Midday Rest Is Important At Least Up To The Age Of 3
The midday rest, the afternoon nap, the siesta – there are many names for it. But one always refers to the time of rest after lunch, which helps to recharge the energies used up in the morning.
Usually the midday rest is not too long. But it enables those who use this time to sleep or at least to rest to go back to their daily chores with renewed energy.
Such a midday rest is especially important for small children. You should therefore try to get your little one to nap too.
Specialists point out that a midday rest is beneficial at any age. But at least up to the age of 3 they consider such a siesta to be extremely necessary.
Taking a nap: a healthy habit
In many regions, the midday rest is almost a tradition. Nevertheless, there are of course always families in which the children are allowed to play at lunchtime when they should actually be sleeping.
But by letting your child take a nap every lunchtime, you are giving them the opportunity to be completely at ease. Because it can play and learn full of energy and just behave like the child it is: curious, alert, lively …
In children under 3 years of age who do not have a midday rest, they may feel very exhausted towards the evening. And that then at that time they are sleepy. In addition, they then easily become restless, uncomfortable and irritable.
It is therefore recommended that toddlers in particular take at least one and a half hours of lunch break every day. Regardless of whether you are at home, in a daycare center or on vacation.
It is good to know that children in particular – and especially those under 3 years of age – particularly need their afternoon rest.
Because at this age, napping not only helps the body to recharge the energy it has consumed. It also improves brain activity. And it also promotes the ability to learn.
Pediatricians recommend that the midday rest should also be observed during vacation times. Because this way the little ones are awake for the rest of the day, in a good mood and able to enjoy the holidays to the fullest.
Tips for the afternoon rest
So that the good habit of taking a little siesta is useful, mothers and fathers should keep the following tips in mind:
Midday rest: not too short and not too long
If you wake your little one too early from their afternoon nap, they will be irritable. But if you let them sleep longer than necessary, they run the risk of staying up late into the night.
In any case, you should make sure that your child has the same length of midday rest every day.
The afternoon nap should be different from the night’s rest
If the child is sleeping in their cradle at night, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find another place to rest for lunch. So it could be the hammock in the shade of the trees in summer.
Another tip: If you sing or read something to your little one in the evening before bed, you shouldn’t do that before their nap in the siesta.
So it is important to define different rituals. Because this way your child can recognize that in one case it is only a rather short rest period, in the other it is a long night’s rest.
Stick to the set times
If you usually take your child to nap at 12:30 p.m., you should keep this habit even when you are out and about.
The body and the brain adapt to the established habits. Therefore, it will be easier for your little one to fall asleep at the usual time than at a different time.
This is especially true if your child is one of those people who always protests when it comes to going to bed. It doesn’t matter whether in the evening or during the day.
Don’t put your child down as soon as they get up from the table
Although the nap should take place after lunch, it is better to wait a few more minutes.
Because this way you can prevent the first digestive gases from disturbing the little one’s sleep. This can make the little child restless rather than calm down.
Establish habits and follow them
The midday rest as well as the night sleep should ideally follow certain habits. And these should always be observed, or at least as often as possible.
It helps, for example, that you always lay the child on the same side of the bed, give him his sleeping doll, tilt the window as usual … This familiar process ensures that your little one falls asleep more easily.
Make sure that the midday rest is restful
The environment in which your child pauses for lunch should be calm. In addition, there should be an appropriate temperature in the room.
Avoid speaking loudly while your little one is napping.
It is also recommended to switch off the television. And anyway, the midday rest should simply take place in a pleasant atmosphere that allows your little one to enjoy their restful sleep undisturbed.
