Parenting: The Volcano Effect
Why Skipping a Nap Results in Meltdown
From the moment your child wakes up in the morning he is slowly using up the benefits of the previous night's sleep. He wakes up refreshed, but as the hours pass, the benefits of sleep time are used up, and an urge to return to sleep builds. When we provide naps, we allow a child a "fresh start" after each sleep period.

