For parents of young children, naps raise lots of questions. Will naps interfere with my child's nighttime sleep? How long should my child nap for? When should we consider dropping the daytime nap, and what will the likely effects be?
New parents tend to lose count of the number of naps a baby takes in a day, with the baby cycling between waking and sleep time throughout the day. This adds to the unpredictable nature of the early months of parenthood and the difficulty making the simplest of plans! As babies progress through the first few months of life, naps become more predictable and it becomes possible to establish a routine (whew!). Like many aspects of parenthood, parents tend to worry about getting it right in terms of sleep. Dr. Alison Bentley provides useful guidelines on what to expect, and the role of naps in early childhood. This clip is useful for professionals working with parents too. If you'd like to equip yourself more fully with an understanding of sleep difficulties in toddlers and babies, watch Dr. Bentley's full CEU-accredited talk here.
-Leanne