Are Mid-Morning Naps Good for Children?
If you’ve ever wondered whether mid-morning naps are good for children or not, keep reading to find out the answer in this article.
Naps allow kids to relax and regain energy. It’s also a time when their bodies get the rest they need.
Digestion increases the urge to sleep. That’s why kids may feel like they need to take a nap after eating.
How to know when kids should sleep
It’s strange to find kids who don’t like taking mid-morning naps, as well as after meals or school. When children sleep, they replenish energy and relax their whole body. This way, they’re ready to continue with their daily activities.
Taking a mid-morning nap will comfort them and help them continue the day with more energy. However, how do you know when kids need to sleep?
If you notice that your child is very quiet, irritable or yawns a lot, these are signs that it’s time for a nap. For mid-morning naps, it’s good to create a comfortable environment. The room must meet certain requirements. For example:
- The room should be silent. If there is a lot of noise nearby, the child may become distracted and not be able to fall asleep.
- Make sure the bed is comfortable. If your child lays down with soft pillows, his body will relax. Therefore, he’ll fall asleep more quickly.
- The temperature of the room should be pleasant. It shouldn’t be too hot or too cold. That way, your child will feel comfortable.
Music is also good to help kids fall asleep. Obviously, you need to make sure to play soothing melodies.
Naps are a habit. You need to monitor and regulate them. To be successful and improve your child’s sleep at night, it’s important to make it a routine.
Mid-morning naps are ideal for children under 3 years old. With them, they’ll be much more attentive and ready to learn every day.
Mid-morning naps according to age
Mid-morning naps shouldn’t be longer than 30 minutes. Of course, there are exceptions. These depend on every child’s individual needs. In addition, it depends on their daily work and sleeping habits.
There are children who take their short naps in the middle of the morning and sleep 12 hours at night. They feel at ease with this sleep routine.
On the other hand, very active children manage to sleep very little at night if they have a nap during the day. These naps are usually a little longer, about 1 to 2 hours.
How long should children sleep every day?
Here’s a guideline for how long kids should sleep every day according to their age.
Newborn until 6 months
Babies in this age range need to sleep between 15 and 19 hours per day. In addition, they need to wake up every 2 hours to eat.
When they get close to 6 months, they sleep between 9 and 12 hours at night. It’s important that they take 2 or 3 naps for about 2 hours each.
From 6 to 12 months
At this age, babies sleep 14 hours every day. Most of the time, they have two daily naps that don’t exceed 1 hour. Generally, they don’t get up at night to eat. By doing so, you adjust their sleep schedule.
“When children sleep, they replenish energies and relax their whole body. This way, they’re ready to continue with their daily activities.”
From 1 to 3 years
These little ones sleep about 13 hours a day, including a nap that lasts 2 hours after eating. If they want, they can take two naps during the day. However, make sure they aren’t too close to bedtime.
From 3 to 5 years
Preschoolers manage to sleep about 12 hours at night. We recommend that they take a nap when they come home from school. These naps can be about 20 minutes.
From ages 5 to 12
Kids who are in school need 11 hours of sleep a night. Some children might also need a nap during the day.
These naps should be very short, only about 15 to 20 minutes. This way, it won’t affect their usual sleep cycle.
Mid-morning naps give kids energy. In addition, they’re beneficial as long as children have a well-established sleep schedule.
Children always need to replenish their energy. When they’re still babies, a good nap contributes to their growth.
In short, you need to promote good habits, including napping. Therefore, your children will grow healthy, strong, and with healthy routines.