Toddler Naps

Toddlers sleep most of the day, when they are born. But as they develop and grow big, they cut out on their time of sleep. You will suddenly realize that your baby's naps have suddenly decreased from two to one in a day. Don't be scared, just have a little concern. As babies and toddlers grow up, they undergo a marathon of development. It's not like that they want to sleep less, they just need to get used to the new timing of their naps. Sleeping is entirely in your toddler's hand, but you can help in a big way to help him/her go to sleep.

Toddler Nap Schedule

Almost all toddlers need at least two naps till they become 1. Naps are usually one in the morning and one in the afternoon. When your toddler is 1½ years old, they would have denounced their morning nap, but they would still require their afternoon naps as they are vital for their health. This transition from two naps to one is the most problematic for both the parents, especially the mother. Toddler naps are the time when the mother has some time for herself and the house. Even when your toddler has forgotten the morning nap, he/she will still require an afternoon nap for quite sometime. Studies state that kids take naps till they are 4 to 5 years old. Even though majority of kids stop napping once they are 5 years, 2 out of 10 children still need a nap.

Toddlers Don't Nap: What to Do

Naps are essential for a normal and healthy growth of a toddler. Sometimes they don't nap and that is a big concern, because they still need their naps. The no napping phase starts when they turn two or three, at this age toddlers just want to explore new boundaries and sleep takes a back seat. Let's have a look at some effective steps to ensure that your baby enjoys a good nap.

• Try changing the timing of the nap, make your baby sleep at 1 pm or after 1 pm. You put in your kids any earlier than that, they will not sleep as they wouldn't be as tired as they would be in the afternoon.
• Use your toddler nap mat for day naps as well as for night sleep.
• Try to play some relaxing music for the afternoon nap, make sure there is no noise in your house especially of the mixer and the TV.
• If your toddler is not in a napping mood, lie down beside him/her and have a chat. You can read to your toddler his/her favorite stories and listen to some soft music. Place your hand on their tummy to help them lie still and relax them. This trick always works.

Toddler Nap Problems

Toddler nap problems are very frustrating, to see your child getting whiny about small things just because he/she hasn't got enough sleep is a very pitiful sight. As a parent you must ask yourself what wrong are you doing? Your kid is sleeping enough each day but still he/she is very whiny and has an irritating behavior. The main point which is being unseen is the time your child takes for his/her sleep time. If your baby sleeps for long hours in the night, don't worry about it. But make sure that his afternoon nap should not create conflicts with his/her night sleep. You would probably feel a 4 hour afternoon nap is a welcome break, but you will pay for it in the night, when your toddler is charged up and not ready to sleep. It's not an easy task to wake your baby from an afternoon nap, but if you make his awaking passage smooth and easy, you can probably wake your child early. Always remember an afternoon nap for a kid who is 2 to 5 years is ideally 2½ hours, not more otherwise your kid wouldn't sleep at night.

So I hope reading this article on toddler naps and baby sleeping will help you adjust with the new development that your baby is going through. Trying these steps in the beginning will seem tough but trust me they are the most effective and recommended ones.