Is it a challenge for you to get your child to sleep?

Apparently, to a lot of parents, it is.  It is doubly unfortunate as napping not only means rest for the child, but for parents as well. Pediatrician Dr. Anna Lopez-Gabriel tells us that sleeping contributes significantly not only to a child’s normal health but to his behavior as well, and that napping during the day revitalizes and recharges both brain and body.

According to Marc Weissbluth, MD, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, “Sleep is the power source that keeps your mind alert and calm.  Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. A good sleep increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time.”

How much nap a child should be taking depends on his age.  It is normal for newborns to be asleep for most part of the day.  Daytime napping is significantly reduced at around 6 months to roughly 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  By the time they reach 2 years old, most will nap once at day at an average of 2 hours.  At 4-5 years old, most children will completely forgo napping, but will have an average of 12 hours sleep at night.  

He also notes that daytime naps serve a different function from night sleep.  Our bodies have a circadian rhythm (an internal clock) and it is important that the timing of sleep and naps is in sync with this clock so that the child gets the optimum benefit from his sleep.  

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