| Better Sleep Habits for Your Kids Taken from the University of Michigan Health System website. This is strictly intended as information and is not an endorsement of any content. How much sleep do kids need? This chart shows you some averages. It will give you an idea of the ballpark you should be aiming for, depending on your child’s age. Some kids will need more or less sleep, and differ in how they nap. 1 month 8.5 (many naps) 7.5 (many naps) 16 3 months 6-10 5-9 15 6 months 10-12 3-4.5 14.5 9 months 11 3 (2 naps) 14 12 months 11 2.5 (2 naps) 13.5 18 months 11 2.5 (1-2 naps) 13.5 2 years 11 2 (1 nap) 13 3 years 10.5 1.5 (1 nap) 12 4 years 11.5 0 11.5 5 years 11 0 11 6 years 10.5-11 0 10.5-11 7 years 10.5 0 10.5 8 years 10-10.5 0 10-10.5 9 years 10 0 10 10 years 9.5-10 0 9.5-10 11 years 9.5 0 9.5 Different people need different amounts of sleep. Remember that charts that list the average amount of sleep for each age group are just that—averages. These are not magic numbers. The best way to tell if your child is getting enough sleep is to look at how they act while they are awake. Here are some things to consider about how much sleep is enough. If your child’s poor sleep is causing daytime problems, then they are sleep deprived. Ask yourself these questions: = Does your child fall asleep in the car almost every time you drive with them? = Do you have to wake your child up almost every morning? = Does your child seem overtired, cranky, irritable, aggressive, over-emotional, hyperactive, or have trouble thinking during the day? = On some nights, does your child “crash” much earlier than their usual bedtime? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, your child may be sleep deprived (not getting enough sleep). We live in a very sleep deprived society. Sleep deprived children (and adults) have more trouble controlling their emotions. The part of the brain that helps us to control our actions and our response to feelings is affected greatly by lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can lead to all kinds of problems, such as behavior problems, attention problems, and not doing well in school. Kids who don't get enough sleep are also more apt to hurt themselves. How do I teach my child good sleep habits? Here are some "Do’s and Don’ts": DO: = Make bedtime a special time to interact with your child in a way that is secure and loving, yet firm. A bedtime routine should not last too long and should take place primarily in the room where the child will sleep. It may include a few simple, quiet activities, bath, cuddling, saying goodnight, and a story or lullaby. The kinds of activities in the routine will depend on the child’s age. At the end of that routine the lights go off and it is time to fall asleep. Try to keep the routine simple enough so that you can use it even when you aren't at your home. = Put some thought into finding your child’s ideal bedtime. In the evening, look for the time when your child really is starting to slow down and getting physically tired. That's the time that they should be going to sleep, so get their bedtime routine done and get them into bed before that time. If you wait beyond that time, then your child tends to get a second wind. At that point they will become more difficult to handle, and will have a harder time falling asleep. = Keep to a regular daily routine—the same waking time, meal times, nap time and play times will help your baby to feel secure and comfortable, and help with a smooth bedtime. Babies and children like to know what to expect. = Some babies are soothed by the sound of a vaporizer or fan running. This "white noise" not only blocks out the distraction of other sounds, it also simulates the sounds babies hear in the womb. Small, portable white noise machines with a variety of different sounds are now available. = Make sure your kids have interesting and varied activities during the day, including physical activity and fresh air. = Use light to your advantage. Keep lights dim in the evening as bedtime approaches. In the morning, get your child into bright light, and, if possible, take them outside. Light helps signal the brain into the right sleep-wake cycle. DON’T: = Never soothe your child to sleep by putting them to bed with a bottle of juice, milk or formula. Water is okay. Anything other than water in the bottle can cause baby bottle tooth decay. Feed or nurse your baby, and then put them down to sleep. = Don’t start giving solids before about 6 months of age. Starting solid food sooner will not help your baby sleep though the night. In fact, if you give your baby solids before their system can digest them, they may sleep worse because they have a tummy ache! The American Academy of Pediatrics says that breast milk or formula is all a baby needs to eat until six months of age. Contrary to popular belief, a heavier baby or a baby with a stuffed-full tummy is not more likely to sleep through the night. = Don’t fill up your child’s bed with toys. It’s probably best to keep your child’s bed a place to sleep, rather than a place to play. Too many toys in the bed can be distracting. One or two transitional objects--like a favorite doll, a security blanket, or a special book--are okay, and can help with separation issues. Babies under 4-6 months should have an empty crib to prevent suffocation. = Never use sending your child to bed as a threat. Bedtime needs to be a secure, loving time, not a punishment. Your goal is to teach your kids that bedtime is enjoyable, just as it is for us adults. If the feeling around bedtime is a good feeling, your child will fall asleep easier. = Don’t give your child foods and drinks with caffeine in them, like hot chocolate, tea, cola, chocolate, etc. Even caffeine earlier in the day could disrupt your child’s sleep cycle. = Don't let your child watch more than one to two hours of TV during the day, and don't let them watch TV at bedtime at all. TV viewing at bedtime has been linked to poor sleep. = If your child has a TV set in their bedroom, remove it. Research shows watching TV is linked to sleep problems, especially if the TV set is in the child’s bedroom. The presence of other media, such as a computer, video games or Internet in a kid’s bedroom is also associated with poor sleep. What do I need to know about night waking? What if my child wakes up a lot at night? Infants and night waking Does everyone always ask you: ”So, is your baby sleeping through the night yet?” Sleep is often a major topic of conversation when there’s a baby in the family. Remember: it is normal for babies to wake up at night. Breastfed babies may wake more often than formula fed babies because breast milk is so quickly and easily digested. Your new baby is likely hungry every two or three hours, and needs to nurse to get back to sleep. Some time after about 6 months of age, your breastfed baby will probably be able to go 6-8 hours without nursing. To help you cope with night waking, try taking turns with your partner to get up and comfort your baby. Remember, this is a time to comfort and re-settle your child, not a time for play or anything else exciting. Be comforting but boring. Don’t respond to any games your child may try to start. What causes night waking Babies and young children are less likely to sleep through the night if they: = Were premature or had complications during their birth. = Have a difficult temperament. = Are breastfed. = Are feeding at night. Before about 4-6 months, babies need to eat at night—they wake up and are hungry. Six-month-old babies can go longer at night without being fed. Older babies may develop the habit of feeding to get back to sleep. = Sleep in their parent’s bed (co-sleep). It may be that parents bring night waking children into their bed, rather than bed-sharing causing night waking. Parents who are accepting of co-sleeping report less sleep problems compared to those who are not. = Live in a family that is under stress. = Have a mom who is depressed. Research does not show that mom’s depression causes sleep problems, only that children with moms who are depressed have more night waking. In any case, we do know that kids with parents who are blue or depressed have more sleep problems and more problems overall. If you are feeling down, don’t hesitate to get help. = When you are tired at night you are at your lowest point. If you start feeling desperate, get help--get your partner, call a friend. If you feel that you might hurt your child, make sure they are safe and then leave until you can cope. If your child is waking often, here are some possible causes to consider—and to talk to your child’s doctor about: = Separation anxiety = Uncomfortable pajamas or scratchy tags = A formula or food sensitivity or allergy = Gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) = Airborne allergens = Colic = Pain, such as from an earache, abdominal gas, or teething. If the waking is due to pain, your child may not settle even if you are there to comfort them. = A urinary tract infection (bladder infection) = Discomfort, such as too hot, too cold, thirsty, hungry or a wet bed/diaper = Being in a pattern of waking = Being in a light phase of sleep so that something like a noise rouses the child into being fully awake . If your child wakes, how quickly and easily they fall back asleep will depend in part on what their sleep onset association is, so read on…. What are sleep-onset associations? Whatever your baby connects with falling asleep (like being rocked, fed, or sucking their thumb, for example) is called a sleep-onset association. When they wake up, they will need that thing to be able to fall back to sleep. If you want your child to go back to sleep on their own when they wake up at night, then you should encourage sleep-onset associations that do not involve you, the parents. How do you do this? When you put your child to bed, you can rock or feed your child to make them sleepy, but stop before they actually go to sleep. Put your child to bed when they are still awake, so they learn to go to sleep without you there. Children who have a more difficult temperament may have more trouble with sleep-onset associations. What do separation problems have to do with sleep? Separation anxiety is a very common reason for children under three years to cry at night. By eight or nine months, children have learned that their parents exist even if they can't see them. However the inner confidence to be able to feel secure when their parents are not there is still developing until three or four years of age. Night waking usually drops off quickly after this. You can tell if your child is waking due to separation anxiety because if you are nearby to reassure them, they will settle back to sleep. For older children, you can put a foam mattress and sleeping bag on the floor near your bed, so they can come in and sleep near you if they need nighttime reassurance. To help prevent separation problems at night, when your child is between four months and a year old, give them a transitional object (like a blanket, doll or other favorite thing). Then when they wake up, having that object there will comfort them and help them go back to sleep. Your baby may groan and move around, or even cry out during REM sleep. Wait a little before you go to them. If you want your baby to be able to sleep without your help, give them a chance to fall back into deep sleep on their own. Sometimes parents are overly anxious about their baby or child. Have you ever been away from your baby? Do you worry about your baby all the time when you are away? Do you have trouble not going to your baby at night every time they stir or make a peep? You might have separation issues of your own. Some parents have lots of trouble separating from their baby. This is something you need to work on if you want your baby to be able to sleep through the night. Your difficulty with separation can cause problems for your child down the road in many areas. What if my child has problems settling in at night or resists going to sleep? There are different reasons your child may not want to go to bed at night. Your child may have issues with autonomy. In other words, they may want to have more control over their body and their environment. This usually starts to happen after about nine months of age, and is what two-year-olds are famous for! Give your child some limited choice and “control” over the type of bedtime activities and the order of the bedtime routine. If your child has more control over these activities, they may feel less need to exercise control over when they fall asleep. If your older child resists going to sleep at night, remember this: It is your responsibility to put your child to bed, but it is your child’s responsibility to go to sleep. Put your child to bed at a reasonable time after a reasonable bedtime routine. Have clear rules (stay in bed, no eating, etc.). Then, if your child doesn’t fall asleep, it may be that they don’t need so much sleep. If they stay awake late, and then want to sleep late in the morning, wake them up 10 minutes to a half hour earlier every morning until they are falling asleep at the time you want at night. Basically, you should discuss the bedtime routine during the day so that the child knows what to expect at night. Then stick with it each night. If kids know what to expect, then they'll usually do okay. If you are concerned about any issues with your child, please consult your pediatrician. |
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| Age Nighttime Sleep(Hrs) Daytime Sleep(Hrs) Total Sleep (Hrs) |