Craig Canapari, MD

11/06/2025

11/06/2025

A UMass study links napping habits to brain development. Kids with faster hippocampus maturity tend to give up naps sooner. It makes sense, right? From podcast episode 15. PMID: 36279436

11/06/2025

11/02/2025

Why do some kids stop napping earlier than others?

A short reel I posted on this topic went wild — more than 180,000 views and dozens of thoughtful (and hilarious) comments.
One parent even said, “I guess my husband’s hippocampus is still developing.”

The post came from a new paper out of UMass suggesting that nap transitions aren’t just about behavior or stubbornness. As children’s brains mature — especially the hippocampus, the part that stores and stabilizes memories — they may not need naps as often to “unload” new information.

It’s a fascinating idea that makes sense once you think about it:
🧠 A younger brain learns so much each day that it needs frequent naps to consolidate memories.
🌙 As the brain’s memory systems mature, it can handle longer stretches of wakefulness.

In my new post, I break down the science, share some of my favorite parent comments, and offer practical advice for families navigating the “sometimes nap, sometimes meltdown” stage:

https://drcraigcanapari.com/why-kids-stop-napping/

If your child is giving up naps (or you’re fighting that daycare nap battle), I’d love to hear how it’s going for you.

Some kids drop naps early, others hang on for years. A new theory links these nap transitions to how the hippocampus—the brain’s memory center—matures. Here’s what that means for your child’s sleep.

10/30/2025

The clocks go back, and suddenly your toddler's up at 5 A.M. 😬 Here's how to handle "falling back" without losing your mind (or your sleep): shift bedtime earlier, keep mornings dark, stick with routine--and maybe blame Big Candy 🍬 and Big Golf ⛳ for the chaos.

10/30/2025

Getting up early for school or work doesn't have to feel brutal. When we "fall back," go to bed one hour earlier and keep the new schedule.


You'll gain an extra hour of sleep every night this fall--just don't drift later again.

10/30/2025

Every fall, parents start dreading the words “falling back.”
When the clocks move back an hour, your child’s 6 a.m. wake-up suddenly becomes 5 a.m. — and mornings get rough.

But this doesn’t have to derail your family’s sleep. A few small changes before and after the time change can make the transition almost painless.

In my latest article, I explain:
• Why “falling back” hits young kids hardest
• How to shift bedtime gradually so the mornings aren’t brutal
• Why you should keep mornings dark and evenings calm
• And yes — how Big Candy and Big Golf ended up part of this story

Read more here https://drcraigcanapari.com/daylight-savings-time-and-your-child-falling-back/

Worried about how daylight saving time will impact your child's sleep routine? Discover practical tips from a Yale sleep doctor to help them adjust, avoid early wake-ups, and make the most of the

10/18/2025

Great day today at New Haven today. Did you attend a protest today?

10/06/2025

Saving children’s vibes here at since 2013

05/19/2025

is a great poet and a local hero for his work at When he asked for people to post our dogs reading his latest book, I could not resist posting the very scholarly Zelda Shout out to my fellow dog lover

05/04/2025

Fun Sunday morning in the OR with my pal Dr Baker, our stellar second year fellow. I’m known for sleep topics around here, but I also do pediatric pulmonology medicine.