Napping is a pretty standard part of childcare for pre-schoolers. However, experts believe that long naps can cause night sleeping problems for kids. How long is too long?
The sleep study was published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Researchers found that older pre-schoolers who have long mandatory naps can cause disrupted night sleep and other health problems. If children had more than 60 minutes of nap time they slept less at nighttime. If they had less than 60 minutes there were fewer night sleep issues.
The bottom line is that child care providers need to be flexible with children regarding nap time. “Insufficient night-time sleep in young children significantly increases the risk of poor health and developmental outcomes, most notably behavioral problems.”
How long does your pre-schooler nap? Do you limit naps in order to have better night time sleep for your child?
Our natural sleep cycle is *nothing* like what we do now.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jessa_gamble_how_to_sleep
This study doesn’t mention any other health or behavioral problems associated with napping. THAT is the study that needs to be done. Maybe napping during the day, and sleeping less at night, is healthier? Actually – that study *has* been done. Many times over.
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