You already know that sleep is vital for your child’s health and development, but is your child really getting enough? How many hours of snooze does your baby, child or teen need per day?
This question has been answered by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, following the recommendation given by a consensus group of 13 sleep medicine experts and researchers, who drew up the guideline below for children between the ages of 4 months and 18 years.
- Infants 4 to 12 months – 12 to 16 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 1 to 2 years – 11 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 3 to 5 years – 10 to 13 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps).
- Children 6 to 12 years – 9 to 12 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
- Teens 13 to 18 years – 8 to 10 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Infants below 4 months were not included in the recommendation, because for this age group what is defined as a normal sleep pattern covers a wide range, and much research hasn’t been done to recommend any sleep guidelines for them.
The consensus paper author, Dr. Lee Brooks who is an attending pulmonologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told CBS news that kids who meet the adequate number of sleep hours for their age on a regular basis, are likely to see benefits such as better behavior, attention span, learning, memory, emotional regulation, and overall quality of life.  Dr Brooks added that inadequate sleep is linked with more injuries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression, among other health problems.
The guideline which was published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, has received backing from the American Association of Pediatrics(AAP). The AAP recommends shutting off all screens, including televisions, computers, smartphones and others, at least 30 minutes before bedtime, and keeping  all screens out of kids’ bedrooms.
Pay particular attention to your teens to be sure they are getting enough sleep. “The majority don’t get the sleep they need. The National Sleep Foundation has found that over 85 percent of teens lack adequate sleep”, said Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician with Seattle Children’s Hospital and The Everett Clinic. “Sleep matters: deprivation and tiredness affect schoolwork, attention, mood, interactions, unhealthy weight risk and lifelong health habits,” she added.
Though family routines differ, every family should find out what works best for them. The important thing is that your children are getting enough sleep. It’s good for their well being and yours too, at least for your sanity. Just be sure they are not oversleeping, as this also has its own detrimental effects.
