make sure the room is extra dark for each sleep cycle to help the body shift the production of melatonin as your child adjusts to the new time change. We also want to keep in mind that your little one might be tired for up to a week as they adjust. If they lose sleep due to the time change then compensate for the lost sleep by offering an extra early bedtime so that they do not collect a sleep debt. The better rested your child is going into the shift in time, the better they will adjust. Choose a method that fits your child’s temperament best. If your child has a hard time with change or is sleep-sensitive, then the gradual approach might work best for your family. If your child is flexible and handles change smoothly then the direct approach might be the option for your child. A tip to help your child adjust to the time change as well as any other disruptions to the sleep schedule is to be consistent. It is important to have a consistent soothing routine. The sleep routine is a wonderful cue to your child that it is time for their bodies and minds to start to relax and get ready for sleep. Consistency is also important when we respond to wakings and protests. While your child adjusts to the disruption in the sleep schedule your consistent response will remind them of the sleep rules and help get them back on track. It may take about a week until your little one has completely adjusted, so be patient with the process. You got this!!!