Your toddler is a creature of habit, and the predictability of a nap routine (similar to her bedtime routine) will make her feel more secure and comforted - perfect ingredients for unwinding and getting in the mood to snooze. If your tot is put down for a nap and awakened at the same time nearly every day, her body and brain will come to expect it. If she never seems to get visibly tired, odds are she’ll be ready for a good rest three or four hours after her last sleep. Take note of when your toddler is already slowing down, such as after lunch, and try to get her tucked in for a nap then.
First, you’ll want to put your tot down when she’s actually tired - not overtired. When it comes to toddler naps, timing is everything.
#BEST NAP DURATIONS HOW TO#
Here’s how to get your toddler down for a nap, even if she resists. It’s sometimes hard for toddlers to drift off during naptime because their bodies have gotten used to being awake when it’s light and asleep when it’s dark. Their internal clock is telling them it’s not time for bed. Some toddlers experience the same separation anxiety and fears when they’re put down for a daytime slumber as they have at night. They’ve got climbing, running, playing and exploring to do, and snoozing puts the kibosh on the action. Busy toddlers don’t want to waste time napping. When they’re exhausted (maybe because they’re not getting enough sleep in general), toddlers get a surge of cranky energy - and they’ll use a lot of that energy to fight sleep. It’s just as normal for toddlers to resist naps as it is for them to fight bedtime, and for many of the same reasons. Just because naps are good for toddlers, however, doesn’t mean they take them without a fuss. They also have less energy - and toddlers need plenty of energy to fuel their always-on-the-go lifestyle. That one remaining nap is necessary, though: Tots who don’t nap during the day are overtired, crankier, more prone to frustration, have more tantrums, have less appetite and don’t sleep as well at night. Which is why daytime sleep - in the form of naps - is a must for the toddler set.Īround the age of 18 months, most toddlers drop their midmorning nap in favor of one afternoon snooze, though it can happen as late as the 2-year point.
#BEST NAP DURATIONS FULL#
Toddlers still need a full 11 to 14 hours of sleep every day, and few children are able to sleep that much during the night.
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