Sleep 101 for Babies to Teens: Helping Your Child Get a Good Night’s Rest
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Health Tip of the Week How much is enough sleep for a child? The answer depends on the child’s age. Most babies need 14 to 17 hours of sleep each day, while teenagers should get 8 to 10 hours. At different points in your child’s life, those hours of rest may be disrupted by illnesses, school transitions, vacations and even cognitive gains!
Knowing what sleep changes to expect at different stages of childhood and understanding what may trigger these changes can help everyone sleep easier at night.
Many people talk about a “sleep regression” in the first year of a baby’s life. This is when a baby was previously sleeping well, and then starts to have trouble. In the sleep world, we think of this as a progression — and a sign of healthy development! Here are some common sleep disruptors among babies:
By age 5, most children stop napping, which can impact their nighttime sleep. This change is usually gradual, meaning some days your child will still nap, and other days they will not. You can put your child to bed slightly earlier if they have not napped, and later if they have napped that day. Be sure to avoid having your child nap after 4 or 5 p.m. as this can make it harder for them to fall asleep at bedtime. Other changes that can affect sleep at this age include:
School transitions, electronic devices and scary movies are common sleep disruptors for children this age.
A “perfect storm” of biological and social factors make sleep a challenge for many teens. These include developmental changes, like puberty. Teenagers tend to want to stay up later at night and sleep later in the morning. This is due in part to your teenager’s social activities, school and work, but biology also plays a role. You can help your teenager get a good night’s sleep. Try these sleep health tips:
It’s normal for children of all ages to have nights when it’s hard to fall — or stay — asleep. By anticipating the causes and using strategies to get a good night’s rest, you can help your child establish lifelong healthy sleeping habits. Be sure to check with your child’s doctor if you need help managing persistent sleep problems.
Contributed by: Ariel A. Williamson, PhD, DBSM
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