How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? A Guide By Age

How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? Here’s A Guide By Age.

How much sleep do kids need? It’s a question I hear a lot from parents who bring their children to my pediatrics practice. Medically speaking, it’s an important question to ask, because sleep is a vital restorative process that can affect overall health, daytime sleepiness, behavior, and development. So, you do need to be mindful of whether your child is getting enough. As a mom of three boys, however, I know it’s not as simple as laying your baby or toddler or even big kid down at night and willing him to fall asleep right away and stay asleep as long as you want him to (wouldn’t it be amazing if that’s how it worked?!).

Every child develops at her own pace, but the key to helping her get the rest she needs each night is to be consistent with bedtimes and routines. Of course, there will be days or weeks when your child’s sleep will be off, due to illness or vacations or other disruptions to your regular routine. It’s okay if you get off track for a little bit; if you have been consistent with sleep patterns and cues previously, it will be easier to get back on track.

So, how much sleep do kids need? To help determine whether your child is getting enough shuteye, check out these guidelines from The National Sleep Foundation.

Newborns to 4-Months-Old

14 to 18 hours a day (*but on a very irregular schedule). The sleep periods can be varied ranging from a few minutes to hours. Newborn sleep can be very fitful seeming with lots of movement and grunting.

4- to 11-Months-Old

12 to 15 hours a day, with about 10 to 12 hours at night and 2 to 4 hours during the day. Starting at 4 months, you can start sleep training to help regulate your baby’s sleep (if you wish to).

1-Year-Old to 3-Years-Old

11 to 14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, including one to two naps. Most children continue to take two naps a day until around 15 months at which many will start to transition to one nap a day.

3- to 5-Years-Old

10 to 13 hours at night (and, hey, if they’ll still nap — go for it!).

6- to 12-Years-Old

9 to 11 hours at night

13-Years-Old (and beyond)

8 to 10 hours at night; with early school starts and rigorous school-work this can often be hard to accomplish. It is important to limit screen time before bed and not allow children to have screen in their rooms.

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Deena Blanchard, MD, is a pediatrician and partner with Premier Pediatrics, in New York City. She also serves as a pediatric expert for Ella’s Kitchen. Dr. Blanchard completed her Masters of Public Health at Temple University with a focus on health education before attending Medical School at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completing her residency at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia Presbyterian. She was awarded Physician of the Year by Columbia Presbyterian and is also the recipient of Alpha Omega Alpha and The American Women’s Association Glascow Rubin Achievement Award. Dr. Blanchard enjoys sharing her expertise and experience as a pediatrician and a mom with the families she works with, as well as through her contributions to Momtastic, Big City Moms, and The Stir by Café Mom. She lives in New York City with her husband and three sons.