When should children stop napping?
Typically infants can sleep multiple times during the day, but by about 12 months most infants have consolidated most of their sleep into the night time with a morning and afternoon nap.
Any kind of feeding during the nighttime after 6 months of age is problematic. We always recommend eliminating nighttime feeding after 6 months of age.
The morning nap usually goes away between 18 and 24 months, and napping in general typically goes away between 3 and 6 years of age. It depends a little on the child and their “nappetite” – some people have a high appetite for daytime sleep, which is okay.
Daniel S. Lewin, PhD, DABSM is a pediatric psychologist, sleep specialist, and licensed clinical psychologist. He is Board Certified in Sleep Medicine and Behavioral Sleep Medicine and is the Associate Director of the Pediatric Sleep Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Behavioral Medicine Program at Children’s National and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine.
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Posts from Daniel S. Lewin, PhD, DABSM
Getting your student’s sleep schedule back on track for the school year
Help! My toddler refuses to sleep but she clearly needs a nap
Will lack of sleep affect growth because of nighttime growth hormone deficiencies?
What is a normal sleep schedule for a baby?
When should children stop napping?
How can I speed up the process of getting my child to go to bed at night?
With the lockdown, my teen is sleeping all day, should I be concerned?
Getting your student’s sleep schedule back on track for the school year
Help! My toddler refuses to sleep but she clearly needs a nap
Will lack of sleep affect growth because of nighttime growth hormone deficiencies?
What is a normal sleep schedule for a baby?
When should children stop napping?
How can I speed up the process of getting my child to go to bed at night?
With the lockdown, my teen is sleeping all day, should I be concerned?
COVID-19 and healthy sleep habits
How to adjust your child’s sleep schedule for daylight saving time