How Much Sleep Needed For Your Children??

Sleep is an important factor in all our lives. When we sleep: we rest, and our body is able to renew its energy.
It's quite natural that we spend a lot of time talking about how we've slept and whether our children have slept and how much.
Sleep is also important because of dreams. When we dream, we process all the events of daily life. Getting a good night's sleep, therefore, influences our psychological wellbeing. 

There's increasing evidence that sleep is related to laying down long-term memories, and good sleep is important for school success.
Sleeping well is often a result of having good sleeping habits, which parents are responsible for teaching to their children.

How much sleep does a child need?

Your child's sleeping pattern – whether or not they sleep and for how long – affects the entire family. This is why good sleeping habits and rules about bedtime are important.
How much sleep a child needs depends on the individual, and this article can only serve as a guide.
You may have a very active child, who doesn't need much sleep. Trying to change a child's sleep patterns to what somebody else claims is 'normal' will only cause trouble.

How much sleep does a newborn need?

A newborn usually sleeps between 16 and 19 hours per day, often waking every two to three hours to eat.
Since hunger will usually wake them up, babies will not normally sleep for more than four or five hours at a time.
Some babies sleep more than this, maybe for eight or 10 hours at a time. This is fine, provided your child is normal, healthy and growing.
On the other hand, if your baby has lost weight or is not gaining enough weight, you may have to wake her every two or three hours for a feed. Your doctor or health visitor will tell you what to do, if this is the case.

How much sleep does a three-month-old need?

A three-month-old baby usually sleeps between 13 and 15 hours per day. Around five hours of this will be during the day and the rest at night.
Your baby may still wake up once or twice every night. If your baby does wake, try the following.

• First see if your baby will fall quickly back to sleep. If the duvet has been kicked off, put the cover back on and rub their body gently, just to reassure them that you're there. This may be sufficient to send your tot back to sleep, so let a couple of minutes pass before doing anything else.
• If you need to feed or change your baby – do it quickly and quietly, without turning on the lights. Don't talk to your baby or play with it at this time. This will teach your baby that nothing exciting happens in the night and that talking and playing only happen during the day.
• Babies don't care whether they sleep at night and stay awake during the day, or the other way around. It's up to parents to teach them which is better.

How much sleep does an infant need from 6 to 12 months?

At this age, your baby usually sleeps between 12 and 14 hours per day.
If your baby wakes up at night, it's now all right to let five minutes pass before you go to her.
By now you will probably recognise your baby's different cries for when it's hungry, tired or in pain.
At this age babies are starting to make 'sleep associations'. So, if you go in and interact with them, they will soon expect that to happen and on subsequent nights, cry until you do go in.
So, if you're happy that your child is not hungry or dirty, try not to stimulate them at all and leave them to settle on their own.
If you do have to go in, rub your baby gently and speak softly to reassure them that you're there. They may have a favourite soft toy or blanket to snuggle up to at night. Such familiar things will make your baby feel safe.

How much sleep does a child need between the ages of one and three?

A toddler usually sleeps between 10 and 12 hours per day.
It's a good idea to have a pre-bedtime routine that, as far as possible, is always the same to prepare your child for bedtime and sleep. This way, your child will know when it's time for bed.

What is a bedtime routine?

It's doing the same things, in the same order, at the same time every day – just before going to bed. A routine that lasts 15 to 30 minutes is best. Below is an example.

1. Let your child calm down by playing a quiet game together.
2. Let your child choose what pyjamas to wear.
3. Get them to brush their teeth and go to the toilet etc.
4. Listen to some soft music.
5. Read or tell a story.
6. Tuck your child in with their blanket, teddy bear or some other thing that makes them feel secure.

How much sleep does a pre-school child need?

A three to five year old usually sleeps between 10 and 12 hours every night.
Sleeping routines and bedtime have become familiar, but at this age children can suffer from nightmares (which they may remember), or night terrors (where they will not remember).
With night terrors, your child may scream hysterically or get up and wander. But they are not awake and are hard to communicate with. They will go back to sleep in a few minutes and have no memory of it in the morning.
If your child wakes up crying because of a nightmare, they need comfort and security.

• Go to your child's room.
• Rub their back gently.
• Speak softly.
• Don't ask your child about the dream. Often, they won't be fully awake, and they will go back to sleep faster if you just sit with them quietly.

How much sleep does a schoolchild need?

A schoolchild usually needs to sleep about 10 hours every night. When deciding on a bedtime, bear in mind what time your child has to get up and how long it takes them to get ready for school.
You want your child to get a good night's sleep and feel rested in the morning. If not, your child won't get the best out of school and every morning will be a hassle, trying to get a tired child out of bed.

What if my child does not sleep as much as I think they should?

Use common sense. If your child looks rested and is developing normally, they are probably getting enough sleep.
Do you or your partner sleep less than normal (six to eight hours)? The need for sleep is often passed on from parents.
If you're concerned about your child's sleeping habits, ask your GP or health visitor for advice.

If my child wakes up crying, should I just ignore them?

As a parent, you will learn what different cries mean.
Often babies will settle themselves and should be given time to do so. If they don't, go in and reassure them that you're there, without providing any more stimulation.
In the older child who wakes, when they usually sleep through the night, something has obviously upset their routine and you can go in and reassure them. Again, try not to do more than the minimum, so that they turn over and go back to sleep.
If your child cries unexpectedly, you should always make sure that they aren't sick or running a fever. But this is rarely the case, and usually you'll have noticed that they weren't their normal selves during the day.