---
title: "Log a nap"
description: "Record how long a child slept so parents can see daily sleep patterns."
type: guide
updated: 2026-09-15
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/teachers/activities/start-and-end-a-nap
roles: ["teacher"]
platforms: [ios, android, web]
---
Nap duration adds up fast — for parents trying to figure out why their toddler is cranky at 5 PM, seeing "45-minute nap" vs "2-hour nap" is often the answer.

## Log a nap

Best practice: log once the child wakes up, with their full sleep duration.

1. Open the NestliCare app on your staff account.
2. Tap **Dashboard** → **Log Activity** in the Quick Actions grid.
3. The **Log Activity** sheet opens. Tap the **Nap** tile in the activity-type grid.
4. Tap the room pill, then the child's avatar (or multi-select for a whole-room nap).

<ScreenshotWithPointers
  src="/screenshots/teachers/activities/log-activity-nap.png"
  alt="Log Activity screen — activity type grid with Nap in the top-right"
  pointers={[
    { x: 62.4, y: 18.2, caption: "Tap Nap in the activity-type grid" },
    { x: 1, y: 55.7, caption: "Room pills — pick your room to filter children" },
    { x: 1, y: 60.2, caption: "Children — tap the child who napped (or multi-select for a whole-room nap)" },
  ]}
/>

5. Scroll down. Enter the duration (e.g. "1 hour 30 min") in the free-form **Duration** text field.
6. Tap **Save Activity**.

<Callout kind="info" title="There's no start-time + end-time picker yet">
The iOS app logs nap with a free-form duration field rather than two time pickers. That means there's no "started napping now, update end time later" flow — just log the full nap after they wake up.
</Callout>

## Batch-log the whole room

Most teachers wait for the room to wake up, then log each child's nap in one pass:

1. On the Log Activity screen with Nap selected, tap multiple child avatars (or **Select All**).
2. Enter a single duration that applies to everyone (or log the outliers individually afterward).
3. Tap **Log for N Children**.

Faster than logging one by one, and for a room where everyone slept about the same time, the data is still useful.

## Fix a mistake

1. Open the room feed for today.
2. Find the nap entry → tap ⋯ → **Edit**.
3. Change the duration or notes, save.

Edits are audited — admins see who changed what and when.

## Troubleshooting

**Child skipped nap.** Don't log a nap entry. Add a **Note** activity instead: "Zoë skipped nap today, was wide awake but calm." Parents appreciate the explicit note more than a zero-duration nap.

**Durations look inconsistent across teachers.** Use "X hour Y min" format consistently across your team ("1 hour 30 min" not "90 min" or "1.5h"). Makes the parent feed cleaner.

**Parent says the nap didn't appear.** Either the log is pending admin approval (some orgs require it — an admin can check **Communication → Feed → Pending** on the web dashboard), or **Share with Parents** was off on the entry. Edit to flip the share toggle on.

**Multiple naps in one day.** Log each one as a separate Nap activity. Parents will see two distinct entries with their own durations.