A Sleepy Guide to Naptime for Toddlers
Raising kids involves a lot of decisions. Every single day you will be inundated with choices to make for them, from what they eat to what they wear. One of the harder decisions might be when they should go to bed. They might fight you about it, but you know they need it. This is especially true when they are toddlers who need naps.
How Often Children Should Nap
Infants typically take up to four naps per day as they are very young and growing. Toddlers are usually considered kids of ages 1 and 2. They typically need two naps at the start of the toddler years, usually one morning nap and one afternoon nap. Towards the end of the toddler years, they might be down to just one nap during the day. That’s the average for many preschoolers. Grade-school children should be able to go all day without a nap.
How Much Sleep Kids Need
Newborns typically need between 14 and 17 hours of sleep per day, while infants are down to 12 to 15 hours each day. These totals include night sleep and all naps added together. Toddlers need 11 to 15 hours per day during their two years. Once they are preschoolers, their sleep should decrease to 9-13 hours per day. Once in grade school, kids should be getting 9 to 12 hours of sleep per day.
Why Sleep Is Important for Kids
Sleep is important for children for many reasons. Many of these reasons are the same as for adults. Sleep is when the human body regenerates and builds new tissues and cells. Since kids, especially young ones, are growing at a high rate, they need more sleep in order for their bodies to develop properly and healthily. It’s also when their brain gets to process the day and store memories of things they’ve learned.
Consistency Matters
Once you decide on an amount of sleep for your child, make sure they get that number of hours every single day of the week. Also, keep a consistent routine for sleep, whether it’s at night or just a nap.
Even with all these guidelines, every child is different. You can tell if yours is getting enough sleep just by watching them over the course of a day. Get a feel for how much they need, and experiment with their hours in bed until you find the right amount. For more tips on toddlers, consider taking some child care courses in Sydney.
