The amount of sleep a child needs
varies depending on the individual and certain factors, including the age of
the child. Following are some general guidelines
1-4
Weeks Old: 15 - 16 hours per day
Newborns typically sleep
about 15 to 18 hours a day, but only in short periods of two to four hours.
Premature babies may sleep longer and colicky
ones shorter.
Since newborns do not yet
have an internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns
are not related to the daylight and nighttime cycles. In fact, they tend not to
have much of a pattern at all.
1-4
Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
By 6 weeks of age your baby is beginning to settle
down a bit, and you may notice more regular sleep patterns emerging. The
longest periods of sleep run four to six hours and now tends to occur more
regularly in the evening. Day-night confusion ends.
4-12
Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day
While up to 15 hours is
ideal, most infants up to 11 months old get only about 12 hours sleep.
Establishing healthy sleep habits is a primary goal during this period, as your
baby is now much more social, and his sleep patterns are more adult-like.
Babies typically have three
naps and drop to two at around 6 months old, at which time (or earlier) they
are physically capable of sleeping through the night. Establishing regular naps
generally happens at the latter part of this time frame, as his biological
rhythms mature. The midmorning nap usually starts at 9 a.m. and lasts about an
hour. The early afternoon nap starts between noon and 2 p.m. and lasts an hour
or two. And the late afternoon nap may start from 3 to 5 p.m. and is variable
in duration.
1-3
Years Old: 12 - 14 hours per day
As your child moves past
the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning nap
and nap only once a day. While toddlers
need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.
Most children from about 21
to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three
and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake
up between 6 and 8 a.m.
3-6
Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day
Children at this age
typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just
as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping,
while at 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep
problems do not usually develop after 3 years of age.
7-12
Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day
At these ages, with social,
school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with
most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of
bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12
hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.
12-18
Years Old: 8 - 9 hours per day
Sleep needs remain just as
vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It
turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous
years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the proper
amount and quality of sleep.
