How long should your child nap for during the day? This is a question I am frequently asked and the following is a good rule of thumb;
| Age | Total Napping Allowance | Maximum awake period between sleep |
| 0-3 months | 5-6 hours | 1.5 hours |
| 3-6 months | 4-5 hours | 2 hours |
| 6-9 months | 4 hours | 2.5 hours |
| 9-14 months | 3.5 hours | 3 hours |
| 14-18 months | 3 hours | 3.5 hours |
| 18-24 months | 2-3 hours | 5 hours |
| 2-3 years | 1-2 hours | 6 hours |
The number of naps your child has is not as important as the length of awake time between naps. One baby may have 4-5 short naps while another has 3 longer naps, both are fine. If the awake period is too long between naps you run the risk of your baby becoming overtired which will inhibit their ability to settle for their next sleep.
