Sleep is just as crucial to the health of a child as exercise and good nutrition. Knowing how much your child needs depends on their age.
According to the Sleep Foundation,“by three to six months, most infants have a regular sleep-wake cycle.” Here are their recommendations for the amount of sleep by age.
- Newborns (0-3 months)
- Newborns sleep a total of 10.5 to 18 hours a day on an irregular schedule with periods of one to three hours spent awake.
- Infants (4-11 months)
- Infants typically sleep 9-12 hours during the night and take 30 minutes to two-hour naps, one to four times a day – fewer as they reach age one.
- Toddlers (1-2 years)
- Toddlers need about 11-14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years)
- Preschoolers typically sleep 11-13 hours each night, and most do not nap after five years of age.
- School-aged children (6-13 years)
- Children aged six to 13 need 9-11 hours of sleep.
