Should I schedule my child's naps?

Should I schedule my child's naps?

Gary Feldman (Medical Director, Stramski Disorders Center, Miller Children's Hospital ) gives expert video advice on: Should I ever wake my child from a nap?; What do I do if my child resists napping?; Should I stop my child from napping to help him sleep more at night? and more...

You know, the length of time that a child should nap each day is variable and personally I think you should take the cues from the child. As long as you are ensuring the child is getting the correct amount of sleep in 24 hours you can really adapt to the child. I don't believe there are any fixed rules. If the child needs to nap 3 or 4 times a day and the naps are 30 minutes each and it works for you and works for the child, that's fine. If the child needs a long nap, 3 hours a day, even four hours or whatever, it will technically difficult since they will have to wake up to eat so that's more theoretical. But the point is you've got to customize according to the child and according to what works for the family. The key is to remain non-chaotic and if you can organize your life in the home and the child's life accordingly it results in a good quality of life not only for the child but for the care-givers as well.