How much sleep do kids need, and what time should they go to bed? These are two questions parents often ask themselves. With children’s lives getting busier at younger ages, it’s important to set consistent bedtime routines and establish a time to turn off the lights at night. While no two children are the same, there are general guidelines for children at different stages of childhood.
Newborn to 12 Months
Newborns and infants up to 12 months old need about 15 to 18 hours of sleep per day. Unfortunately for most bleary-eyed parents, these hours often come in spurts of two or three hours in the first four months of the baby’s life. According to KidsHealth, since newborn babies don’t know the difference between night and day and their small stomachs don’t stay full for very long, sleeping in short stretches is common. In their first year of life, babies take up to three naps a day. If your baby’s last nap ends early in the afternoon, an ideal bedtime might be around 6 p.m. If he naps until 4 p.m., bedtime might not be until 8 p.m. While it’s important to try to establish a bedtime routine, realize that a little flexibility in timing is still an important part of the process during this first year.
1 to 3 Years of Age
Toddlers up to 3 years of age need about 12 to 14 hours of sleep each day, often including one or two naps. Many children drop one or both naps, which means they generally sleep longer at night. The recommended bedtime for a child this age is between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Earlier bedtimes work best for children who do not nap during the day or who don’t have to wake early in the morning to travel to daycare.
4 to 6 Years of Age
Preschoolers and kids up to 6 years of age generally need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep a day. Most preschoolers drop their naps between ages 3 and 4, while some still take one nap lasting 1 to 2 hours a day. The recommended bedtime for children between these years is between 7 and 9 p.m. If your child does not have to get up early for preschool or still naps during the day, a later bedtime might be appropriate — as long as he is getting the requisite number of recommended hours.
7 to 12 Years of Age
Children of school age should get about 10 or 11 hours of sleep per night — although with the increasing demands of extracurricular activities and homework, kids this age often get an average of nine hours. Continue a bedtime routine that is relaxing and as consistent as possible, any time between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Teenagers
With social, school, sports and other extracurricular activities peaking during these years, it’s no wonder teenagers get less sleep than they need, which is about 10 hours a night. However, according to the National Sleep Foundation, one study on adolescent sleep habits reported that only 15 percent slept as many as 8 to 12 hours during the school week. The National Sleep Foundation also conducted a poll of more than 1,600 teens that showed a correlation between lack of sleep and depressive tendencies. It’s not uncommon to let your older teenager have a bit of flexibility when it comes to setting a bedtime schedule, as long as she’s not skimping during the week only to try and “catch up” on the weekends. Have her aim for eight hours of sleep most nights, if possible.
