How Many Hours of Sleep Children Need
Sleep is important for people’s health, especially in childhood. It’s a proven fact that children who sleep well have better physical and psychological health, can concentrate better, and have fewer problems with memory and learning new things. On the other hand, children who regularly lack sleep often have problems learning, as well as a higher risk of developing health-related issues.
5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you how many hours of sleep children need at different stages of their lives.
❗ This article is for informative purposes only and can’t replace experts’ recommendations.
Newborns before 1 year
On average, newborns sleep from 14 to 17 hours a day or even a little more, waking up often. The babies that are breast-fed require food every 2-3 hours, and those that drink formula wake up around every 3-4 hours.
The newborns that sleep more than 3-4 hours should be woken up specifically to be fed. When a baby starts gaining weight, you can allow them to sleep longer and not wake you up at night. Some babies start sleeping 5-6 hours by the time they are 2-3 months old, and some only get there a bit later. It varies from baby to baby.
Generally, by the end of the first year of life, a baby should sleep from 12 to 16 hours per day. 90% of babies sleep the entire night by the time they are 6 months old.
Children between 1 and 2
Small children aged between 1 and 2 should sleep for 11 to 14 hours a day together with a nap, which is very important for memory development. On average, children sleep 2 times a day but the duration of naps will decrease with age. By the age of 2, some babies don’t sleep for more than 1 hour during the day.
Children should go to bed from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and wake up at around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Children between 3 and 5
The recommended duration of sleep for children between ages 3 and 5 is 10-13 hours a day. At this time, daytime sleep remains important for children, but its duration may decrease dramatically.
Experts say that it’s important to maintain the sleep schedule for children and have a specific time for daytime sleep.
Children between 6 and 12
Even though daytime sleep still remains very useful for children of primary school age, most kids stop resting during the day. But at night, they need to sleep for at least 9-12 hours. Growing up, children may start going to bed later. For example, most children at this age go to bed at around 9 p.m.
During puberty, which, for girls starts at age 10, and boys at 12, children might have sleep problems. Parents should be ready for this and remember that good sleep can help protect children from serious consequences, such as emotional instability.
Teenagers aged between 13 and 17
