Napping in kindergarten: is napping mandatory?
Starting preschool is a big change – for both the child and the parents. Most parents pay close attention to naps in their toddler's daily routine, wondering what the naptime routine is like at preschool and whether naptime is mandatory. Questions also arise about the length of naps at preschool and what regulations, such as those from the sanitary inspection, apply to naptime. In this article, we explain the rest time schedule in preschools and the rules that apply to children and staff.
Bedtime in kindergarten – is it mandatory?
Daycare is a time for rest after intense activities like play, educational activities, or spending time outdoors. Although it's often associated solely with sleep, in practice a nap in kindergarten usually does not involve falling asleep – it is equally important to calm the body down, e.g. by lying in silence or engaging in quiet activities.
This moment of relaxation allows the child to:
- regenerate physical and mental strength,
- organize the experiences gained during the day,
- reduce the level of tension and emotions.
Even a short nap at preschool or time spent relaxing can help regulate the nervous system and thus maintain emotional balance.
However, difficulties arise when when a child stops sleeping during the day and lying in the kindergarten becomes a real challenge for him: Lying in silence for an hour or more is not an easy task for a toddlerIn turn, as a child gradually gives up napping, sleeping while lying down at preschool can keep the child awake for a long time in the evening. As a result, bedtime moves to very late hours, even around midnight, which disrupts the circadian rhythm not only of the child but also of the entire family. This is when parents most often begin to wonder whether bedtime in preschool is mandatory and what the education law says about it.
Is naptime mandatory in preschool? We're checking the regulations.
In the Polish legal system there are no regulations that would clearly require children to sleep in kindergartenThis means that napping in kindergarten is not a child's obligation, and the answer to the question of whether napping in kindergarten is mandatory is: no – kindergarten cannot force a toddler to fall asleep.
The regulations also don't specify the age at which naps should be provided in preschool, so decisions on this matter usually depend on the age of the children and the daily routine at the given facility. If a child doesn't feel the need for sleep, napping in preschool shouldn't be forced.
It's worth remembering, however, that while sleeping isn't mandatory, preschool bedtime and regulations regarding daily organization impose certain obligations on institutions. According to the preschool daily organization regulations:
- If a child stays at the facility for more than approximately 5 hours, time should be planned for relaxation or quiet time e.g. in the form of lying in bed in kindergarten, but this is not the only form of relaxation that can be offered to children;
- a detailed daily schedule is established by the director and recorded in the institution's statute;
- the form of rest should be adapted to the age and needs of children.
In practice, this means that lying in bed in kindergarten should be included in the daily schedule and appropriately organized by the director.
Is bedtime in kindergarten mandatory or can you opt out of it?
To sum up the answer to the question whether lying down in kindergarten is obligatory, it is worth emphasizing that the child does not have to fall asleep during this time and there are no regulations requiring this.
In practice, napping in kindergarten is an element of the organization of the day for the entire group, so the decision about possible changes, e.g. giving up naps and quiet time, should be discussed with the teacher or director.
Many kindergartens use intermediate solutionsIf a child does not need sleep, lying in bed at kindergarten may take the form of peaceful restChildren can then:
- lie on a mattress/deckchairs and listen to a fairy tale/radio play being read,
- individually, quietly look at the books,
- listen to relaxing music.
Therefore, the answer to the question of whether lying down in kindergarten is obligatory is quite complex – some form of rest/quiet time, e.g. lying down, is usually part of a preschooler's daily schedule, but sleep is not required.
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Senior specialist in the Department of Assessment and Cooperation Development, Institute of Mother and Child
How long does a nap in kindergarten last and when does it take place?
Parents often ask how long a nap in preschool lasts and at what time children rest. Most often, napping in preschool takes place after dinner, possibly after eating the soup, while the second course is served after a nap.
- What time does bedtime usually take place in kindergarten?: around 11:00-11:30 and usually lasts until 12:00-13:00.
- How long does a nap last in kindergarten?: usually 1-1,5 hours, although how long a nap in kindergarten lasts depends primarily on the child (when – if at all – he manages to fall asleep and after how long he wakes up on his own).
- Younger children often fall asleep while older children just rest.
It is worth remembering that the length of a nap in a given kindergarten and the hours it takes place depend on the individual daily schedule established by the management of a given facility.
Until what age do children take naps in kindergarten?
There is no single, strict rule or legal provision clearly defining the length of time preschool rest periods are organized. It largely depends on the age of the children and their individual needs, as well as the organizational policies in place at the given facility.
Most often it looks like this:
- 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds they most often use the resting place in kindergarten,
- 5-year-olds they rest more often without the need to sleep (resting may, but does not have to, take the form of lying down in a given facility),
- 6-year-olds they usually have a shorter period of quiet time or so-called "quiet time" without the need for classic lying in bed at kindergarten.
Therefore, parents of older preschoolers are less likely to ask how long a nap in kindergarten lasts, because in older groups, rest is often more flexible.
Sanitary Inspectorate and resting in kindergarten – what hygiene regulations and rules apply?
Parents often wonder whether the sanitary-epidemiological station specifies rules for resting in preschools and what regulations apply to preschools. In practice, the sanitary-epidemiological station treats resting in preschools primarily as an element of the so-called hygiene of the upbringing and teaching process, therefore facilities must provide children with safe and hygienic rest conditions.
In accordance with sanitary guidelines, when organizing children's rest, the following conditions should be met, among others:
- each deckchair, mattress and bedding should be assigned to a specific child,
- Rest equipment must be cleaned regularly and stored in a hygienic manner,
- the room should be aired before starting to rest,
- When lying down, keep adequate space between children.
Sanitary guidelines also emphasize that when children are lounging in preschools, the spacing between loungers should be at least 60 cm. This reduces the risk of infection and helps maintain proper hygiene conditions in the classroom.
Therefore, in practice, the sanitary-epidemiological station regulations in the context of sleeping in kindergarten do not concern the obligation to sleep, but primarily children's health safety and proper organization of space and hygiene during rest.
Lying in the nursery – the most important information for parents
To sum up, resting in kindergarten is above all a time of relaxation and regeneration after intense activities during the dayAlthough napping in kindergarten is not legally mandatory and a child cannot be forced to fall asleep, facilities should provide the opportunity for peaceful rest.
It is worth remembering that sleeping time in kindergarten and sanitary regulations regulate primarily the organization and hygiene of this time, and not the obligation to sleep itself.
If you have any doubts about whether napping in kindergarten is mandatory in a given institution or how long a nap in kindergarten lasts, It is best to talk directly to the teachers and kindergarten management.
Bibliography (access to internet sources as of 16.03.2026/XNUMX/XNUMX):
- Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997 (Journal of Laws of 1997, No. 78, item 483, as amended) – within the scope of Article 70, paragraph 2, concerning free education.
- Act of 14 December 2016 – Education Law (i.e. Journal of Laws of 2020, item 910, as amended).
- Regulation of the Minister of National Education of August 28, 2017 on the types of other forms of preschool education, the conditions for creating and organizing these forms and the manner of their operation (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1520).
- Regulation of the Minister of National Education of February 28, 2019 on the detailed organization of public schools and public kindergartens (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 502, as amended).
- Ministry of National Education, Organization of preschool education – Questions and answers, Gov.pl portal.
