16 month old napping

[FeakAndTheWeebleWorm]

Hello! DS has never been much of a napper, since about 12mo has napped for about an hour a day. Sleeps 12 hours through at night 7 - 7. However, over the past fortnight he's suddenly started napping for longer and longer times - today, I put him up at 9am (he got up at 6) and he's still asleep at 1230. He's recently started walking which seems to have coincided with his longer naps, and he's still sleeping well overnight.

But is it OK to have naps this long? I tend to be waking him up from them because I'm worried he'll sleep the day away...

Yes, if he has just started walking chances are he is tired

If he is alseep, he must need it

It is totally OK. Often although it is counter intuitive they sleep better at night if they have also slept well in the day. I guess because you cannot accurately judge how much sleep they need, if you restrict it to try to make sure they are tired for bed they may just end up too tired and frazzled.

Children vary widely in sleep requirements. So go with the flow, let his inclination guide you, if you find long sleeps are interfering with night time sleep you could cut it back then, but I suspect you will find it doesn't.

If he is walking there will be tons of mental development going on, plus the extra physical exertion would make it not surprising he needs extra.

FWIW my 24mo DS sleeps 12 hours at night and has a 2 hour nap every day too! Sometimes he will sleep for 3 or 4 hours in the day and still have his 12 hours at night!!!! That is just him of course, but just to show it can and does happen.

Kids don't stay the same, so maybe the baby who napped hardly at all has switched to a sleeper, wouldn't be the first.

If they need the sleep, let them sleep! At this age DD would have an hour or so in the morning then another two hours after lunch and 12 hours at night.

Thank you!!