Naps: what you need to know
Alongside food and drink, sleep is a fundamental need for a young child. The source claims that children who have an afternoon nap grow and develop faster than those who have stopped napping. It says that, in general, a young child needs around 12 hours of sleep in each 24-hour period. At the age of 4, 50% of children are said to have a regular afternoon nap. By the age of 5, the source says that this habit begins to disappear because play is more appealing to them than sleep.
Daytime sleep supports brain development
A one-hour afternoon nap increases brain activity. It helps to shape memory and supports the learning process. After an afternoon nap, a child’s visual and spatial abilities improve. Dr Kim West, author of ‘Gentle Proven Solutions to Help Your Child Sleep Well and Wake Up Happy’, stated that while sleeping, a child can record everything they have learnt previously. This makes those memories easier to retrieve after waking.
Accelerates Physical Growth
Dr Kim West also stated that a child's growth and development can be optimised if they are accustomed to an afternoon nap and good sleep at night. Growth hormone is released during sleep.
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep is associated with a range of health outcomes. The source cites a study published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reporting an association between poorer night-time sleep and a higher likelihood of obesity in children.
Emotional Stability
The source claims that children who nap regularly in the afternoon show more stable emotions, calmer behaviour and stronger problem-solving ability.
Rest for the whole body
An afternoon nap allows a child’s organs to enter a resting phase after a day full of activity.
A busy day and tight schedule can tire the whole family. Whether errands or convenience are involved, it may be tempting to skip a nap and choose an earlier bedtime, but the effect will depend on the child's age, individual sleep needs and the timing of the nap and bedtime.
While we sleep, we process what happened during the day and learn from those experiences, forming new neural connections. During sleep, memories are strengthened and integrated with existing memories as information is transferred from short-term to long-term memory. This process is known as memory consolidation and involves structural and chemical changes in brain cells and networks. Lasting memories contribute to the development of cognitive abilities that support logical reasoning, problem-solving, planning, communication and learning; the source links these abilities to IQ.
Preparing for a nap
Some children find it difficult to settle during the day because they are highly sensitive to stimuli from their surroundings. It is a myth that a child can learn to sleep through ordinary noise and sounds coming from different rooms in the house during the day.
Can you switch off immediately, ignore everything you can hear and fall asleep? Perhaps many children have acquired this ability, but certainly not all of them. Those who cannot do so should fall asleep in a dark, quiet room.
If your child still resists sleeping during the day, consider what changes could be made to their room and daily routine to help them fall asleep for a nap:
- Darken the room if helpful by using suitable blinds or curtains and positioning the cot away from direct sunlight.
- Keep the house quiet: some children are very light and alert sleepers. You can turn a fan on at its lowest speed to mask some sounds, such as a ringing phone, a barking dog or car horns from the street.
- Slow down: do not put your baby to bed at exactly the same time every day, down to the minute. Establish a few bedtime rituals, such as feeding, changing, reading a story, rocking the baby for several minutes and then putting them down in their cot while they are still awake. This will help the baby recognise the final step as part of the established bedtime routine.
- Allow your child to develop their own pattern: nap time is sacred, so try not to deviate from it. When the child is tired, they should go to sleep. Provided that two naps a day do not affect night-time sleep, plan the rest of the day around your child's needs rather than the other way round.
Remember that this is a transitional stage. Over the coming year, nap timing and duration are likely to change as the child's sleep needs develop. A flexible, familiar daytime-sleep routine may help with later naps in the second and third years, although every child's pattern is different.
In a study published in Sleep by Oxford Academic, researchers found that an inability to ensure adequate sleep quality has a direct impact on academic performance. Respecting our children's sleep needs, regardless of our plans and busy schedules, is a long-term investment in their development.
Emilia Adamczyk