Many well-meaning parents believe that skipping naps will make their child more tired, and therefore sleep better at night.
But science shows the opposite is true: missing daytime sleep makes nighttime sleep worse.
When children are overtired, their stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) surge. These hormones block melatonin (the sleep hormone that helps the body settle and sleep) and make bedtime harder, not easier. It also leads to more night wakings, early rising, and a restless, dysregulated child.²
They’re not being difficult. They’re overtired—and their nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
What Happens When Children Miss Needed Sleep
When a child’s body signals the need for rest (yawning, zoning out, rubbing eyes) and is kept awake:
• Cortisol and adrenaline spike, keeping the body wired
• Melatonin is suppressed, making it harder to fall and stay asleep
• Growth hormone release is disrupted, affecting healing, immune strength, and physical development¹
• Learning isn’t consolidated, memory weakens, and emotional regulation begins to break down²
• Brain development slows, especially in regions tied to attention, self-regulation, and emotion
• The nervous system starts overriding natural rhythms—teaching the body not to trust its signals for rest and recovery³
Sleep is not wasted time. It’s when the body grows, the brain wires, and emotions find safe ground.
Skipping Naps = Sleep Debt + Stress
Over time, missed naps contribute to chronic sleep debt—putting strain on your child’s body and mind.
Children who don’t get enough sleep are at higher risk of:
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Mood instability and frequent emotional outbursts
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Learning difficulties and memory problems
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Behavioral challenges
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Weakened immune function
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Increased risk of anxiety, depression, and obesity later in life ³ ⁴ ⁵
How Much Sleep Do Young Children Need?
According to the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines:
💡 Tip: Waking a child mid-cycle (especially during deep sleep) often leads to crankiness and emotional fog. Letting them finish the cycle supports calm mood, better regulation, and healthy development.
A Loving Reminder
No parent intends harm. But keeping a child awake when their body is asking for rest is deeply dysregulating to their nervous system.
In fact, sleep deprivation is so distressing to the human body that it’s been used as a method of torture. That’s how profoundly our biology depends on rest.
Sleep begets sleep. The more rested and regulated your child is during the day, the easier bedtime becomes—and the deeper their sleep will be.
If your child has fallen out of rhythm, there are gentle, science-backed ways to reset their sleep cycle. You’re not alone. Support is always within reach.
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“Naps & Night Sleep: What Every Caring Parent Deserves to Know” (PDF)
References
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Sadeh, A. (2000). Sleep and the developing brain. Infant Mental Health Journal
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Berger, R. H. et al. (2012). Acute sleep restriction effects on emotion responses in 30- to 36-month-old children. Journal of Sleep Research
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Astill, R.G. et al. (2012). Sleep, cognition, and behavioural problems in school-age children. Sleep Medicine Reviews
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Gregory, A.M. et al. (2005). Persistent sleep problems in childhood and later emotional disorders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
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Besedovsky, L. et al. (2012). Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Archiv: European Journal of Physiology