06/16/2026
Make sure your children are getting their naps in. It is a necessity!
Skipping naps before age four triggers extended stress, tantrums, extreme clinginess, and panic. Naps are a biological necessity for young children. Nighttime sleep alone cannot eliminate their daily stress because it is focused on crucial brain development. Missing even a single nap can trap a child's small body in a continuous fight or flight state.
A young child's brain does not process stress the way an adult brain does. They cannot talk it out or shrug it off. The only way their nervous system resets is through sleep. Night sleep handles physical restoration and memory consolidation. But daytime naps are what clear the metabolic stress buildup from morning activities. Skip the nap, and cortisol stays elevated.
The child who melts down over a broken cracker at 4 PM is not spoiled. Their nervous system has been flooded with stress hormones since noon with no off ramp. They are not giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time inside a body that cannot find safety.
Stop treating naps as optional. Protect them like you would protect feeding or warmth. A napped child is a regulated child.
