{"id":29047,"date":"2024-02-26T19:14:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T18:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/news-approfondimenti\/sonno-e-power-nap\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T10:13:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T09:13:21","slug":"sleep-and-power-naps","status":"publish","type":"news-approfondimenti","link":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/news-approfondimenti\/sleep-and-power-naps\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep and Power Naps"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-14204\" src=\"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1366\" height=\"911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sonno-bwf-1-120x80.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1366px) 100vw, 1366px\" \/><\/h4>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"266\" data-end=\"448\">Daytime naps\u2014often referred to as <strong><em>power naps<\/em><\/strong>\u2014play a fundamental role in the development of newborns and infants. They are not simply moments of rest; they actively contribute to:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"450\" data-end=\"620\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1u9a26t\" data-start=\"450\" data-end=\"479\">Improving the child&#8217;s mood,<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"bphz4l\" data-start=\"480\" data-end=\"513\">Supporting learning and memory,<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1dpaw3h\" data-start=\"514\" data-end=\"561\">Promoting more stable and regulated behavior,<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1md0jdl\" data-start=\"562\" data-end=\"620\">Facilitating deeper and more continuous nighttime sleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"622\" data-end=\"680\">The number and duration of naps change as the child grows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"898\"><strong data-start=\"682\" data-end=\"697\">4\u20139 months:<\/strong> the power nap is often a short afternoon nap lasting approximately 30\u201345 minutes (i.e., one complete sleep cycle). Around 8\u20139 months of age, many children begin to reduce or eliminate this extra rest.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"900\" data-end=\"1015\"><strong data-start=\"900\" data-end=\"917\">13\u201318 months:<\/strong> the morning nap tends to disappear gradually, while the after-lunch nap becomes more established.<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1017\" data-end=\"1177\"><strong data-start=\"1017\" data-end=\"1031\">3\u20135 years:<\/strong> the afternoon nap is the last one to be discontinued, but it remains highly beneficial as long as the child continues to show signs of tiredness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"1179\" data-end=\"1645\">Every stage of sleep, both daytime and nighttime, plays a specific role in a child&#8217;s cognitive and physical development. Therefore, it is important to ensure that children have sufficient opportunities to rest during the day as well. The <a href=\"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/news-approfondimenti\/sleep-biology-and-the-development-of-the-circadian-rhythm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>circadian clock<\/strong><\/a>, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, coordinates physiological and behavioral functions according to a cycle of approximately 24 hours. Sunlight is a powerful synchronizer of this internal clock.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1647\" data-end=\"2343\">During the day, light inhibits the production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland that promotes sleep. At night, the absence of light stimulates melatonin production, signaling to the body that it is time to rest. <strong>Cortisol<\/strong>, on the other hand, is a stress-related hormone that tends to be released in greater amounts in the morning, contributing to wakefulness and alertness. This regulation is crucial not only for sleep but also for several other biological functions, such as the regulation of body temperature, digestion, and metabolism. Therefore, regular exposure to natural light and maintaining a dark environment at night are important for physical and mental well-being.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #E8EFF4; padding: 20px;\">\n<h5><em><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><strong>When is it time to eliminate the power nap?<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h5>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"2398\" data-end=\"2479\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>Some signs may indicate that a child is ready to give up the short afternoon nap:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2481\" data-end=\"2712\">\n<li data-section-id=\"17i2amo\" data-start=\"2481\" data-end=\"2534\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>Consistently resists falling asleep during the day;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"11kmve0\" data-start=\"2535\" data-end=\"2580\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>No longer shows obvious signs of tiredness;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"1b5e05x\" data-start=\"2581\" data-end=\"2628\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>Has difficulty falling asleep in the evening;<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"112edn\" data-start=\"2629\" data-end=\"2712\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>Wakes up during the night and turns these awakenings into <strong>periods of active play<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2714\" data-end=\"2911\"><span style=\"color: #006271;\"><em>In these cases, it is advisable to monitor the situation for a few days and, if the behavior persists, gradually begin<strong> to reduce the nap<\/strong> while maintaining a consistent and relaxing evening routine.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daytime naps\u2014often referred to as power naps\u2014play a fundamental role in the development of newborns and infants. They are not simply moments of rest; they actively contribute to: Improving the child&#8217;s mood, Supporting learning and memory, Promoting more stable and regulated behavior, Facilitating deeper and more continuous nighttime sleep. The number and duration of naps [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":29049,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"focus-approfondimento":[875],"focus-appartenenza":[],"coauthors":[110],"class_list":["post-29047","news-approfondimenti","type-news-approfondimenti","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","focus-approfondimento-sleep-biology-and-circadian-rhythm-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sleep and Power Naps - Baby Wellness Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/news-approfondimenti\/sleep-and-power-naps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sleep and Power Naps - Baby Wellness Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daytime naps\u2014often referred to as power naps\u2014play a fundamental role in the development of newborns and infants. They are not simply moments of rest; they actively contribute to: Improving the child&#8217;s mood, Supporting learning and memory, Promoting more stable and regulated behavior, Facilitating deeper and more continuous nighttime sleep. 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