How much sleep does your child need? This depends on your child's age, for the most part. Sleep requirements are also dependent on the individual child. Some children don't need as much sleep as others do. However, it's best to understand the average sleep requirements of your child based on his or her age and conform to them.
WHEN YOUR BABY IS AGED BETWEEN 0 TO 6 MONTHS
A newborn baby typically sleeps between 15 to 18 hours a day, in total. This sleep takes place in three four short naps of two to four hours each, with baby waking up for feeds in between. Circadian rhythms are not developed in newborn babies, which is why their sleep patterns are not related to the cycle of daylight and nighttime.
Babies under six months old need sixteen to twenty hours of sleep a day. Babies grow the fastest during these 6 months, which is why they need maximum rest. There's no point in putting your baby into any kind of sleep schedule now, since his biological clock is not developed. Best to let baby sleep when he feels like it.
When your baby is 6 weeks old, you'll note the emergence of a regular sleep pattern. Your baby might sleep for four to six hours at a stretch, and more towards the evening than in the morning.
WHEN YOUR BABY IS AGED BETWEEN 6 TO 12 MONTHS
After crossing the 6 month period, babies stay active for a few more hours during the night. Sleep requirement comes down from 20 hours to 15 hours a day. By the time your infant is 11 months old, he or she will sleep only 12 hours a day. Since your baby is more active and social at this stage, he or she might resist sleep and display cranky behavior. Biological rhythms start to mature at this stage, so it's a good idea to establish healthy sleep habits at this stage. See that baby gets at least 12 hours every night.
A baby's nap schedule also starts getting established. Your baby may take two to three naps a day, with the first nap at 9 a.m. for an hour, with the second nap at noon for two hours and the late afternoon nap at 3 p.m. for three hours. As you can see, the closer it is to night, the longer the naps; this indicates that baby's body recognizes night as the right time to sleep.
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS AGED BETWEEN 1 TO 3 YEARS
Children need about twelve hours of sleep between the ages of 1 to 3 years. Some children will sleep longer while some can make do with just 12 hours. It's good for your baby to get a stretch of sleep, which means you have to try and reduce nap time to just one nap in the afternoon.
Your child is happy and content when nap times and bed times are well-defined. Make your child sleep in a separate cot, and ease his or her fears. Between 1 to 3 years is when fear of the dark and imaginary monsters will take hold. By establishing a firm bedtime, you can provide baby a firm schedule which is a comfort to baby.
As your baby gets older, the daily afternoon nap time will reduce, with your child napping for an hour or so. Most of the sleep is concentrated during the night. Put your baby to bed by 7 p.m. and ensure he doesn't wake till 8 a.m.
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS AGED BETWEEN 3 TO 10 YEARS
Children of this age need twelve hours for proper growth and development. They'll grow out of naps gradually. At 3 years of age, your child may still be napping but by 5, he or she will stop needing it. With school hours becoming longer and various diversions in the form of TV and computers beckoning them, sleep becomes a foregone luxury.. Your child may stall to go to sleep, wanting to enjoy the newly-discovered pleasures. Resist these stalling techniques and explain to the child how he or she will grow taller and stronger by sleeping longer. The bedtimes don't change; children between 3 to 10 years of age need to be in bed by 7 and wake up by 7 or so.
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS AGED BETWEEN 11 TO 12 YEARS
Children in this age group require about ten to eleven hours of sleep a day. Bedtimes tend to get postponed owing to school schedules, family activities, games and constant distractions. 12 years old tend to sleep by 9 p.m., with some trying to wing it till 10 sometimes. Children of this age get an average of 9 hours a night, though they should sleep a bit more, as the growth spurts they experience during this pre-pubescent stage phase are high.
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS AGED BETWEEN 12 TO 18 YEARS
From 12 to 18, your child will grow at an alarming rate. Puberty takes its toll and sleep patterns are often disturbed by hormonal activity. It's all the more important to ensure that your child locks up his computer and gets at least 9 hours of shut-eye. Teenagers need more sleep than youngsters, owing to the additional growth. In a few short years, your youngster is getting readied to be an adult. Brain cells, body cells and reproductive cells grow at an alarming rate.
