Nap Facts in Younger Children

The following are posts from Dr Weissbluth's blog.  He gives some insight into napping patterns for children up to age 2.  He says many times not to compare children.  From reading his other posts it seems like up to age 2, nap lengths are also influenced by genetics rather than solely parenting practicies.  Now of course parenting practices can impact it, but he believes some children are "biological shortnappers" and that is just something that needs to be outgrown.  In the meantime the goal is to have them well-rested and may be through more short naps,etc.   He also says many times, especially in the older infants and the toddlers, to "Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm".  So this means to make sure bedtime is early enough so they won't be overtired.  So if they are cranky and irritable between 4-5 PM make sure bedtime is early enough so they won't get a "second wind" and that they can settle to sleep easily at night and not be overtired.  So factor in the day's events and adjust bedtime accordingly.  If there were poor/disrupted naps, earlier bedtime. I have found this to be very helpful advice.  If it was a more active or exciting day, an earlier bedtime might be beneficial also.

 Nap Facts: 24 Months

December 27, 2010 by weissbluthmethod

At 24 months, 95% of children are taking 1 nap/day and 5% are taking 2 naps/day.
The average total duration of naps is 2.3 hours and the range is 1-4 hours. 99% of children nap between 1.5-3.5 hours.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc

Nap Facts: 21 Months

December 13, 2010 by weissbluthmethod At 21 months of age, 88% of children are taking 1 nap and 12% are taking 2 naps/day.
The average total duration of naps is 2.4 hours and the range is 1-4 hours. 97% of children nap between 1.5-3.5 hours.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

Nap Facts: 18 Months

By weissbluthmethod At 18 months of age, 77% of children are taking 1 nap/day and 23% are taking 2 naps/day.
The average total duration of naps is 2.5 hours and the range is 1-4 hours/day. 98% of children nap between 1.5-3.5 hours.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc

Nap Facts: 15 Months

November 8, 2010 by weissbluthmethod At 15 months of age, 44% of infants take 2 naps/day and 56% of infants take 1 nap/day.
The average total duration of naps is 2.7 hours and the range is 1-5.5 hours/day. 91% of infants nap 1.3-3.5 hours/day.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc

Nap Facts: 12 Months

October 25, 2010 by weissbluthmethod At 12 months of age, 82% of infants take 2 naps/day, 17% take 1 nap/day and 1% take 3 naps/day.
The average total duration of naps is 3 hours/day and the range is 1.5-5.5 hours/day. 94% of infants nap between 2-4 hours.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc

Nap Facts: 9 Months

October 11, 2010 by weissbluthmethod At 9 months of age, about 90% of infants take 2 naps /day and 5% take 3 naps /day and 5% take 1 nap/day.
The average total duration of naps is 3 hours but the range is 1-5.5 hours. 93% of infants nap between 2-4 hours.
Nap duration is largely under genetic control: some infants will usually take long or very long naps and others will usually take brief or very brief naps. Adjust the bedtime to keep your baby’s sleep tank full between 4-5 pm. Don’t compare babies.
Marc

Nap Facts: 6 months

September 27, 2010 by weissbluthmethod At 6 months of age, about 80% of infants take 2 naps/day and 20% of infants take 3 naps/day.
The average total duration of naps is 3.5 hours but the range is 1-6 hours. 80% of infants sleep 2.5-4 hours/day. 5% sleep less than 2.5 hours/day and 15% sleep more than 4 hours/day. Don’t compare naps between babies.
Attempts to extend brief naps by swaddling, replacing the pacifier, or a quick feeding are likely to fail because they are more socially stimulating than soothing.
Marc

Nap Facts 4-6 Months

September 13, 2010 by weissbluthmethod Some babies have predictable mid-morning and mid-day naps. Each nap is 1-2 hours. Other babies still have brief naps or a mixture of long and brief naps. Post-colic babies and others who have not yet learned self-soothing skills are more likely to have brief naps. Don’t compare napping patterns in babies and be patient.
Some babies have a brief late afternoon 3rd nap and two major naps (mid-morning and mid-day). Perhaps these babies are able to have a later bedtime than those who sleep less during the day. Don’t compare bedtimes.
The variability between babies is often frustrating when parents compare their baby to other babies. Accept the fact that babies are different and stay on course to ensure good quality night sleep (especially a bedtime at night that is in synch with emerging drowsy signs). In general, practice soothing your baby when drowsy signs are first emerging but sometimes (especially if the wake-up time is very early) also try to stretch your baby towards mid-morning and mid-day to have the naps occur in synch with nap rhythms.
Marc

Nap Facts: 3-4 Months

August 30, 2010 by weissbluthmethod The morning nap emerges before the mid-day nap. Naps become regular before they become long. Brief naps are common. Naps may be very brief or very irregular if self-soothing skills have not been developed, the intervals between naps are too long, the bedtime is too late, night sleep is fragmented, the child is post-colic, or there is too much environmental stimulation. Some infants nap best in pitch black and very quiet rooms. White noise machines might help.
This transition from no regular naps to more regular but brief naps is often frustrating to parents who want their baby to nap longer. If your baby is well rested during the day, be patient and the naps will get longer. If your child is short on sleep during the day, experiment with nap schedules, earlier bedtime, let cry at night for consolidated night sleep, make the room darker, practice more putting her down drowsy but awake.
Some brief naps might be extended by re-swaddling, a quick feeding, or replacing a pacifier.
Marc Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

Nap Facts: Birth to 3 months

August 16, 2010 by weissbluthmethod Naps are irregular and brief. Help your baby learn self-soothing skills as soon as you come home from the hospital: put your baby down drowsy but awake, keep the intervals of wakefulness short to avoid a second wind, and get dad (or anyone else) on board to do nap duty when available. Swaddling and pacifiers might help and will not harm your baby. For those with colic, do whatever works to maximize sleep and minimize crying: swings, strollers, cars, sleep at mom’s breast or on dad’s chest.
Focus on night sleep and after 6 weeks of age, counting from the due date, move the bedtime earlier. Watch for drowsy signs at night and catch the wave.
Some brief naps might be extended by re-swaddling, a quick feeding, or replacing a pacifier.
Marc Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child