How Many Hours Should Our Children Sleep At All Ages

As parents, we should know how many hours our children need to sleep and need each night according to their age. This knowledge will help us with the pitfalls of insomnia.

It is normal for children to suffer from sleep disorders, especially if they do not have a routine that helps them fall asleep at night.

How many hours our children have to sleep

Getting enough sleep will help with the child’s development both physically and mentally.

According to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics in the journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine,  here is how many hours our children need to sleep and need according to their age. 

4 months to 1 year

A newborn baby should usually sleep between 16-17 hours a day. They can sleep up to 9 hours a night.

Babies at this age also often sleep for dinner during the day to get the extra hours of sleep.

As your baby grows, they will need less hours of sleep. When they are 1 year old, they should sleep about 11 hours a night and 3 hours during the day. 

1 to 3 years

When children are 1 or 2 years old, they should sleep between 10 and 14 hours a day.

Between 2 and 3 years, they can cut down on the number of lures during the day. What is important in the baby’s early years is that they get at least 10 hours of sleep during the day.

4 to 5 years

At this age, your baby will start sleeping between 10 and 12 hours a night.

At this point, a nap during the day is no longer necessary unless your child is unusually tired.

However, a little rest after lunch will not hurt. At this age, it is important that your child gets enough sleep to function in school.

6 years and up

As your child gets older, they will need less sleep.

From 6 to 8 years, children need 11 to 12 hours of sleep, where between the ages of 10 to 12, 10 hours of sleep is usually enough.

Young people from 13 years and up need  between 8 and 10 hours of sleep at night.

Benefits of a good night’s sleep

Sleep is critical for children and teens. Getting enough hours of sleep ensures that the child has enough energy to keep up with the day’s activities at school.

Here are just a few benefits of a good night’s sleep:

• Better concentration ability
• More emotional control
• Better behavior
• Better quality of life
• Better ability to learn

Consequences of sleep deprivation

As there are benefits to getting enough sleep, lack of sleep can also have serious negative consequences for children. 

Energy level and learning abilities are just two things that are often affected.

Here are some consequences of sleep deprivation for children:

• Children who get less hours of sleep than they should  have it with getting worse grades in school.
• Language development is happening at a slower pace.
• By sleeping less,  children can lose some of their REM sleep. This sleep deprivation is important for creating memories and allowing the child to process what they have learned during the day. REM sleep is also important for the brain to recover.
• Lack of sleep can damage the baby’s immune system,  which makes them prone to colds and other infectious diseases.
• Children who only get 5 hours of sleep a night have a doubled risk of becoming overweight as an adult.

Tips for getting kids to sleep

Parents should know how many hours their children need to sleep and need. If there are problems with falling asleep, it is also important to help the children get into a habit.

Here’s how you can help your child get the sleep they need:

• It is important for children to  sleep in a comfortable bed,  with little lighting and a comfortable temperature.
• Be sure not to have guests, play computer games or listen to loud music after your child’s bedtime. Try to disturb them as little as possible.
• Avoid drinking caffeine after dinner.
• Create a  good bedtime routine.
• Wake up your child at the same time every day. Get them to go to bed at the same time every day, even if you are not there to cuddle them.

Now that you know how many hours of sleep your child needs at any age, you can help them get the sleep they need.

After all, if you do not get enough sleep, it has many negative consequences. With the tips above, you can avoid difficulties today and in the future.