For optimal development your baby will need sufficient sleep and getting that solely at night time isn’t enough.
Your baby should be having regular naps throughout the day and this is also a good time for you to have a nap to recover some of the lost sleep that you will have been missing.
These short naps are as good for you as your baby as they will help to reduce your levels of stress while recharging your batteries.
They will also help you to control your own body weight as a lack of sleep is one of the reasons why many people have weight problems as there is a tendency for you to eat more and your metabolism will slow down causing you to store more body fat.
Some babies will nap at regular times throughout the day and others will nap as they feel like it.
There won’t generally be a regular pattern for newborns as they will nap for 2 – 4 hours at a time throughout the day and night.
As they age they will start developing more predictable sleeping patterns and this will make life a lot easier for you to plan.
You will usually be able to tell when your child is due for a sleep due to signs such as eye rubbing, getting irritable and so on.
One thing that you will need to consider as your child gets a little older is whether they should be having naps later in the day as sometimes this can affect their ability to sleep well at night where they might feel that they are already rested enough.
If you do have a problem with your child going to sleep at night it would be wise to see if missing the afternoon nap will help. More often than not this will work as they will become more tired at their regular bedtime.