What should I do if my child doesn't want to nap? скачать в хорошем качестве

What should I do if my child doesn't want to nap?

Naps are really important for parents and kids. For parents, it’s the time when we get things done or we rest ourselves, especially if you have a small baby or young toddler that’s keeping you on the run all the time. Naps are also important for children as well, because it’s a time for them to rejuvenate and rest, and sleep is a very important part of their ability to grow and develop normally. There’s not a “1 size fits all” nap formula that all kids need to follow. There’s just general guidelines. Generally speaking, most kids nap until between the ages of 1 and 2. Some toddlers give their naps up between the ages of 2 and 3. Others go on to nap all the way until kindergarten when they go to school. You wanted to know if it’s normal that your child isn’t taking naps. It really comes down to: How are things looking overall? How much sleep is your child getting at night? Between the ages of 1 and 2, 12-14 hours total out of each 24-hour period is usually what most kids need. So if a child is sleeping from 7pm until 9am, then that may be sufficient and they may not need naps during the day. Sometimes naps can actually mess with nighttime sleep, so they don’t go to bed well, or they wake up during the night, or they wake up too early, and so nap schedules need to be adjusted. If a child is happy during the day, they’re healthy, they’re developing well, the pediatrician doesn’t have any concerns, then whatever you’re doing has been working. As a parent, I can understand if you’d like to get those naps back since your 1-year-old has stopped. There are ways that you can encourage sleep and it’s not bad to try this. The most important thing is to stick to a schedule. Do what you can to put your child down for a nap around the same time each day. This could be a nap in the morning and a nap in the afternoon. But because your child’s already fighting that 1 nap, I would encourage you to stick to 1 in the afternoon, and if nothing else, try to enforce quiet time. Leading up to the nap, pick a routine that’s going to clue your child into the fact that it’s time for sleep. This usually involves shutting the blinds, dimming the lights, getting rid of distractions and noises as much as possible (except sometimes there are noises that you keep on in the background so it drowns out anything that might pop up while your child’s napping), and maybe it involves a rocking session, a book, or something. Then lay your child down in their crib or bed, and if they cry after you put them down, that’s okay. It may take some time to train them to take a nap again and, at the very least, to accept this time as quiet time. Many parents start out trying to get their children to take naps in the beginning and, eventually, the child gives up, accepts it as a norm, and they’re tired, and there’s nothing else to do, so they begin sleeping. But it’s going to take some persistence and consistence on your part for about 1-2 weeks, and the older the child is, the more time it may take. So again, this will involve a routine, sticking to it around the same time each day, putting your child in their crib or bed, and then turning around after you’ve kissed them, and walk out of the room. If they cry, you can let them cry. If an hour has gone by and they’re not going to sleep, then you can go in, check on them, and see how it’s going. If they’re still acting super tired, there might be a few things you can do to console them to encourage them to go back to sleep, but I wouldn’t give up after a day or 2, because this behavior will likely continue. It’s the same whether it’s daytime sleep or nighttime sleep. Babies are actually manipulative and learn quickly that they get what they want most when they cry, which is us. So if we give in every time they cry, and go get them, whether it be a nap or bedtime, then they’re going to continue to cry and it will reinforce these wakings or their lack of going to sleep. If “crying it out” is a little harsh or if you think that a more graduated approach would work better for your baby, put him or her down, and then 15 minutes later, if they’re still crying, go in and gently reassure them that you’re still there by touching them on the head or tummy. But don’t turn on lights, keep talking to a minimum, don’t pick them up, just gently touch their head or tummy, tell them that you love them, and turn around and walk out of the room. You can do this every 15 minutes if you feel like this would be better for your child. Sometimes children respond well to this, other times it makes it worse, because you came in the room, so do what you feel is going to be best. As I said before, if your child doesn’t sleep, then at least this can turn into quiet time where your baby accepts this as time where they just sit in their crib and they have a reduction in stimulation. That’s not a bad thing for them. Then you can get a few things done and go back and get them in 30-40 minutes. Good luck with it.