How long should my child sleep? At what age are children supposed to sleep through the night? Is it normal that they keep waking up at night? Are their bedtime appropriate for their age?…. These are some of the questions that most parents with young children (0 - 11 years old) ask me about sleep, and that I think it is essential to answer these so that they know the basics when they start working on their children's sleep.
Sleep hours.
How long children should sleep depends on their age. Therefore:
+ Newborns, less than three months old: 16 hours on average, with a variation
between 11 and 19 hours.
+ Babies from 3 to 12 months: 12 to 15 hours.
+ Children 2 and 3 years of age: 11 to 14 hours, with one nap during the day.
+ Children 4 and 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours, naps are no longer necessary.
+ Children from 6 to 12 years old: 9 to 11 hours.
It should be noted that these parameters serve as a guide but are not law. This means that if someone does not comply with them (by excess or by default), it does not necessarily mean that they have a sleep disorder. However, it is something that should always be paid attention to.
Should they sleep throughout the night?
Around 6/7 months of age, children can sleep throughout the night. When this does not happen, and night-awakenings are perpetuated over time and result problematic, these should be reviewed with the help of an expert.
Bedtime.
Some parents are not sure what time their children should go to bed, which depends on the age of the little ones. First, you must know the child's recommended amount of sleep per night. Once you have it, determine the time they should get up to calculate backwards and determine their bedtime.
Once the bedtime and wake-up time is determined and established, these schedules should be kept as stable as possible to avoid disrupting children's sleep schedules and generating sleep problems.
Wakefulness to sleep transition.
In addition to establishing how long a child should sleep, it is essential to help them transition between wakefulness and sleep. This is accomplished through routines that prepare them for sleep and teach children to identify when to go to bed.
It must be considered that all routines should include relaxing activities (reading, listening to soft music, among others) and related to sleeping (putting on pyjamas, brushing teeth, etc.).
On the other hand, when you go on a trip or know that you will not follow the routine 100%, it is best to apply the "80/20" rule where the routine is kept at 80% and varied by 20 %.
I hope that answering these questions will guide you in establishing good sleeping habits with your children and help you identify when sleep problems arise.
If you have other questions about sleep in children, please write them in the comments below, and I will gladly answer them :).
Sweet dreams!
References
Esteban, S., Gamundí, A., Nicolau, M.C., Rial, R.V., De la Calzada, M.D. & Giménez, S. (2017). Filogénesis y Ontogénesis del Sueño y la Vigilia. En Viguera (Eds.), Sueño: Fisiología y Medicina (pp. 104-136). Murcia, España.: Viguera.
Meltzer, L.J & Crabtree, V.M. (2015). Pediatric Sleep Problems: A Clinician’s Guide to Behavioral Interventions. American Psychological Association.