Of all of the fun milestones that could happen between baby’s seventh and twelfth month, changes to their napping schedule probably aren’t going to make anyone’s top ten. That doesn’t mean those changes aren’t happening, though!
Changing napping times
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, babies ages 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health. In addition, at around 4 months, the ratio of nighttime sleep to daytime sleep increases dramatically, meaning children get far more of their sleep at night than they previously did.
This increased length of nighttime sleep, which often reaches around 11 to 12 hours, may lead to dropping a nap some time between 7 and 12 months. Children who are still taking 3 naps a day may drop down to 2 naps a day.
Children 1 to 2 years of age should regularly sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, including naps. After 18 months, some children transitions to one nap per day. When this happens, it will probably work best for a child to nap in the early- to mid-afternoon.
Changing napping attitude
When and how often they nap aren’t the only way baby’s napping patterns may change during this time, though. Their feelings about napping could also change, and your approach to naps might have to change as well.
One of the big changes on the horizon as baby gets older is their growing attention span. This is a great sign of brain development, but also means that it can be helpful to start to give them a little bit of warning before it’s time for them transition to their nap time. Baby may not know how to tell time just yet, but are getting to the point where they may be able to start to figure out words like ‘almost’ – as in, “it’s almost naptime, Baby, do you want to throw the ball one more time before we head inside?”
One of the other big changes in baby’s personality that could have an effect on their attitude about napping is the fact that they might be starting to go through separation anxiety. Babies often start to show signs of separation anxiety around 7 to 8 months old, and it often peaks between 9 and 12 months old. Even if they nap perfectly well on days when they are in daycare, or with another care provider, on days when you’re around, they may be hesitant to let you go, even just to go to sleep.
There are a few different ways you can handle this, from deciding to spend some quiet time with baby while they nap to introducing new sleep cues for a comforting napping routine. You can also try to compromise with baby’s fears a bit by letting them nap somewhere different than usual, within sight of you, in an area where you’d rather spend your time. It may take some trial and error to work out the best way to make sure baby gets their daytime rest during separation anxiety, but it’s a phase that will pass, and you can help it pass by reassuring baby that whenever you leave them, you will come back.
Sources
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Perri Klass. “A Child’s Nap Is More Complicated Than It Looks.” New York Times. The New York Times, September 12, 2011. Web.
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Mayo Clinic Staff. “Baby naps: Daytime sleep tips.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, July 9 2015. Web.
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M. Weissbluth. “Naps in children: 6 months-7 years.” Sleep. 18(2): 82-7. Web. February 1995.
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“Infant Sleep.” Stanford Children’s. Stanford Medicine, 2016. Web.
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“National Sleep Foundation Recommends New Sleep Times.” Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, February 2 2015. Web.
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“Sleep and your 8- to 12-Month Old.” Kids Health. Nemours Foundation, 1995-2016. Web.
