From infant to teen, here is how much sleep your kids really need.
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Despite the endless benefits that proper rest has for kids and teenagers, it’s quite evident that many young people are not getting enough sleep. Maybe that has a lot to do with the ever-changing lifestyle and lots of distraction. Perhaps your child is spending most of their time in front of a screen, their diet is not providing enough comfort for a peaceful sleep, or something else is distracting your young one from getting quality sleep.
Jaw-Dropping facts from experts have it that more than a third of the entire U.S. population don’t get the recommended bedtime hours each day. The good news is that the American Academy of sleep Medicine and other reliable organizations have already carried out research and released important information on the ideal amount of rest for kids and teens. That way, your child can avoid issues such as diabetes, hypertension, depression, and more.
The amount of sleep, however, differs, depending on several factors, age being one of them. With recommendations from reliable sources such as the American Academy of sleep Medicine, Centers for Disease Control, and others, the information below should help you determine how much sleep your kids really need.
1 to 4 weeks: 15 to 16 hrs each day
Newborns sleep typically about 15 to 18 hours, though that usually is in short episodes (2 – 4 hours). Also, since newborns haven’t developed an internal biological clock or circadian rhythm yet, they tend not to have a defined sleep pattern.
1 to 4 months: 14 to 15 hrs
At roughly six weeks of age, your baby’s body will have begun to settle down, so that they have more defined patterns. The longest sleeping episodes will be in the evening, ranging from 4-6 hours, which brings an end to the day-night confusion.
4 to 12 months: 12 to 15 hrs daily
Even though up to 15 hrs should be ideal, a majority of the infants up to 11 years of age get a maximum of only 12 hours of good sleep. That’s in consideration that this is the period when you want your kid to develop proper sleeping habits as they are more social and have an adult-like pattern.
Babies generally have three naps, which are the mid-morning nap, early afternoon nap, and the late afternoon nap. The mid-morning nap begins at approximately 9 a.m. and is approximately one hour. The early afternoon nap starts somewhere between noon and 2 p.m. lasting for an hour or two, and the late afternoon nap falls anywhere between 3 and 5 p.m. but varies in length.
At roughly 6 months, the naps that your child is likely to have will go down to two, since they can sleep better through the night.
1 to 3 yrs: 12 to 14 hours
As your child goes past one year, towards one and a half years, they are more likely to remain with only one nap episode, as their pattern becomes more defined. Even though toddlers are supposed to get up to 14 hours of quality sleep, they get approximately only 10 hours.
Children up to the age of 3 years will still need a nap once in a day, which should range from 1 – 3½ hours. These young ones should go to bed preferably between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between six and 8 a.m.
3 to 6 years: 10 to 12 hrs daily
Children at this age already have a good pattern even though it might change slightly. They usually go to bed at around 7 to 9 p.m. and get up in the morning at approximately 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. which is similar to what they did when younger. Even though children at age 3 might still need a nap during the day, such naps get shorter and rarer, so that your child does not need a nap by the age of 5. The good news is that no new sleep-related issues are expected to develop after the age of 3.
7 to 12 yrs: 10-11 hrs daily
Kids at this age bracket are exposed to more school, social, and family activities, which in turn affects them so that your young one now goes to bed a bit late. It’s quite normal for kids at this age to go to bed at around 9 p.m. even though bedtime seems to vary slightly, with kids going to bed between 7:30 and 10 p.m. Besides, betimes also vary, but the most common is from 9 – 12 hours, though 9 is the average.
12 to 18 yrs: 8-10 hrs each day
Sleep is as essential when someone is in their teenage years as it was during their childhood. As such, teenagers also require ample bedtime for good health. It’s even been said that they need more rest than they did previously, even though that might not be possible as they are exposed to varying social pressures.
Final thoughts
Our bodies work need rest to continue functioning as they should, and for kids and teenagers, such rest has more significant benefits other than just ensuring normal functioning of the body. They need enough rest to help them grow physically, emotionally, and mentally. Some of the sleep-related problems that one develops when growing can be prevented by getting enough quality rest as a kid or teenager. As such, it’s imperative to ensure that your kid gets enough sleep and to achieve that, you might need to invest in a good bed and a properly-designed room for them.