The nap gap: How stopping naps early links to language and anxiety in preschool children

Abstract

Most 2-year-old children nap, but very few 5-year-olds do. How is the timing of when children stop napping related to language and psychosocial outcomes? This study provides answers to this question in the largest longitudinal study of Canadian children to date (>4900 children). There is conflicting evidence in the literature on the influence of naps on children's development and learning. This study provides more clarity and can inform childcare napping policies.