The Importance of Sleep: How Much Sleep Does Your Child Really Need?

The Importance of Sleep: How Much Sleep Does Your Child Really Need?

If you are a parent, you have probably experienced your child fighting sleep.  Whether it is a toddler that no longer wants to take naps or an elementary student that wants to stay up “just a little longer” – at one point or another most children will fight sleep.  And, when children, or even pre-teens or teenagers, fight sleep it can be tempting to give in and let them stay up a little longer.  What is the harm in letting them stay up an hour longer?  Research has found that children that do not get adequate sleep are actually experiencing significant ramifications.

Research has found that children and teenagers need adequate sleep for proper development and mood but what is adequate may be more than what parents realize. So, how much sleep do children and teenagers really need?  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following guidelines –

• Infants 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
• Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
• Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
• Children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
• Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

If your child does not get enough sleep on one or two occasions, you might just have a grumpy or disobedient child on your hands.  But, if your child consistently does not get enough sleep, far more is at risk.  Long term sleep deprivation can lead to things like obesity, depression, injury, hypertension, diabetes, depression, increased risk of self-harm or suicidal thoughts, hyperactive behavior, learning problems, irritability, concentration problems, memory problems and more.  The longer that sleep deprivation goes on, the higher the chance of experiencing these mental and physical problems becomes so it is important to implement proper sleep habits early on and be consistent as children grow.

When children are young it is important to set a consistent bedtime routine.  For example, the AAP program recommends “Brush, Book, Bed.”  And, if you ask any pediatrician or sleep organization what the best way to begin winding down for bed is, they will tell you to turn off the screens.  This means that at least 30 minutes before the bedtime routine is going to begin, turn off all screens including computers, iPads, televisions, phones and any other screen devices.  Knowing the recommended amount of hours of sleep a child should get at each age will help you determine what bedtime is best.  Think about what time your child typically gets up each morning, or needs to be up each morning to get to school on time, and then calculate backwards to determine a proper bedtime.  The sooner you begin a bedtime routine, and the more consistent you are with it, the better you set your child up for a lifetime of good sleep habits and optimal health.