Ask any mom and she'll tell you that kids who nap tend to be less fussy and difficult. Even adults, when we're tired, get grouchy and irritable. Isn't it tougher to make decisions? Aren't you short of patience? Don't things “get to you” more easily? Children who don't nap easily become tired and sleepy. When children are tired and sleepy, they're fussy, difficult, and more obstinate, such as being unwilling to eat strained peas or cereal or trying a new food, or resisting being put into their jackets to go out or even into their pajamas to go to bed — the very thing they need.

Kids who nap also have longer attention spans than kids who don't. This is more observable in a one-year-old than in a six-month-old. But that six-month-old needs her sleep just as badly as the one-year-old does, and napping is an important part of sleeping. In infants who haven't yet consolidated their sleep, much of their sleeping is napping of sorts.

Work at Home

With an increasing number of folks working at home, Baby's naptime has become a valuable time resource. From secretaries to executives, people have fit their earning schedule into their baby's schedule to the advantage of both. Whether you utilize Baby's naptime as a time for work, a nap of your own, dinner preparation, sewing, paying bills, making phone calls, or whether you simply curl up with a good book and relax, there's no denying what a respite it is when you don't have to cope with a fussy baby or keep an eye out for a crawler or toddler who's forever getting into things.

Preventing Naps

Occasionally, the parent of a child who is resistant to bedtime or who is docile about being put in the crib but then seems to have difficulty falling asleep will attempt to withhold naps in the hope that doing so will help the child go to sleep better at night. This is a mistake. First, withholding baby's nap in the hope of getting him to sleep more easily at night may well be defeating the purpose. If the baby is overtired by bedtime, which will very likely be the case if he hasn't napped all day, he is going to have more trouble falling asleep, not less.

In addition, babies need their naps for good health and growth. Napping is an important part of sleeping for young children. Napping and sleeping help bolster a good resistance to disease, foster growth, and keep the child in a better frame of mind emotionally.