How Much Sleep Do Your Kids Need?

Parents know from experience how important sleep is for children, but are children getting as much sleep as they should? Here's a look at sleep needs for children of different age groups.

Sleep During Infancy

Babies spend more of their time asleep than awake. In fact, a healthy infant should sleep anywhere from 10 - 18 hours per day, and slightly less (9 - 12 hours) if they are older infants ("Children's Sleep Habits"). To help your infant get the sleep she needs, create regular schedules for her that include naps during the day and a consistent bedtime.

Sleep for Toddlers

Interestingly enough, toddlers require more sleep than infants; healthy toddlers should get 12 - 14 hours of sleep per day ("Children's Sleep Habits"). Toddlers tend to have more sleep problems than younger children because of their new interest in independence and asserting their wills. However, sleep problems in toddlers can make the "terrible twos" even more terrible - sleep-deprived toddlers tend to have more behavior problems than toddlers getting enough sleep.

Sleep for Children Aged 3 - 5

After five years of age, most children do not need to nap, but 3 - 5 year olds still need 11 - 13 hours of sleep per night. As children of this age are entering school and preschool, sleep becomes even more important as it can affect their learning and behavior at school.

Sleep for Children Aged 5 - 12

Even though elementary school children seem very active and increasingly "grown-up", children under twelve still require at least 10 - 11 hours of sleep per night. A major obstacle for the sleep patterns of average school-aged children is television watching; about 43% of children have television in their rooms ("The Sleep of America's Children"). While they might complain when the television is removed from the room, a TV-free bedroom is sure to improve the sleep habits of elementary school children. With less television and more sleep, their school performance and overall attitudes are sure to improve.

Sleep for Teens

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsiness causes over 100,000 traffic accidents each year, and young drivers under 25 account for more than half of these accidents. In addition to lack of sleep causing traffic accidents, teens who don't get enough sleep are more likely to experience mood swings, low grades in school, and are more likely than their peers to use caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol ("Adolescent Sleep Needs and Patterns"). Like school-aged children, teens need 8.5 - 9.25 hours of sleep per night. In fact, researchers at Stanford have recently suggested teens need even more sleep than school-aged children (Witmer). Unfortunately for teens, while they need nearly as much sleep as they did before, they are even less likely than their younger siblings to get the much-needed sleep due to school activities, social habits, increased television watching, internet usage, and so on. To add to the sleep problem for teens, the pineal gland in teens releases melatonin later at night, which means they simply don't feel sleepy until close to 11pm (Teel).

Help your teen get enough sleep by discouraging the consumption of caffeine, establishing a regular bedtime, and not sleeping in on the weekends. As with school-aged children, taking the television out of your teenager's room will also encourage an earlier bedtime.

Consistent bedtimes and reduced television watching at all ages are probably two of the best ways to combat sleep problems for your children. Well-rested children are happier, healthier, and less fussy - no matter how big your kids are.

Sources:

"Adolescent Sleep Needs and Patterns." National Sleep Foundation

"Children's Sleep Habits." National Sleep Foundation

"The Sleep of America's Children." National Sleep Foundation

Teel, Patti. "Helping Teens Get the Sleep They Need." About.com

Witmer, Denise. "Teenagers and Sleep." About.com