Nighty Night

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

We have all heard this saying at some point in our life. I am still personally working on the wealthy and wise portion of the saying, but when I get a good rest, I know that I feel a lot more healthy. If adults feel better getting enough sleep, then kids do to right? Lucky for the kids, they get to take naps, actually they are most of the time required to. This allows for them to get the rest they need, and give parents a break as well.

Toddlers still need about 10 hours of sleep a night plus a nap during the day. Research shows that at about 18 months children usually start napping just once a day. Only 25% of toddlers give up naps by the time they are three, and by the age 4, they quit napping.

Usually by 3 months a child has established a biological rhythm and parents can start developing a naptime pattern. (This didn't usually work for my children until they were 6 months old.) Timing meals and playtimes helps ensure that your child will be ready to nap when you want them to.

To help tired toddlers - and growing infants

- get the sleep they need, parents need to make nap time a comforting experience, says University of Cincinnati Pediatrician Caroline Mueller. "Make sure you have a pre-nap routine," Dr. Mueller says. "Lay the baby down calm and sleepy, but awake, from early on so that he can learn to put himself to sleep."

The entire article is found here :http://parenting.families.com/blog/toddlers-and-naptime