Does my child have to nap at kindergarten? Sleep and rest time

Your child doesn’t have to nap at kindergarten, but a rest after lunch is part of the daily routine at every kindergarten. Younger children usually fall asleep. Many four- to six-year-olds no longer sleep during the day, and after lying quietly for a while they move on to quiet play. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a child aged 3 to 5 needs 10 to 13 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including daytime sleep. Whether your child still needs a nap will show in their mood and energy late in the afternoon and in the evening.

Nap time at kindergarten worries parents from both sides. Perhaps you are afraid that your child, who sleeps for two hours at home, won’t fall asleep at kindergarten and will be tired. Or you have the opposite problem. Your child sleeps at kindergarten and is still bouncing on the bed at ten at night. In this article we explain how much sleep children need and the difference between resting and sleeping. You will also find advice for the most common situations and a step-by-step way to prepare your child for rest time at kindergarten.

How much sleep does a child need?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published recommendations that have also been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The figures are for total sleep in 24 hours, so night-time sleep and daytime sleep together.

If a two-year-old sleeps for 11 hours at night, a shorter nap is enough during the day. If a four-year-old sleeps for 11 and a half hours at night, they may no longer need a nap. The ranges are wide because every child is different.

Why children stop napping

As children get older, the time they can stay awake without getting tired changes. A two-year-old gets tired after five or six hours of play and falls asleep easily. A four-year-old can stay awake longer, and a nap can push back their bedtime. Children don’t drop the nap from one day to the next. The change usually takes weeks or months, during which your child naps on some days and not on others.

According to the Sleep Foundation, most children drop the daytime nap completely by around the age of five. But the age varies a lot between children. Some nap until they are six, others stop before their third birthday.

Rest and sleep: what is the difference?

At kindergarten, the time after lunch is called rest time. Children can sleep during it, but they don’t have to. They lie down, the lights and noise are turned down, and the teacher reads a story or plays quiet music. Whoever falls asleep, sleeps. Whoever doesn’t, rests and after a while moves on to a calm activity.

• Rest gives the body and mind a break after a busy morning. Your child doesn’t need to sleep to recharge.
• Sleep is needed by children who, without it, cry in the afternoon, are irritable or fall asleep over their afternoon snack.

Even an older child who no longer naps benefits from a quiet half hour after lunch. A morning in a group is demanding for a small child. They experience noise, lots of stimulation, movement and new rules. Quiet after lunch helps them get through the afternoon without meltdowns.

How to tell whether your child still needs a nap

Your child doesn’t nap at kindergarten but naps at home

This is common, especially in the first weeks. In an unfamiliar room, with other children and without the usual ritual, it is hard for a child to fall asleep. Some children need weeks before they relax enough at kindergarten to fall asleep. What helps:

• giving your child a small soft toy or the muslin they fall asleep with at home, if the kindergarten allows it,
• telling the teacher how your child falls asleep at home, for example whether they like their back stroked or listening to a song,
• keeping a similar time for lunch and rest at home, at weekends too,
• not pushing, and not telling your child over and over that they “have to sleep at kindergarten”.

If your child doesn’t nap at kindergarten and is tired in the afternoon, give them an earlier bedtime. Try not to encourage a late afternoon nap, for example in the car at five, because it pushes back bedtime.

Your child naps at kindergarten but won’t sleep at night

The opposite situation happens with older children. Two hours of sleep after lunch is enough to keep them lively until ten at night. What you can do:

1. Watch for a week. Write down when your child falls asleep, when they wake up and how they feel. One evening tells you nothing.
2. Talk to the teacher. Ask how long your child sleeps at kindergarten and whether they could get up earlier and move on to quiet play.
3. Add more movement in the afternoon. After kindergarten, go outside, to the playground or for a walk. Movement and daylight help with falling asleep in the evening.
4. Adjust the evening. Keep the ritual the same, but don’t expect your child to fall asleep at seven if they napped after lunch.

When you talk to the teacher, bear in mind that she can’t always adapt to every child individually in a class. But together you will almost always find a solution, such as a shorter nap or lying down a little later.

Sleep during settling-in

The first weeks at kindergarten are a sensitive time for sleep. Your child is tired from all the new experiences and tense at the same time, so their sleep at home and at kindergarten may get worse for a while. Some children wake more often at night, others need a parent nearby to fall asleep even though they used to fall asleep alone. This is usually a passing phase.

In the first days, children often leave kindergarten before rest time. When your child starts staying for rest time too, tell them in advance: “Today you’ll lie down at kindergarten after lunch, your teacher will read a story, and then I’ll come and get you.” When your child knows what is going to happen, it is easier for them to relax. There is more about this period on our Settling-in page.

An evening routine that helps at kindergarten too

A good night’s sleep is the basis of a calm day at kindergarten. Children who sleep enough at night cope better in the morning and find it easier to rest after lunch. A simple routine, the same every day, helps:

1. dinner at least an hour before bed,
2. screens off at least an hour before bed,
3. bath or wash, teeth, pyjamas,
4. one or two books, or a chat about the day,
5. lights out at the same time, at weekends too, give or take an hour.

If your child gets up at seven to be in time for kindergarten and needs 11 hours of sleep, they should be asleep by around eight in the evening. If they go to bed at ten, they are short of sleep in the morning, and at kindergarten it shows in their mood and their appetite.

Waking up without stress

Sleep and mornings are connected. A child you have to wake, drag out of bed and dress while half asleep arrives at kindergarten tense. That tension can carry over into rest time after lunch. What helps:

• waking your child at least 30 to 45 minutes before you leave, so they have time to get going,
• turning on the light or opening the curtains, because daylight helps the body wake up,
• getting clothes and the bag ready in the evening, not in the morning,
• the same morning routine every day: toilet, wash, get dressed, breakfast, out of the door.

If your child finds it very hard to wake up every morning even after ten or eleven hours of sleep, move bedtime 15 minutes earlier and see whether mornings improve.

Weekends, public holidays and school holidays

At weekends children often sleep longer and nap at home in their own bed without any trouble. On Monday they then struggle to get up and are tired at kindergarten. Sleep experts recommend keeping similar bedtimes and wake-up times at weekends too, give or take about an hour. If your child only goes to kindergarten on some days of the week, try to keep the after-lunch rest at home at roughly the same time as at kindergarten. After longer holidays, start adjusting bedtime a few days before going back to kindergarten, not on Sunday evening.

The first days of rest time at kindergarten, step by step

1. At home. A few days in advance, play kindergarten rest time with your child. The soft toys lie down and you read a story.
2. At kindergarten. On the visit or the first day, show your child where the children will rest.
3. The first rest time. In the morning, tell your child what will happen after lunch, and arrive exactly when you promised.
4. After pick-up. Ask which story they listened to. Don’t judge whether they slept.
5. After a week. Ask the teacher how your child is managing rest time and adjust the plan accordingly.

What to tell your child about rest time at kindergarten

The last sentence in the right-hand column is a common mistake. Your child is then afraid to fall asleep in case they miss you, or feels tricked when they wake up.

What to pack for rest time

• pyjamas or comfortable clothes for rest time, if the kindergarten asks for them,
• a small soft toy or muslin for falling asleep, if the kindergarten allows it,
• spare clothes and underwear in case of accidents,
• nappies for children who still need them.

You will find a detailed list in our article What to pack for kindergarten.

Myths about sleep at kindergarten

• “If my child doesn’t nap at kindergarten, they will fall asleep earlier at night.” Sometimes. But an overtired child often finds it harder to fall asleep, cries and wakes at night.
• “A child who doesn’t nap isn’t getting enough sleep.” What counts is sleep over the whole 24 hours. If your child sleeps enough at night and is fine during the day, they don’t need a nap.
• “A long daytime sleep means my child is ill.” Usually not. Longer sleep often follows a demanding day, settling-in or a growth spurt. If it comes with a temperature, paleness or listlessness, keep an eye on their health.
• “Kindergartens make children sleep.” Good kindergartens don’t force children to sleep. They offer a calm rest, and a quiet activity for children who don’t fall asleep.

Sleep, illness and grumpiness after kindergarten

A tired child is more prone to angry outbursts and crying after pick-up. If your child is irritable after kindergarten, the first thing to look at is sleep. Our article Why is my child grumpy after kindergarten? may also help.

When your child is ill, they need more sleep and calm. A sick child belongs at home, where they can sleep whenever they need to. Why children are often ill after starting kindergarten is explained in our article Child always sick after starting kindergarten.

When to talk to a doctor

• your child snores regularly, chokes in their sleep or has long pauses in breathing,
• they are tired even after a long night’s sleep and find it hard to wake up in the morning,
• they repeatedly wake at night screaming and can’t be calmed,
• their sleep has got much worse and hasn’t improved even after several weeks,
• tiredness is affecting their behaviour, eating or development.

Your paediatrician will assess whether there is a health problem, such as enlarged adenoids, and refer you to a specialist if needed.

How we do it at Sovička

After lunch at Sovička, your child has rest time from 12:30 to 14:30. They lie down and listen to a story and music. If they fall asleep, we let them sleep. If they don’t, that’s fine. After a little rest they play quietly, and nobody makes them sleep. Their towel and bed linen are ready for them here.

There are 7 to 15 children in a class, so your child rests in a calmer setting than in a large group. Part of every morning is spent outdoors, which makes it easier to rest after lunch. If your child falls asleep at home with a soft toy or likes their back stroked, tell the teacher. You can see the whole daily routine on our Daily routine page.

If you would like to see where your child will rest and talk about their habits, book a visit at a quiet time, when the kindergarten isn’t busy.