Are Mid-morning Naps Good?
Many mothers have no idea if mid-morning naps are good for you or not. Doubts about whether they were correct in relation to the times they got the child used to sleep are recurrent. So, below, we will provide some clarification on this subject.
It can be said that the nap is the time the child needs to relax and replenish energy. It is a period of time when the body receives the rest it needs.
Digestion increases the urge to sleep. For this reason, every time the child is fed, he feels the need for a well-deserved rest.
How do you know when your child should sleep?
It’s hard to find a child who doesn’t like taking a mid-morning nap, after meals, or after a day of school. When children sleep, they rep รต in the energy and relax the whole body to then continue with their daily activities.
So taking a mid-morning nap will comfort them and help them continue the day with much more energy. But how do we know when a child needs to sleep?
If you notice that your child is very quiet, irritable, or yawning a lot, these are signs that it’s time to take a nap. For mid-morning naps, it’s good to create a suitable environment; the room must meet some requirements, such as:
- It should be silent: if there is too much noise in the vicinity, the child may be distracted and unable to fall asleep.
- Make the bed much more comfortable: by lying down with some pillows or soft pillows, the body will relax and go into sleep quickly.
- The room temperature should be pleasant: it should be neither too cold nor too hot for the child to feel comfortable.
Music is also used as a channel to bring children to a well-deserved rest. Obviously, it must be a smooth melody.
Napping is a habit; therefore, it must be monitored and guided. In order to be successful and improve sleep at night, it is necessary to make it a routine.
Mid-morning naps are ideal for children under 3 years of age. With them, they will be much more attentive and ready for the learning that each day brings.
Mid-morning naps according to the child’s age
Mid-morning naps cannot be prolonged for more than 30 minutes. However, of course there are exceptions, which will depend on the child’s needs, daily activity and sleep habits.
There are children who take mid-morning naps and sleep 12 hours a night; that is, they are comfortable with this sleep routine.
On the other hand, very active children can get little sleep at night if they take a rest nap during the day. The reason is that it usually lasts for 1 or 2 hours.
How long should children sleep each day?
For each child, there is a reference to the time needed for daily naps, according to age.
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From newborn to 6 months
Babies in this age group need to sleep between 15 and 19 hours a day. Also, wake up every 2 hours to eat.
At about 6 months of age, they sleep between 9 and 12 hours a night. It is necessary that, during this period, take 2 or 3 naps that last 2 hours each.
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From 6 to 12 months
At this age, babies sleep 14 hours throughout the day. Most of the time, they take two naps a day that don’t last more than 1 hour. Generally, they don’t wake up at night to eat; by doing this, the established sleep schedules can be changed.
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From 1 to 3 years old
These children sleep about 13 hours a day, including napping, which lasts 2 hours, after eating. If you wish, you can take two naps a day, as long as it is not close to bedtime at night.
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From 3 to 5 years
These children, being of preschool age, are able to sleep 12 hours a night. It is recommended that they take a nap at the time opposite to school; its duration can be 20 minutes.
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From 5 to 12 years old
School-age children need 11 hours of sleep at night. But it can happen that children still need a nap during the day, which should be very short, 15 to 20 minutes. This way, the child’s usual sleep cycle will not be interrupted.
Mid-morning naps will be regenerative and helpful as long as the child has an established sleep schedule that is adhered to. Children always need to replenish energy; when they are still babies, a good nap contributes to their growth.
In short, we should promote good habits, including taking a nap. Thus, our children will grow up healthy, strong and with established routines that will help them to be organized and coherent.
