Why do some toddlers nap like champs while others refuse entirely? In Part 1 of our Napping Spectacular, Craig and Arielle unpack what the science says about total sleep needs, how nap patterns change across infancy and early childhood, and the very real “art” of troubleshooting naps at home. We cover when to drop naps, how brain development (especially the hippocampus) affects nap transitions, what to do about short naps, and how to keep daytime sleep from stealing restorative overnight sleep. We also talk through safe approaches to contact naps and why it’s normal for newborns to have unpredictable naps and periods of crying.

Key takeaways

• Think in 24 hours: aim to balance daytime sleep with restorative overnight sleep.





• AASM consensus ranges: infants 4–12 mo (12–16 h), toddlers 1–2 y (11–14 h), preschoolers 3–5 y (10–13 h), school-age 6–12 y (9–12 h), teens 13–18 y (8–10 h).





• Nap transitions are tied to brain maturity; as memory systems develop, many preschoolers naturally nap less.





• Typical goals for many infants: at least two naps of ~1 hour each and ~10 hours overnight (individual needs vary).





• Independent sleep skills are the linchpin for extending naps beyond a single 30–45 minute sleep cycle.





• Watch sleepy cues, but remember boredom can masquerade as tiredness in older infants.





• Contact napping can be soothing, but it’s risky if the caregiver is truly exhausted—prioritize safe sleep.





• Newborn naps are erratic; you can practice gentle routines, but you can’t “schedule” a newborn.





• Consistency across naps and nights helps babies learn faster than a mix-and-match approach.

Links

• CIO episode of the Sleep Edit





• Dr. Canapari’s article on Le Pause Sleep training





• Period of purple crying





• Dr. Canapari's article on napping





• Dr. Canapari's article on sleep needs in children





• Arielle's website

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro and disclaimer





• 01:10 Why naps feel harder than nights; personal stories





• 03:00 What parents often misunderstand about naps





• 04:00 How much sleep kids need (AASM consensus)





• 06:00 Why naps matter for mood and learning





• 06:40 Brain development and nap transitions (hippocampus)





• 07:00 Average nap duration by age; variability is normal





• 09:10 How many naps per day; typical progression through early childhood





• 12:00 Galland review; why transitions are tricky in real life





• 14:00 The “art” of troubleshooting naps





• 15:00 Naps vs. nights: balance the 24-hour total





• 18:00 Targets for infants; prioritizing overnight sleep





• 22:00 High vs. low sleep-need babies





• 23:00 Nap routines vs. bedtime routines; wind-down for toddlers





• 25:00 How to get longer naps: schedule fit and independent sleep





• 27:00 Evidence-based infant sleep tips (INSIGHT and SAAF principles)





• 29:00 Reading sleep cues without getting trapped by rigid schedules





• 30:30 Overtiredness vs. boredom; case example





• 34:00 Can you sleep-train for naps but not nights? Why consistency wins





• 36:00 Typical nap times by age; capping late naps





• 39:00 Newborn nap reality check





• 40:00 Contact napping and safety





• 42:00 Period of PURPLE Crying and parental stress





• 45:30 Wrap-up and preview of Part 2

References

1. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D’Ambrosio C, et al. Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the recommended amount of sleep for healthy children: methodology and discussion. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016;12(11):1549-1561.





2. Spencer RMC, Riggins T. Contributions of memory and brain development to the bioregulation of naps and nap transitions in early childhood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2022;119(11):e2114326119.





3. Staton S, et al. Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2020;50:10 1247.





4. Galland BC, Taylor BJ, Elder DE, Herbison P. Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: A systematic review of observational studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2012;16(3):213-222.





5. Horváth K. Spotlight on daytime napping during early childhood. Frontiers in Psychology. 2018;9:12 38.





6. Wolke D, Bilgin A, Samara M. Fussing and crying durations and prevalence of colic in infants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2017;185:55-61.e4.





7. Lavner JA, Hohman EE, Beach SRH, Stansfield BK, Savage JS. Effects of a responsive parenting intervention among Black families on infant sleep: Secondary analysis of the Sleep SAAF randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(3):e236276.





8. Paul IM, Savage JS, Anzman-Frasca S, Marini ME, Mindell JA, Birch LL. INSIGHT Responsive Parenting Intervention and infant sleep. Pediatrics. 2016;138(1):e20160762.

Contact

Listener questions: sleepeditpod@gmail.com