As a parent, it can be tough to keep up with your toddler's developmental Indy 500, let alone figure out his evolving nap habits. One day your child is sleeping like, well, a baby through both a morning and afternoon siesta. The next, his eyes refuse to close at the expected time. We have the information you need to help your child get the rest he needs. Nancy Kalish writes often about child development issues.
Some toddlers function fine with a short nap or none at all, while others fall apart without one.
And just when you think you have your child's nap schedule down, it's likely to change. Luckily, there are a few guiding ground rules. Then, between the ages of 3 and 4, they often stop napping altogether because they're able to get all the sleep they need at night. Most toddlers top off at about 12 hours total, and this usually goes down to around 11 hours between the ages of 3 and 5. If your toddler is already getting 12 hours of sleep at night, you can't really expect her to take long naps too.