For a newborn, their sleep time is always longer and he sleeps when he is tired. It's really that simple. You hardly wake a newborn up when he is sleeping soundly and conversely, you can do little to force him to sleep when he doesn't want to sleep. However, when a baby grow older, he sleeps lesser and parents play an important role to let the child take a daily nap.

Studies show that young child who take daily nap are more flexible and adaptable. They are less fussy and have longer attention spans compare to children who don't nap. Therefore, napping is an important component of a child's healthy mental and physical growth. A daily nap also important in the way that to maintain his energy, focus and ability to learn for the rest of the day.

So, how much naptime does your child need? For a baby less than 2 years old, he need 1-2 naps per day and total length of his naptime is 2-3 hours. For a 2-3 years old baby, they only need 1 napping time per day and the napping time only between 1-2.5hrs. And for the child who is above 3 years old, they only need to take a nap about 1 hour per day. The purpose for a nap is to let our child have adequate rest and to fuel the rest of the day.

While schedule the nap time for the baby, it is always good to take note of the following.

• Before your baby's nap let him have some food or a snack and it is advisable to let him eat about half an hour before nap.
• Place him in an dark environment even though it is sunny day outside.
• Play some soothing music for your baby during his entire nap.
• Change your baby's attire and make sure he is sleeping in comfortable situation.
• Check the temperature and your child shouldn't get too cold or too hot.
• If your child sleep longer than his should has, try to check and see if he is not feeling well or discomfort from teething or other health related issues. On the other hands, he might also cannot fall asleep due to the discomfort.

Does your child give you signal if he needs a nap? Yes, you can always know if your toddler needs a daily nap. Watch carefully and they always give you signs.

• Your child get whiny and cranky as the day progresses even though he is in good mood when wakes up.
• He is easily to get frustrate and cries more often in the afternoon and evening.
• No patience in the afternoon compare to early in the day.
• Falls asleep while watching television or when you do some reading with him.
• Later in the day your child rubbing eyes, looking glazed or yawning.
• Your child feels like no interest in playtime
• He is losing patience with his playmates, activities or toys and even having tantrums.
• Your baby is lying down or slumping in his seat
• He is asking for bottle or pacifier like he wants to sleep at the night time.

It is good to have a nap schedule and let your baby follow a simple but specific nap routine. Let your child adapt to the schedule and he will be most comfortable when there is a predictable pattern to his day.

Of course if the day you have other activity like outing for shopping or picnic, the nap time could be skipped and it is always flexible to the child.

Remember, for your child to have a healthy mental and physical growth, daily nap is important. Let your child take nap and start doing from day one of his life.