Even a one hour shortage in overall sleep hours can have a negative effect on a child, by compromising alertness and brain function, and increasing fussiness and fatigue.  Naps can also help make up for any shortage in night-time sleep.

Naps are magic for children

From the moment a child wakes in the morning he is slowly using up the benefits of the previous night's sleep. He wakes up totally refreshed, but as the hours pass, little by little, the benefits of his sleep time are used up, and an urge to return to sleep begins to build. When we catch a child at in-between stages and provide naps, we build up his reservoir of sleep-related benefits, allowing him a 'fresh start' after each sleep period.

It's a long, long day

A newborn can only be awake one or two hours before tiredness sets in. As children age, the length of time that they can stay happily awake increases; a one year old can last three to four hours, a two year old can last five to seven hours before craving some down time for a nap. When children are pushed beyond their biological awake time span without a break that's when they become fatigued, fussy and unhappy. As the day progresses, a child becomes fussier, whinier, and less flexible. He has more crying spells, more tantrums, and less patience. He loses concentration and the ability to learn and retain new information. A nap is just what is needed to allow a child to refresh and regroup.

How much naptime should a child have?

The chart is an important guide to a child's sleep hours. All children are different, and a few truly do need less (or more) sleep than shown here, but the vast majority of children have sleep needs that fall within the range shown on this chart.

Why tired kids won't nap

There are many reasons why children won't nod off in the day. Once you figure out the cause of a child's 'non-nappingness' you can put together a plan to overcome his or her resistance. Here are a few typical reasons kids won't nap and suggestions to solve each problem. You might like to pass these on:

Problem: Has outgrown the current nap schedule

Solutions: Think about any changes in the child's life, growth or development. Has he learned to crawl, begun to eat solid food or started daycare? Any change can also affect sleep patterns. Watch your child for signs of tiredness between naps and adjust your schedule to meet his new needs.

Problem: Nap schedule doesn't match the child's biological clock

Solutions: Naptime, bedtime, mealtime, exposure to light and darkness, and activity all can affect a child's biological clock. Look at the child's schedule to be sure these things occur at reasonable times every day. The improper order of things (such as active, brightly lit playtime just before bed) can affect a child's rhythm.

Problem: Nap schedule isn't consistent

Solutions: If on weekdays nap times, bedtime and wakeup time are specific, but on weekends they're hit and miss, then the child will be functioning with a constant bout of jetlag. Other inconsistencies can also affect this, such as when a child naps at a certain time at daycare, but a different time at home, or if he takes a nice long nap on days at home but takes a short one in the car (or skips a nap entirely) when you are on the go. Set up a possible nap schedule for the child and do your best to stay within a half hour of the nap times that you have set up. Advise parents on his nursery naps times so they can try and maintain a similar time at weekends.

Problem: Overtired and overwired by nap time

Solutions: If you miss a child's signs of fatigue he can quickly move past his tired spell, past overtired, and into a second wind - that state of artificial energy which often brings with it more crying, fussing, whining and tantrums. When you miss a child's tired signs it also means he won't be able to fall asleep when you he does finally go to bed.

To learn a child's sleepy signs it can help to watch him first thing when he is well-rested. Compare this to his behaviour during the time from lunch to naptime, when most children show signs of fatigue. Aim to put a child for a nap as soon as he shows signs of fatigue. A tired child will fall asleep easily and sleep longer and better.

Elizabeth Pantley has redefined stress-free parenting.  She is the president of Better Beginnings, a parent-education company, and the author of eight books for parents that are now available in eighteen languages worldwide. Visit her website at www.pantley.com/elizabeth. Her latest book, The No-Cry Nap Solution - Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems (McGraw-Hill, £9.99) is published in March.

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