Do babies have to nap?

Stephanie - posted on 12/29/2010

They say that by that age babies need at least 3 hours of nap (2 naps) a day and 11 hours at night, but as long as the get the full 14 hours they should be good. My daughter usually fights the 2nd nap of the day, but it is hard. What helps me is the swing calms her and puts her to sleep.

Nickie - posted on 12/27/2010

I have found with my baby that if he gets over tired, I can kiss naptime goodbye. You have to lay them down before they get over tired. Also, stay persistent...lay him down at the same time every day. It will not work at first...he will cry, and eventually you will have to soothe him. But after repeating the process he will soon stop resisting. Also, the Graco Love n Hug swing really works. Puts my son right to sleep. I use it on the days he is being difficult.

Deanna - posted on 12/27/2010

Some babies do not nap. I know all of mine have stopped napping no later than 3 and some as early as 11 or 12 mos. I did, however, still need my quiet time for me and to do a few things around the house each day so I made the rule that if you were under 3 yrs old you HAD to go down for a nap or play in their room quietly for an hour.

Lysa - posted on 12/27/2010

My daughter is now 2 years old. I used to and still read her story before taking a nap, but what helped alot was registering her for daycare, by seeing other children sleeping during the day, she now takes naps.

Laura - posted on 12/27/2010

Some babies just don't nap. My daughter is 13 months old, and it seems it is a daily fight to get her to take a nap. Most days I have to rock her to sleep and then she only takes a 20 minute nap. If your infant is teething it is even going to be harder. Try rocking him to sleep. Maybe he is in the stage that he wants to be cuddled by his mom a lot. If that does not work try giving him a warm bath before his naptime. That way he will be calmed and relaxed. This also works for my daughter.

A - posted on 12/26/2010

my kids hate naps and will refuse to nap at all costs. My 5 year old is finally in school so not taking any naps but my 2 year old refuses and will kick, scream, pound on the walls and doors...everything. I finally decided not to give in to his 'demands'. After a few weeks of him screaming and all that he figured out that I was not going to give in and though it's tough (he'd scream for 2-3 hours before falling asleep) but now that he knows I won't cave in it usually only take about 20 minutes of him arguing before he gives up (and sometimes he goes to bed himself for a nap too). My other son (8 weeks) well he has not problem sleeping lol.

Christina - posted on 12/24/2010

I feel for you - my daughter was the same way. Even as a newborn she only slept about 8 or 9 hours a day!! As a seven year old, she is almost always awake in her room until 11 pm, listening to her radio or reading. Some kids just don't need as much sleep. I'm thinking Sharon is right about trying to to get him down earlier. I wish I would have thought about that with my daughter, because I do think she was often overtired. She never showed the usual signs of tiredness, but she did have what we called the "rollies." She would start leaning on and rolling on whatever was near her - furniture, your leg, etc. To this day she STILL does that when she's tired. That was the only sign she gave us. Sadly, at 10 months she was napping in her swing. That was the only thing that made her fall asleep. When she exceeded the weight limit on it, I started putting her to sleep in her crib at a set time every day. Say from noon to 2pm. She could play in it if she wanted - but I wasn't letting her out until 2. If she cried I would go in and tell her "It's rest time now, Mommy is going to rest too". After a few days she realized that was her Rest Time. Sometimes she would talk to herself or play for the whole time and never fall asleep, but at least it was some down time for both of us!

Jolene - posted on 12/23/2010

my daughter has 2-3 20mins naps a day then sleeps from 7pm to 7.30 - 8 am depending. sometimes earlier. sometimes later and some times after having a bottle rolls over and goes back to sleep

Bonnie - posted on 12/22/2010

Hi Gena,
If your 10 month old is calling the shots now oh Lord help you when he gets older. I suggest doing a super Nannie on your little one. Meaning take out all the toys from the crib, Don't give him any sugar, keep things calm about an hour or so before you want him to take a nap. Then when it is nap time put him in the crib, He will cry and cry because he knows you will eventually go and get him. I would not normally recommend letting a child cry. However, under these circumstances I believe it is more beneficial to him to let him cry, tire himself out and eventually go to bed. Even if the first 20 times you try this he just cries or lays there so what, eventually the little one will get the message this is nap/ quiet time and mom is not coming in or picking you up until nap time is over.

Rebekah - posted on 12/22/2010

Yes, they do need a nap! Sleep is so important to healthy development. Check out the book, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child."

Jackie - posted on 12/21/2010

Some children are difficult to get to nap/sleep, however he definitely does need a lot of sleep and should have at least one nap. Here are some ideas that may help you get him into a napping routine:

http://www.theskinnyscoop.com/search/nap...

Heather - posted on 12/21/2010

i think all babies need to nap, but some fall asleep easier. our daughter wasn't the best napper, but some things helped improve that: putting her to sleep before she got too tired. (our daughter went down for her morning nap 2.5 hours after she woke up until she was 17 months old.) we made sure her room was dark. (use cardboard in the windows or pick up some inexpensive darkening curtains at walmart or target.) and we also started using a white noise machines, just for naps, as we live near a noisy street. i think if they get a good morning nap, they go down easier for the next nap. check out the book "healthy sleep habits, happy child" excellent book!

Dora - posted on 12/21/2010

If he is acting cranky and tired try to play some soothing music and rocking him for a bit. See if that will work. Just make sure you are not putting him down for a nap too early after waking up in the morning. I usually allow my son to be awake for 5-6 hours before going down for a nap and he is now 2 1/2yrs old. Also dim the lights. Letting him cry for an hour I don't think will help him fall alseep. If anything it may cause him to become more frustrated especially if he is over tired. Don't get me wrong there are days he just doesn't want a nap that is just once in a while. It usually depends on what is going on around him. Good luck.

Danielle - posted on 12/19/2010

Oh you poor thing! I do think that they need to nap...at least one long nap a day at his age. My son could also be stubborn when it came to naps and something that helped him was having a fan running in the room. It muffled out the noise in the rest of the house. I figured my son really hated feeling like going to sleep meant he was missing out while he was asleep. Maybe that's the case with your son. Letting him cry for an hour is probably agonizing for you...have you thought about going out and leaving him with your husband while he cries? He will eventually give in and go to sleep.

Stifler's - posted on 12/19/2010

at ten months it's more likely he is teething and being cranky but won't sleep due to being in pain. or he's overtired and then won't nap. i'd try looking for tired signs and changing the nappy and putting him down before he gets cranky then refuses to nap.

Melissa - posted on 12/18/2010

He should still be getting at least 14 hours a day but its fine if a little less...however if he is acting tired and cranky he is deff. over stimulated and sounds like he is getting a second wind! try to put him down 1-1.5 hours after he wakes in the morning or as soon as you see the first sign of being tired..ie the first whine or rubbing of the eyes.you might also want to try some kind of sleep training tech.... there are many ways out there and the ladies below have some great advice! Good luck! I am sure once he starts getting more sleep he will be a very happy baby!

Sharon our baby is the exact same way if that morning nap is off that forget it we are in for a very long day!

Sarh - posted on 12/18/2010

Is he over stimulated or too much going on for a nap? Have you tried turning EVERYTHING off and rocking him? Sometimes I have to take my son into my room with nothing on and just lay there with him and I sort of rock him on his side or he loves his butt being patted. When he is in his crib just playing why do you take him out? I'd leave him and he may fall asleep on his own if he is not crying and just playing. My son is 6 months old and I don't take him out of his crib until he starts to fuss, unless I feel he has been in there too long.

Sharon - posted on 12/18/2010

My little guy went through that same stage at around 10mths, and he also decided he'd only sleep with us at nights too around that age. If I was lucky I'd get him down for a 15-20min nap. I started trying to get him to go down about every 2-2.5hrs, and after about a month it seemed to start working, although I had to lay down with him in our bed at first. He's now 13.5mths and back to having 2naps a day, between 1.5 & 2.5hrs each, and also sleeping 11-12hrs a night.
He has a morning sleep, usually about 1hr after he wakes up, if he misses this sleep, or it's less than an hour then I can kiss goodbye any sleeps for the rest of the day cuz he'll stay overtired. For him that first sleep is crucial, and a lunchtime one which yesterday went over 3hrs, but anytime after 1pm a nap isn't going to happen for him.

Maysa - posted on 12/18/2010

The recliner is a great tip- works wonders with me too. Sleep is necessary for the baby (and we need the break too!). if that doesnt work, i usually take him out in the stroller for a walk. 10 minutes and he falls asleep.

Brianna - posted on 12/18/2010

he should at least be having 1 nap during the day. check out this website sleepsense.net they have little videos that teach you anything you need to know about sleep and they also have a free thing that you enter in the age of your child ect and it tells you how much sleep someone his ages needs to be getting ect..

Karen - posted on 12/18/2010

My daughter used to boycott naps. She is 10 months old now.
When she was almost 8 months old we got this really nice Lazy Boy recliner. The first time I sat down in it with her and started to rock, she was out like a light within 10 minutes. I thought it was a fluke, since I had been dealing with a napless baby for months. It turns out that recliner is the key to our happiness lol! She can't resist the sleepies when shes sandwiched between me and the arm rest of the Lazy Boy.