Your Preschooler This Month

Tuesday, October 31, 2023
51 Months Edit Child's Info Growing Up: The Preschool Years
Nap & Quiet Time Strategies The biggest challenge parents face when it comes to preschoolers and naps is that there is a huge variation in the daytime sleep needs of children in this age group. On average, children between 3 and 5 years of age need 11 to 13 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period. Although at least half of all 3-year-olds take one nap a day, nearly all 5-year-olds have ditched their daytime sleep habit. So just how is a parent to know whether their preschooler still needs a nap? First, a well-rested child will wake up fairly easily in the morning and appear alert until the evening. In contrast, a child who needs a daytime nap is likely to have a behavior meltdown in the late afternoon unless they've gotten some sleep. If your child no longer needs a nap then read no further. However, if you feel your child still benefits from a daytime snooze, here are some tips that may help. Time it right. In general, the best time for a preschooler to nap is after lunch (around noon or early afternoon), but early-morning risers may need a late morning nap, while night owls may prefer sleeping in the mid-afternoon. Of course, your child probably will not have this type of flexibility if he attends school or daycare, but you can make sure his bed is available during his ideal nap time on days that he is at home. Naps typically last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the child and how much they sleep at night. Offer a consistent routine, but remember that inconsistency is OK. Whereas younger children are more predictable in their daytime sleeping, preschoolers may sleep better when they're at home on weekends vs. when they are surrounded by the excitement of their daycare center or school. Other children can only sleep in a car during the daytime. Still others will rest if their peers (or parents) are also napping nearby. Be sure to allow time every day for your child to relax somewhere, but keep in mind that having some variation in your child's day-to-day nap routine is fine as long as he's getting enough total rest every day and over the course of each week. Quiet time is the next best thing to naps. If your child resists napping during the day but you know he still needs some rest, give him some down time by dimming the lights and having him lie quietly for at least half an hour. If he's especially tired, he will eventually fall asleep. Kids in school/daycare who no longer take naps can sit and look at a book or play softly with a toy as long as they do not disturb their resting classmates. Next Month: Nightmares and Night Terrors About Dr. Jennifer Shu Parenting Tips •  5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Better •  Speech & Language Development: What's Normal •  Playground Safety: What Parents Should Know •  How to Keep Your Kid Safe in the Car Connect •  WebMD Parenting Community •  Children's Health Center •  Parenting: 4 & 5-Year-Olds Community •  Raising Fit Kids Home  |  Conditions A to Z  |  Community  |   Parenting Don't miss an issue of this newsletter. Add WebMD to your email's safe sender list -- get instructions here. You are subscribed as asaislam93.parent@blogger.com. To unsubscribe from this email, or manage your individual email/newsletter preferences, click here. Please note that you may be asked to sign in to your account. To unsubscribe from all emails from WebMD, click here. WebMD Privacy Policy WebMD Office of Privacy 1201 Peachtree Street, NE 400 Colony Square, Suite 2100, Atlanta, GA 30361 © 2023 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.