Sleep Schedule for 5 year 9 month old

It's becoming less common for children this age to require daily naps, but it's not unheard of. Many children at 5 years 9 months have transitioned out of naps or nap very infrequently. If your child is still napping, consider the duration and timing. If they are sleeping well at night and functioning well during the day, a nap is likely still serving a beneficial purpose for them.

This is a common sign that your child may be ready to drop their nap. If naps are becoming a battle, consider shortening the nap duration significantly (e.g., 30 minutes) or shifting it earlier in the afternoon. Alternatively, you could try 'quiet time' instead of a formal nap, where they have independent, calm activities in their room for a set period. If they're not tired at bedtime and napping is disrupting the evening routine, it might be time to let go of the nap altogether.

If your 5 year 9 month old is still napping, a typical nap duration would be between 1 to 1.5 hours. Longer naps can sometimes interfere with nighttime sleep. If your child is napping for significantly longer than this and having trouble falling asleep at night, it might be time to reduce the nap length or consider dropping it.

For children still napping at this age, the ideal time is usually in the early afternoon, around 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. This allows for a good chunk of awake time after waking up in the morning and before bedtime. Napping too late in the afternoon can often make it harder for them to fall asleep at night.

This is a classic sign that the nap might be too long or too late in the day for your 5 year 9 month old. Their total sleep need is still there, but if they get too much consolidated sleep during the day, their 'sleep pressure' won't be high enough to fall asleep easily at night. Try shortening the nap, moving it earlier, or replacing it with quiet time if nighttime sleep is consistently an issue.