Establishing healthy sleep habits in young children is vital for optimal functioning for them and, of course, for us as parents. It is difficult to do what we need to do and parent at our best when we are sleep deprived. Also, poor sleep in children often results in negative consequences to daytime behaviour, mood, learning, and physical development.
Recommended Sleep by Age
Young children need lots of sleep! While some children need more or less sleep than others, the table below provides a range of recommended sleep by age.
AgeNightDayTotal
0-3 months—unpredictable, varies widely –
3-6 months11-12 hrs3-4 hrs(in 3-4 naps)14-16 hrs
6-9 months11-12 hrs2-3¼ hrs (in 2-3 naps)13-15¼ hrs
9-12 months11-12 hrs2-3 hrs (in 2 naps)13-15 hrs
12-18 months 11-12 hrs1½-3 hrs (in 1-2 naps)12½-15 hrs
1.5-2 years 11 hrs1½-3 hrs (usually 1 nap)12½-14 hrs
2-3 years11 hrs1½-3 hrs (in 1 nap)12½-14 hrs
3-5 years 11-12 hrs*0-2 hrs (0-1 nap)11-13 hrs
*Children may sleep longer at night after they drop their nap
Source: modified from The Sleepeasy Solution, 2007
Establish Good Sleep Habits (Early!)
It is important for parents to start establishing healthy sleep habits early. This will help ensure that your child gets the sleep he/she needs. Also, it is easier to establish good habits early on than to correct bad habits as children get older. This is because habits (including “bad” habits) become very ingrained and more difficult to change.
Develop a sleep schedule
Developing a sleep schedule is important. In early infancy, a sleep schedule can be flexible. By 3-6 months of age, a sleep schedule should include a regular bedtime and wake time and naps at approximately the same time each day. Most young children do well with a bedtime of 7:00-8:30pm - depending on their age and, if napping, when their last nap ended.
Learning how to fall asleep independently
The most important aspect of getting children to fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night is to have them learn to fall asleep independently without parental assistance. Children need to learn this at bedtime so that when they have arousals during the night, they will know how to return to sleep on their own.
Research has shown that teaching an infant to fall asleep
independently can prevent the development of future sleep problems.
Between 6-12 weeks of age, parents can experiment with putting their baby down to sleep when they are drowsy but awake. However, babies younger than 3 months should not be left to cry for more than 5 minutes (or less, depending on the intensity of the cry). At 3 months of age (full-term and healthy), a child can learn to fall asleep on his own. The younger the skill is learned the better. It is much easier to teach a 3 month old how to fall asleep on his own, compared to a 1 or 2 year old – who has never learned the skill.
Address night wakings
If your child is waking at night, first ensure that she is falling asleep independently. If night wakings persist, ask yourself “what is she waking for?” Things that typically maintain a child waking are nighttime feeds, co-sleeping, and various types of “parental responding”. Most infants who are 6 months of age (full-term) who are gaining weight as expected don’t need to be fed during the night. Developing a plan to gradually eliminate night feeds and other things which are keeping her waking is often necessary. Like most aspects of parenting, consistency is key!
Establish a bedtime and nap routine
A well established bedtime and nap routine is important. The routine should be calming and predictable. The last part of the routine (at least) should take place in the child’s room. The lights should be low and it is important to avoid ‘dozing’ during a bedtime and nap routine as this can decrease the drive to sleep and lead to difficulty settling when it is time for the child to fall asleep. Snacks and t.v. time (if parents wish) should be done prior to the start of a bedtime routine.
Maintain an environment conducive to sleep
A child’s crib and bed area should be all about sleep and toys and mobiles should be removed. The optimal sleep environment includes a temperature on the cool side of comfortable and little to no light or noise. White noise (a constant and even sound) in a child’s room and in the hallway outside his room can help to block external and household noise, and is also believed to be soothing for young children.
Common Causes of Sleep Problems
The 2 most common causes of sleep problems are: 1) not falling asleep independently and 2) inappropriate and inconsistent responding, especially during the night. Other things that can cause or worsen sleep problems are greater cognitive awareness (becoming more alert), reaching new developmental milestones, and a poorly timed sleep schedule.
What is Sleep Training?
Sleep training includes a child learning how to fall asleep independently (self-soothing to sleep) and appropriate and consistent responding, on the part of the parents. Also important in a sleep training plan is developing an age-appropriate and well-timed sleep schedule and ensuring that the sleep environment is safe and conducive to sleep.
Safe Sleep Practices - Health Canada & Canadian Paediatric Society Guidelines The Back to Sleep Campaign advocates placing infants on their back to sleep (when first placed in the crib) until 12 months of age. The back to sleep position, until a child can roll or move to his side on his own, is associated with a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). According to the guidelines, however, children do not need to be repositioned during the night or nap, once they can roll or move to another position independently. Young children should sleep on a firm flat surface in their crib for all sleep periods. Room-sharing in the first 6 months may protect against SIDS.
Health Canada and Canadian Paediatric Society guidelines state that soft and non-breathable materials including blankets, bumper pads, stuffed animals, infant positioners, pillows, and pillow-like items should not be in a crib. These objects can prevent air circulation around a child’s face and lead to suffocation. Rather than covering a young child with a blanket, a sleep-sack or wearable sleeper-blanket is recommended for cooler months (see http://www.halosleep.com/ for wearable sleeper blankets).
The guidelines also outline that an adult bed is “not the safest place for a baby to sleep”. This is because young children can be suffocated by an adult, can fall off a bed, and can become trapped between the mattress and wall or headboard. Also, soft materials on a bed are a risk factor for overheating and suffocation. High risk groups to co-sleep with children are those who have consumed alcohol, taken sedating drugs, and those who are sleep deprived – all which can lead to decreased responsiveness. Avoid overheating your child. Being overheated is a risk factor for SIDS and can also lead to discomfort during sleep.
Medical Problems and Sleep
Parents should speak to their child’s physician if they have any concerns regarding his/her sleep. Also, before starting a sleep training plan, parents should consult their child’s physician to rule out any medical cause of their child’s sleep disturbance. Common medical problems that can disrupt a child’s sleep include gastroesophageal reflux disease, ear infections, and sleep apnoea - which is often characterized by loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep.
Recommended Readings
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep – from Birth to Age 5. (Jennifer Waldburger & Jill Spivak, 2007)
Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Revised Edition). (Jodi A. Mindell, 2005)
Our friend Brian is a new father. He has an adorable baby girl Shaliyah. Recently he proved that Mom’s Night Out can be a great opportunity for dads to bond with their children as well.
Brian captured the fun on video! Enjoy it and be inspired below.
More than 40% of children have dental caries by the time they reach kindergarten, or their first dental visit. Most, if not all, of these cavities in infants and young children can easily be prevented by providing new parents with the proper information on how to look after their children’s oral health. It is therefore extremely important that early on, new parents be made aware of proper oral care of their new infants by their family doctor, Pediatrician, or most preferably, by a Pediatric Dentist.
The most commonly known dental problem affecting young children is Early Childhood Caries (ECC), which is caused by the excessive use of a baby-bottle containing apple/orange juice or formula/milk. It is also known as Nursing/Baby Bottle Caries and it can be a particularly virulent form of dental caries. It usually begins soon after dental eruption, developing on smooth dental surfaces (specifically behind the upper front teeth thus making it difficult for parents to notice it early), progressing rapidly, and having a potentially lasting and detrimental impact on the dentition.
Children experiencing caries as infants or toddlers have a much greater probability of subsequent caries in both the primary and permanent dentitions. Not only does ECC affect teeth, but consequences of this disease may lead to more widespread health issues. Infants with ECC, for example, grow at a slower pace than caries-free infants.
The presence of ECC can cause pain and suffering to young children and its treatment can often times be complicated, costly and very stressful to parents. Therefore, prevention through good parental education, is imperative.
To decrease the risk of developing ECC the following practices are suggested:
1. Minimizing saliva-sharing activities (e.g. sharing utensils) between an infant and his family, because caries causing bacteria may be transmitted to your infant by a parent or another child in the family. In addition, decreasing the mother’s/siblings’ oral bacteria levels may decrease the infant’s risk of developing ECC.
2. Implementing oral hygiene measures no later than the time of eruption of the first primary tooth.
• If an infant falls asleep while feeding, the teeth should be cleaned before placing the child in bed.
• Brushing the child’s teeth should be performed twice daily, especially prior to going to sleep.
• Flossing should be initiated when teeth are not spaced apart, irrespective of the child’s age.
3. Avoiding caries-promoting feeding behaviors. In particular:
• Ad libitum breast-feeding should be avoided after the first primary tooth begins to erupt and other dietary carbohydrates are introduced.
• Infants should not be put to sleep with a bottle containing anything other than water.
• Infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12 to 14 months of age.
• Repetitive drinking of sweet drinks from a bottle or no-spill training cup should be avoided.
• Between meal snacks and prolonged exposure to sweets and juice should be avoided.
4. Have your child examined by a Pediatric Dentist no later than by age 2 yrs.
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What to wear when traveling with a baby or young child…
There are a couple of travel stories about me as a toddler that are often repeated in my family. One is how when we were in Scotland, I dumped a chicken dinner on my mom’s lap when she was wearing her white pantsuit. Another is how on a plane one time I spilled a full glass of orange juice on her lap while she was wearing her white pantsuit. Now that I’m a parent and a traveling one at that, I have a question, “What on Earth was she thinking wearing a white pantsuit?”
My uniform is typically black from head to toe, and while that can disguise a multitude of problems, when you’re with an infant it only highlights various slobbers and the kind of goo that only a baby can create with a cracker. After arriving at various destinations feeling less than fresh, I’ve learned enough to feel confident sharing my travel attire tips.
Layers aren’t just for cakes…
On any given travel day, you could go through as many as 3 different climates, and the plane offers its own temperature variations as well. If you start out with a few light layers, you can remove as needed. Bringing along a few changes means you can add or subtract as the thermometer dictates, and maybe even get away without a full outfit change should baby spit up or have a diaper failure. Try to avoid cardigans or sweaters with zippers, you’ll have to remove them going through security.
Shoes blues…
Everyone in your family needs to remove their shoes when going through airport security, even family members who are wearing them for fun instead of function. Have everyone in footwear that’s easy to get on and off, and if possible, have baby wear outfits with built in feet to avoid keeping track of yet another item.
Think flight patterns…
Multi-coloured patterns can hide a multitude of messes (including the aforementioned cracker goo), so even if you’re not really clean, you don’t look messy. Keep this in mind for babies and little kids as well. In a pinch, diaper wipes work remarkably well at taking out stains.
Save pyjamas for cats and bananas…
Was it Paris Hilton who popularized wearing pyjamas on the plane? I guess I’m old school, but I try to dress up a bit for air travel and the same goes for my kids. For a really early start, I’ll put them to bed in the (comfortable but cute) outfit they’ll wear on the plane, and my travel clothes are those that feel like stretch pants and sweats without actually being them. Not convinced? Note that you’ll never be upgraded on a flight if you’re wearing flip flops and sweatpants. A bit of effort CAN go a long way if you’re lucky.
Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel, your online guide for travel with babies and toddlers. For more information or to connect with her please visit www.havebabywilltravel.com or www.twitter.com/hvbabywilltrvl
Sleep terrors, sometimes referred to as night terrors, are partial arousals during deep sleep. As they can occur during any sleep period, including naps, they are more appropriately classified as “sleep terrors”. Sleep terrors are in the same category of behaviours as confusional arousals (a mild form of sleep terrors), sleepwalking, and sleeptalking.
As deep sleep is predominant in the first-third of the night, these behaviours most commonly occur 1-3 hours after a child has gone to sleep. As they almost exclusively occur during deep sleep, they do not involve dreaming (which happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep). The frequency of sleep terrors is variable. They can occur from multiple times a night to every few weeks (or less) and can last anywhere from minutes to an hour.
The presentation of sleep terrors involves both features of being awake and being asleep. For example, children having a sleep terror will often be crying and screaming, seem frightened, and may have their eyes open. They are often confused, agitated and “thrash” around. However, during a sleep terror, children are actually sleeping and are not aware of, or responsive to, their parents.
Studies have found that the prevalence of sleep terrors range from 1-6% in children. The good news is that they markedly decrease with age as there is a rapid decline in the amount of deep sleep in young childhood through adolescence. By age 8, 50% of children with sleep terrors no longer experience them, and by puberty most cases naturally resolve. The main features that characterize sleep terrors are:
TIME OF NIGHT: The time of night that these behaviours occur can be helpful in determining if a child is having a sleep terror or not. Sleep terrors usually occur 1-3 hours after sleep onset. However, in some cases, they can occur later in the night.
LEVEL OF RESPONSIVENESS: During a sleep terror, children are not awake and are difficult to wake. As they are sleeping, they are not aware of, or comforted by, a parent who is present. Parents describe that usual methods of getting their child to return to sleep (e.g., giving them a pacifier, feeding them, picking them up) are not successful. Some children may briefly wake at the end of the episode, only to quickly return to sleep.
READINESS TO RETURN TO SLEEP: Once a sleep terror has run its course, the child returns to a calm, deep sleep on her own (unless woken).
RECOLLECTION: Children have no memory of sleep terrors the next day (unless they were woken).
AVOIDANCE OF COMFORT: During an episode, most children avoid comfort or soothing by their parent.
Partial arousal behaviours are not fully understood but we know that they often run in families. There is a strong genetic predisposition, with 80-90% of children who present with them, having a first-degree relative who had/or currently has them. Aside from a family history, sleep deprivation is often cited as the most common cause. When the body is deprived of sleep, it gets less deep sleep; when it does have a chance to sleep, there is a rebound of deep sleep. And in vulnerable individuals (those with a genetic predisposition), this extra amount of deep sleep increases the likelihood of having an episode.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that your child gets adequate day and night sleep. Establishing an appropriate and consistent sleep schedule can be helpful. In many cases, it is necessary to address sleep problems such as bedtime resistance, night wakings, or poor day sleep that may be causing sleep deprivation. For example, a bedtime that is too late for the child or dropping naps prematurely can sometimes result in the onset of terrors. Also, things that may cause a child to wake more (e.g., a full bladder, sleeping in a different environment, noise, illness, stress) can increase the likelihood of an episode in a child already ‘at-risk’.
While leaving the crib or bed is not common during a sleep terror, concerned parents may want to clear the floor (in case the child gets out of bed), hang a bell over the child’s door to be alerted if she leaves the room, install safety gates at doorway and/or stairwells, and safety lock accessible doors and windows. Using bedrails and protecting your child if she ‘thrashes’ around are important (e.g., moving bed away from wall). If your child is sleeping away from home, inform an adult in charge of your child about the potential for these behaviours.
As intervening in the course of a sleep terror can worsen or prolong it, parents are encouraged to sit by their child’s side (if they wish to be present) and to let the terror run its course. It is best to avoid talking to the child about the sleep terror the next day as this can result in fears around going to sleep.
Many parents worry that sleep terrors may cause or are indicative of an underlying psychological problem. While they can be triggered by stress, there is no scientific evidence to support these concerns. However, parents are encouraged to speak with their child’s physician or another health care professional with training in this area if they have concerns. In cases where sleep terrors are very frequent, cause significant family disruption, and/or involve high risk of injury to the child, other treatment options may be appropriate.
Dr. Nicky Cohen is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from York University and developed an interest in parenting issues related to children’s sleep disturbances after having her first child 5 years ago. She is active in the community disseminating information on healthy sleep practices and increasing awareness of the importance of making sufficient sleep a family priority. Dr. Cohen has held various research and clinical positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital). More information about Dr. Cohen’s work can be found at: www.kidsleep.ca.
Everyone has travel preferences. But whether you’re the backpack/hostel type or perhaps the exotic locale/boutique hotel type, once you have children and decide to travel with them, you have to be open to new and different travel experiences. I was always a travel snob. To me, unless you were staying in B&Bs and taking public transport, you were not experiencing the true culture of where you were visiting. It never occurred to me that traveling was meant to be relaxing as well! Since opportunities to get away are now fewer and further apart, I now wholeheartedly embrace the ‘travel as vacation’ mindset, but I still need a little local culture as well.
Staying in little Bed & Breakfasts or small family-run hotels was always my preference, but they aren’t always an option when traveling with small children. While the proprietors or host families would undoubtedly be very welcoming and friendly, they likely won’t be able to offer the types of amenities that you’d prefer when toting your tots. Things like a shared bathroom or paper-thin walls may not be an issue pre-kids, but certainly would be now. Things like a pool or garden to play in may also be harder to locate in a smaller lodging. Not that the perfect little pensione or casa doesn’t exist - they’re just a little harder to find. This is where time (or lack thereof) comes into play. I just don’t have the time to research destinations and accommodations to the extent that I used to. Smaller places also don’t usually have the kind of budget required to extensively market themselves, or create a website. This is where word of mouth comes into play. If you know of a great B&B, or a small family-fun hotel that welcome small children and have facilities to accommodate them, please let me know!
Self-catering hotels and condos are generally very family-friendly, and having 24-7 access to a kitchen when you’re traveling with babies is certainly the easiest way to go. We traveled like this pre-kids, and loved being able to pop in some toast in the morning and sort ourselves out for most lunches as well. But some families don’t feel like they’re on holidays if they have to cook at all, and part of a vacation is a big breakfast in a restaurant everyday. There’s also the issue of having to go grocery shopping, but personally, I love going to supermarkets in different parts of the world. That said, it can be a hassle to locate a store and figure out what you want to eat. Unless you’re paying big bucks, these types of accommodation are usually in more residential areas, or mean walking to the beach instead of being right on it. Car rental may be another factor in choosing a self-catering holiday, since a variety of restaurants or shops may not be located within walking distance. The nice thing is that decent self-catering lodgings are easier to locate online, with many rental agencies operating websites for individual owners, as well as larger chain hotels offering a kitchenette as part of a room upgrade.
For some, resorts – be they all-inclusive or not – are the only way to go. For the most part, all your needs can be met within the boundaries of one hotel. These can be cost-effective options as well, since all-inclusive resorts usually cover the costs of all meals, snacks and drinks, including alcoholic drinks. Larger resorts often have amenities especially for children, which can be helpful if yours are the type that need to be kept busy at all times! My difficulty with large resorts, is feeling somewhat removed from the local culture, although this can easily be remedied by actually leaving the resort – and not necessarily on a pre-arranged tour. In fact, I tend to shy away from package tours simply because we found it easier to ask around and find a person willing to take us around at our own pace, with our own car seat installed in the car. But some don’t require culture, they just want sun, sand, and to not have to think about anything. This is where the large resort can offer a worry-free holiday – no need to take out your wallet or move very far from your sun lounger.
Our first holiday with our daughter was at a large all-inclusive resort, and it was a good way to ease into family travel. Once we were there, all our needs could be met with little effort or brainpower, which actually allowed us to relax. It also helped us to realize that we could one day manage more independent travel – modified of course – and that as our daughter grows and becomes more settled that our travel options will one day be wide open once again.
Parents looking for party places in Toronto and the GTA, will be pleased to find the large variety of choices in our Directory. Visit www.kidsaroundcanada.com/party/toronto/88 for lots of selection and savings too!
Appreciating the less-fun moments of family travel…
If Murphy’s Law applies to you as much as it applies to me, then you know that whatever can go wrong usually will. What that means in terms of travel with a baby or toddler, is that in spite of your careful planning and preparation, you’ll probably be presented with a mess to clean up or a meltdown to cope with. If you’re lucky (and I think we’ve already determined that you aren’t!) these “presentations” will happen in front of the smallest audience possible.
FACT: at 11 months my daughter had never had a wet diaper leak until 5 minutes before boarding our very first flight with her. FACT: my daughter had never thrown up from eating too much until she gorged herself on peas from the hotel buffet. In both cases, I was prepared for the cleanup, but in the case of the latter, I was absolutely stunned by the reaction of those around us. Stunned in a good way. I actually don’t know what our fellow diners thought of our baby’s Exorcist impersonation, as we were surrounded in seconds. As I cleaned up Megan, all evidence of the pea frenzy miraculously disappeared. In fact, it was the genuine concern and kindness shown by the wait staff at our resort in Cuba that was the clincher in making me fall in love with the culture and country – but that’s another story…
Dirty diapers, vomit, ear-splitting screams – this is the trifecta of unpleasantness that we parents must deal with from time to time, and usually (hopefully?) in the comfort of our own homes. But not for Michael B. of Nashville, his son Andrew unleashed all 3 on a flight from Hell to San Diego. Unfortunately, Michael and Andrew weren’t met with an army of cloths and soothing Spanish reassurances, they were subjected to eye rolls, loud sighs and, of course, the unsolicited (and possibly counter-productive) advice of drugging his kid with Benadryl.
Susie S. was headed home to Atlanta from Boston with her 2 boys, and couldn’t fit into the washroom to change her youngest son. According to Susie, the diaper was “legendary” and having to change him out in the open created a reaction of nose-holding and gagging amongst her fellow passengers. She said they were all mad at her. They should have been mad at the aircraft manufacturer for designing such an inaccessible washroom on the plane.
The only time I’ve read horrifically nasty comments on an article or blog post other than on breastfeeding in public or circumcision, is regarding flying with an infant. Even the New York Times’ Frugal Traveler Matt Gross’s column was bombarded with anti-breeder/entitled-parent rhetoric that tries to pass itself off as what the majority of the traveling public is thinking, when he wrote about flying to Italy with his infant daughter Sasha. But I believe these grouches are the minority. Some people are actually helpful – and friendly!
The day before Thanksgiving a few years back (notoriously the busiest travel day of the year) fellow passengers created a circle around Beth from Santa Monica’s toddler son Chris to prevent him from taking off at the gate. It had been a travel day from Hell that involved 4 layovers due to cancellations… Flight attendants came to the rescue with blankets and wet paper towels to help Lisa C. tidy up after her 1-year-old daughter threw up everywhere en route home to Honolulu… Flight attendants also placated Joan H.’s toddler with cookies and juice after a meltdown while boarding a flight. Joan was close to suffering a meltdown herself as she was 6 months pregnant flying with her 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son – headed home to Colorado after her grandfather’s funeral… I’m pleased to say the tales of helpful people aren’t as few or far between as you might be led to believe.
My original intention for this article was to be a funny and light-hearted look at the embarrassing things that kids do and we clean up as parents, and how not to let that deter you from hopping on a plane with your tot and exploring the world together. I’m kind of glad I just couldn’t get it out that way.
Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel - your online guide to traveling with babies and toddlers. For more information please visit www.havebabywilltravel.com or send a message to info@havebabywilltravel.com
Q. When will my son drop his final nap?
My son is almost 3 years old and has recently stopped napping. He is very tired in the late afternoon and sometimes falls asleep on the couch. When this happens, getting him to bed before 9:30pm is very difficult! Is there anything I can do to get him napping again?
Dr. Cohen:
Many children drop their single (afternoon) nap between 3-5 years of age. However many 3 year olds still need to nap and have trouble making it to bed time without their nap. A nap may be dropped prematurely due to social activities or because a child starts resisting the afternoon nap at the usual time. I am an advocate of not dropping a child’s nap because of social activities but parents make this decision considering a variety of factors. Sometimes if a child starts resisting their nap it is helpful to move it later by 30-60 minutes to increase his drive to sleep. A 3-5 year old, for example, may not be ready to nap before 2:00-3:00pm.
If however, a later nap is interfering with falling asleep at night, limiting the nap (e.g., to an hour) and/or moving bedtime later (e.g., to 8:30pm) may be necessary. In some cases – when a later nap interferes with even a later bedtime or the child still resists napping at a later time – these may be signs that the child is ready to go without a nap. Eliminating the nap and moving bedtime earlier may be necessary.
Some children, during the transition in dropping their nap, may still need to nap periodically as their sleep debt builds. So continue to offer your child an opportunity to nap. On some days he may and on other days he may not. Replacing the nap with ‘quiet time’ can give everyone a bit of a break from an otherwise busy day!
Q. When do children transition from 2 naps to 1?
My daughter is 13 months old and has started to resist napping twice a day. Sometimes she does and on other days she will only nap once. Can you please discuss how and when the transition from 2 naps to 1 is expected to happen?
Dr. Cohen:
Usually the 2nd nap is dropped between 12-18 months of age, with an average age being 14-16 months. However, some toddlers still need 2 naps a day until as late as 20 months of age. A sign that it may be time to drop the 2nd nap is that a child is resisting the 1st or 2nd nap at appropriate times, which is usually after 3-4 hours of being awake. When this happens for more than 3-5 days in a row, the single nap can be scheduled around the mid-day mark and gradually moved later (e.g., 1 pm at 2 years of age). However during the first few weeks of this transition, there may be some days where she still needs 2 naps and other days when 1 is enough.
When the 2nd nap is dropped, bedtime may need to be temporarily moved earlier while the child gets used to having 1 longer nap and being awake for a longer period before bed. Usually the single nap is 1.5-3 hours in length. If your child has a fragment (i.e., an early waking) during his nap and/or still seems tired, give her 15 minutes or so to see if she will fall back asleep. It is important that toddlers are falling asleep independently for their nap(s) and at nighttime, and are being responded to appropriately and consistently. If children do not have the skill of falling asleep independently they will need assistance when they have an early waking both at night and during their nap.
An early morning wake time (in children over 1 year) can be another sign that a child is ready to drop her morning nap. In these children, maintaining the morning nap can result in early morning wakings because the body does not need to sleep to a regular hour and have a morning nap. Therefore the body starts to learn that because another sleep period is coming, it can wake early. Making changes to the daytime sleep schedule (i.e., dropping the morning nap) often resolves early morning wakings that are due to this cause.
Q. How can I get my infant to have longer naps?
My son is 6 months old and his daytime sleep is very erratic. He has 4-5 “cat-naps” a day and usually only sleeps for 30-40 minutes at each nap. He often wakes up crying and still tired and will only sleep for longer periods in his stroller. He falls asleep on his own at night, but I am still rocking him to sleep for his naps. At his age, what can I do to encourage better napping?
Dr. Cohen:
Many 6 month olds nap 2-3 times a day. Usually the third nap is dropped between 6-9 months of age. At 3-4 months of age, most healthy full-term babies are capable of falling asleep independently for all of their sleep periods (both day and night). The skill of falling asleep independently is more easily learned at sleep onset for nighttime sleep as the drive to sleep is stronger than it is for daytime sleep. Once a child has mastered the skill at nighttime, he can be given the opportunity to learn it for his naps.
“Cat naps” can be due to several reasons including: (1) being put down too early (as the drive to sleep is not as strong as it should be), (2) not falling asleep independently, and (3) being given the opportunity to nap too many times throughout the day (as the body learns it does not have to sleep very long because it will be offered another sleep period soon). Many 6 month olds are ready to sleep after 2-2.5 hours after being awake if they are having 3 naps a day, and after 2.5-3 hours if they are napping twice a day.
Usually when sleep training for naps is initiated, and even following sleep training, some children continue to have fragments (i.e., early wakings) in their naps. However, if the timing of the naps is appropriate, many children will fall back asleep, if given the opportunity. If a child has slept for less than 1 hour for a nap (i.e., less than a full cycle of sleep), sometimes giving him 15-20 minutes to see if he will fall back asleep can be helpful.
Pleasant dreams!
Dr. Nicky Cohen is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from York University and developed an interest in parenting issues related to children’s sleep disturbances after having her first child 5 years ago. She is active in the community disseminating information on healthy sleep practices and increasing awareness of the importance of making sufficient sleep a family priority. Dr. Cohen has held various research and clinical positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital). More information about Dr. Cohen’s work can be found at: www.kidsleep.ca.
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