Sleep is when babies grow and bodies rest. As a parent it can be difficult to know how much sleep your child needs. They may seem cranky, but won’t go down for a nap. They may stall their bedtime or stay up very late and still get up at 6 am. Just because their bodies require a certain amount of sleep each day does not mean that children will get all the sleep they need. It’s important for you to help them get the amount of sleep they need. The only way to do this is to know how much they need. The following is a look at what the American Pediatric Association says about how much sleep kids really need.
Between Birth-Six Months children need 16-20 hours. They are going to sleep off and on all day and night. They do not know the difference and are not old enough for a schedule.
Between Six-Twelve Months children need 14-15 hours. They should be able to sleep through the night at this stage. You should be working on getting them on a schedule. They should take 3 naps a day, and have one long stretch at night. This is the stage where you want to teach them to fall asleep on their own, so it’s okay to let them cry themselves to sleep.
Between Ages 1-3 children need 10-13 hours. By this age your child should be taking a couple naps a day and sleeping all night. Nap times and bedtimes should be as consistent as possible. They should be falling asleep on their own in their own beds. This is the best time to establish a bedtime routine.
Between Ages 3-10 children need 10-12 hours. You should expect them to stop napping around age 5 and to start trying to stall their bedtime during this stage. Try not to indulge any attempts to stall bedtime. Continue to follow the bedtime routine you have established. It is unlikely your child will develop any new sleep problems in this phase. If you established good habits early they should carry over. Just keep their bedtime consistent.
Between Ages 11-12 children need about 10 hours. They won’t take naps and will procrastinate bedtimes. Try to have them in bed by 9 so there is ample time to get the 10 hours they need.
Teens need about 9 hours of sleep per night. They usually have later curfews and will tend to make up for lost sleep by napping or sleeping in if positive sleep habits are not enforced. Help them continue to get the sleep they need by establishing rules for iPod and cell phone use at night.
Growth and mood are both closely tied to the amount of sleep a child gets. Know what to expect as far as growing out of naps and how much sleep your child needs. A good rule of thumb is to try to have kids in bed between 7-9 and expect them to wake up between 6-8 the next morning. Do not indulge bad sleep habits and your child will never form them.
