Sleep for Kids: How Many Hours of Sleep Do Kids Need?

Sleep for Kids: How Many Hours of Sleep Do Kids Need?

Sleep needs vary from child to child, but the following are general guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation:

• 1 to 2 months old: 10 1/2 to 18 hours per day
• 3 to 11 months old: 9 to 12 hours per day  
• 1 to 3 years old: 12 to 14 hours per day
• 3 to 5 years old: 11 to 13 hours per day
• 5 to 12 years old: 10 to 11 hours per day
• 12 to 18 years old: at least 8 1/2 hours per day

How Parents Can Help Ensure Sleep for Kids and Teens

If your child needs sleep help, the good news is that parent interventions are almost always effective. Here are some tried-and-true methods to ease the way to sleep for kids.

• Power down. "Make sure kids are in sleep mode and prepared for bed at the proper time," says Ronald Becker, MD, a pediatrician at the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital Boston. Turn off electronics at least one hour before bedtime, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. If your child has a TV in her bedroom, seriously consider moving it out. Research shows that kids who have a television in their bedrooms tend to sleep less.
• Create a calming nighttime routine. Winding down each night with the same calm routine -- bath, book, tooth brushing -- signals that it's time for sleep, especially for younger children and kids who have more than one home.
• Be consistent with bedtime and rising. Don't relax sleep rules on weekends or for homework. "If kids are permitted to fight off sleep once, it's going to increase their interest in doing so again," Becker says.