Parents worry about their children receiving the proper amount of sleep. This usually involves putting their children on a napping schedule. Some children have problems with napping, including an inability to fall asleep and waking up easily. Others have problems during nighttime sleep, including night terrors and bed-wetting. To understand whether your child has a napping problem it is important to understand normal sleep requirements for children.
Necessary Sleep
Children require more sleep than adults, and their sleep needs vary with age. Children under 1 year of age often take two naps a day and many begin to skip their morning nap at 18 months, according to Judith Owens, a pediatric sleep expert writing at the website Baby Center. Toddlers require at least 12 hours of sleep in every 24-hour period. If your child is already reaching this goal with nighttime sleeping, it is possible that your child no longer needs to nap.
Difficulty Falling Asleep
Difficulty falling asleep can be caused by several problems. According to the University of Michigan Health System, the most common cause of children not falling asleep is condition called sleep onset associations. In this condition, children cannot fall asleep without a particular object or action that they associate with sleeping. This includes rocking or sucking a pacifier. Another issue can be separation anxiety in which a child might not be able to sleep if a parent is not in the room.
Easy Waking
Many children wake up during a nap. This can be caused by noise in nearby rooms or disturbance of usual sleep routines. However, it is also possible that your child is waking up from a serious condition like obstructive sleep apnea. Children with obstructive sleep apnea also have trouble sleeping through the night. To diagnose and treat this issue, visit a pediatric sleep laboratory.
Good Sleep Routines
According to Baby Center, you can help your child sleep through their nap by establishing a good sleep routine. Try to always put your child down for a nap in the same spot that she sleeps in at night. Keep your home routine consistent with the routine that any day-care or child-care provider uses when they are caring for your child. You can also determine the best time for napping by observing you child. If he appears sleepy after a particular activity, this would be a good time to schedule his daily nap.
Night Terrors and Enuresis
Night terrors are usually limited to nighttime sleep because they occur 90 minutes into most sleep cycles and involve a child waking up screaming for extended periods. Enuresis, or bed-wetting, usually also occurs only at night. However, these issues can interfere with napping if they signify an underlying sleep disorder or if they cause your child to fear sleeping.
