Should a 4 year old take a daily nap? Why or why not?

Mark

There is no "should" at this age kids aged 3+ do not need a daily nap they are no longer Toddlers they are young children.

LizB

Depends on if they still need one or not. A lot of 4 year olds have dropped the last daytime sleep period, but some preschoolers *really* still need it. My son started his last year of preschool still being a napper, but he stopped by before 4 1/2. At 5 1/2 he *can* nap sometimes, but he's old enough that I leave it up to him if he needs extra sleep or not (he's weirdly in-tune with his own sleep needs for his age).

Patricia

Probably so they aren't grouchy as hell all day long

Kammy

yes because they are still young but it should be short 1 hour at the most and stop when they go to school. a nap will help them keep up their energy in the day and stop them from getting tired and grumpy.

audrey

Yes, so his mom can have a minutes peace. Lol

Tri-Harder

If said 4 year old needs one, yes. It's completely normal to still need one (just as it's completely normal to NOT need one at that age) and does not indicate a health problem or a lack of nighttime sleep.

Grundoon

yes

Anonymous

Yes. Are the sleep important very much

Andrew

No. do not let him take a nap! no naps no sleep! thats my moto!

tony

Even when your child stops napping, quiet time in the late afternoon or before dinner is a must for three and four-year-olds, and a wise idea for five-year-olds, unless you actually like watching your child melt down. The simplest way to tell whether a preschooler or kindergartener needs a nap is to watch him. If your child is getting about eleven hours of unfragmented sleep at night and seems well rested, cheerful and easy going during the day, it may be time to go from naps to quiet time. You might want to cut out naps every other day, rather than eliminate them completely, about forty- five minutes of structured, solitary play, preferably at about the same time every afternoon. It’s a time for children to rest their bodies and, to a lesser extent, their minds. Good activities include looking at books, watching an age-appropriate, calm children’s video (leave fast-paced, action-packed cartoons for another time), coloring, or playing in their room with dolls, trains, trucks, or the like. The activity should not need a lot of adult interaction or supervision, so make sure the child is in a safe place. Some parents use a timer or alarm clock in their child’s room or in the hallway so their child knows when quiet time is over.

Jackie M

Not particularly but if they have to have a nap I would presume they are not getting enough sleep at night or they are lacking in certain vitamins - when my daughter was 4 years old she had just started grade 1 at school and didnt have time to nap and the same with both of her kids, prior to that they were at pre-school class from 3 years old. During school breaks the kids were outside playing and getting fresh air. Now they are teens they could nap all day if it was allowed