Are Mid-morning Naps Good?
Many mothers have no idea whether mid-morning naps are good or not. The doubts as to whether they have been correct in the schedules to which they have accustomed their little one to rest are recurrent. We will provide, below, some details on the subject.
It can be said that the nap is the moment the child needs to relax and regain energy. It is a period of time in which the body is given the rest it needs.
Digestion increases the desire to sleep. For this reason, every time the child feeds, he feels the need to take a well-deserved rest.
How do you know when the child should sleep?
It is rare to find a child who does not like to take naps in the middle of the morning, after meals or after their school day. When children sleep, they replenish energy and relax their entire body to continue with their daily activities.
So taking a mid-morning nap will comfort you and help you get through the day with much more energy. But how do you know when the child needs to sleep?
If the little one is observed to be very still, irritable or yawning a lot, they are signs that it is time for a nap. For mid-morning naps, it is good to create a suitable environment; the room must meet some requirements, for example:
- It should be quiet: if there is a lot of noise in the vicinity, the child may be distracted and not fall asleep.
- Conditioning the bed so that it is much more comfortable: by lying down with fluffy pillows or cushions, the body will relax and quickly enter the sleep phase.
- The temperature of the room should be comfortable: it should not be too cold or too hot, so that the child feels comfortable.
Music is also used as a channel to lead children to a well-deserved nap. Obviously, it should be a soft melody.
Napping is a habit; therefore, it must be monitored and oriented. To be successful and improve your night’s sleep, you need to make it a routine. Mid-morning naps are ideal for little ones under 3 years of age. With them, they will be much more attentive and ready to learn that each day brings them.
Naps in the middle of the morning according to the age of the child
Mid-morning naps cannot be prolonged for more than 30 minutes. Of course there are exceptions; These will depend on the needs of the little one, their daily work and their sleeping habits.
There are children who take their short nap in the middle of the morning and sleep 12 hours at night; they are comfortable with this sleep routine.
On the other hand, very active children get very little sleep at night if they have a restful nap during the day. The reason is that this usually lasts 1 or 2 hours.
How long should children sleep a day?
For each child, there is a reference of the required daily nap time according to their age.
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Newborn to 6 months
Babies in this age range need 15 to 19 hours of sleep per day. Also, they wake up every 2 hours to eat.
When they approach 6 months of age, they sleep 9 to 12 hours at night. It is necessary that, in this period, they take 2 or 3 naps that last 2 hours each.
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6 to 12 months
At this age, babies sleep 14 hours throughout the day. Most of the time they have two naps a day that last no more than 1 hour. Generally, they do not get up at night to eat; Doing so can disrupt your established sleep schedules.
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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 wish, they can take two naps in the day, as long as they are not close to bedtime at night.
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3 to 5 years
These infants, being at a preschool age, manage to sleep 12 hours at night. It is recommended that they take a nap at the opposite time of their school; this can be 20 minutes.
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From 5 to 12 years
Children who are of school age need 11 hours of sleep at night. It may be the case of children who still need a nap during the day.
This should be very short, 15 to 20 minutes. In this way, it will not interrupt the child’s usual sleep cycle.
Naps in the middle of the morning will be regenerative and helpful as long as the little one has a set sleep schedule that is respected. Children always need to recharge; When they are still babies, a good nap helps them grow.
Ultimately, we must promote good habits, including those of naps. Thus, our children will grow up healthy, strong and with established routines that will help them to be orderly and consistent.
