How much daytime sleep does your toddler need?

Things to know about toddler daytime naps

Sometimes, you might wonder if your toddler needs to nap more because she is dialling up a lot during the day. You might hear it suggested that she is overtired or overstimulated. You'll notice I don't use the terms overtired and overstimulated, which come out of the sleep training approaches. You can find out about them here. They are not science-based concepts, and in my experience make sleep harder than it needs to be for families.

Here are four things that are useful to know, though.

1. The number of naps a toddler takes each day can vary a lot between toddlers of the same age

2. Some low sleep need toddlers have completely dropped their daytime naps from 12 months of age

3. A high sleep need todddler might take a few hours or more of sleep during the day

4. It's normal for toddlers to take very brief naps, even for just a few minutes (often referred to as catnaps), in the midst of an active day which is rich in sensory motor nourishment

5. Daytime sleep needs can vary in your toddler from one day to the next, because sleep is adaptive.

When will your toddler stop needing daytime naps?

We can't predict when your toddler will stop having daytime naps, because he is a biologically unique little human. The research shows that most 18-month-olds are having one main nap daily. But that doesn't mean much really, because your toddler might be one of those completely normal little ones who dropped daytime naps from around 12 months of age!

But once you know how to work with your toddler's two sleep regulators (the body clock and sleep pressure), you'll be able to to help your little one's sleep sync with your family's needs and lifestyle, as you experiment your way through. You alone can work out what's best for your unique child.

Here are some signs that you may need to reset your toddler's body clock, including by decreasing the amount of time your toddler spends napping during the day.

• Your toddler is waking excessively at night. You can find out about this here.

• Your toddler is going to bed very late in the evenings. You can find out about this here.

• Your toddler is waking too early in the mornings. You can find out about this here.

Selected references

Akacem LD, Simpkin CT, Carskadon MA, Wright KP, Jenni OG, Achermann P, et al. The timing of the circadian clock and sleep differ between napping and non-napping toddlers. Plos One. 2015;10(4):e0125181.

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;16:213-222.

Matricciani LA, Olds TS, Blunden SL, Rigney G, Williams MT. Never enough sleep: a brief history of sleep recommendations for children. Pediatrics. 2012;129:548.

Paavonen JE, Saarenpaa-Heikkila O, Morales-Munoz I, Virta M, Hakala N, Polkki P, et al. Normal sleep development in infants: findings from two large birth cohorts. Sleep Medicine. 2020;69:145-154.

Williams JA, Zimmerman FJ, Bell JF. Norms and trends of sleep time among US children and adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics. 2013;167:55-60.

Thorpe K, Staton S, Sawyer E, Pattinson C, Haden C, Smith S. Napping, development and health from 0 to 5 years: a systematic review. BMJ. 2015;100:615-622.