What Time Should Children Sleep?
All parents want to know what time children should sleep in order to be healthy, do well at school, and be in a good mood during the day. Anyway, the goal is to promote good growth.
We’ll address this issue below, after all, we know it’s not easy to get children to sleep when we ask.
The good news is, you don’t have to despair. With the following information, you will be able to decide what is the ideal time for children to go to bed according to their age.
In addition, we’ve included some practical tips to help eliminate distractions and make it easier to fall asleep.
What time should children sleep?
The first thing parents should know is that the number of hours children should sleep is more important than the exact time they should sleep.
The idea is not to put them to sleep at eleven at night. But you also don’t have to lose your mind for them to stick to the specific time. The important thing is that they sleep well and for several uninterrupted hours.
According to the Association of Pediatricians of the United States, an ideal time for children to go to bed is between 7 and 9 pm between 5 and 9 years. In turn, children between 10 and 12 years old must go to bed until 10:30.
However, the time to go to bed will also depend on what time the child must wake up to go to school. Therefore, it is more practical to divide the data by age.
Recommended sleeping times according to the child’s age
Physiological sleep needs vary depending on the child’s age.
The following information is an approximation of the requirements each child needs.
up to one year of life
Babies in this group should sleep 16 hours a day, including naps.
Naturally, children go to sleep whenever they want, according to their body’s demands.
Children between 1 and 5 years old
They should rest about 14 hours a day. It is necessary that these hours also include some naps during the day. A good time to take them to bed is 6 or 7 at night.
Children between 6 and 10 years old
The estimated time for children in this age group is between 7:30 am and 9 pm. The amount of hours they must rest is 12 hours.
Children from 12 years old to adolescence
From this age onwards, children can go to bed until 10:30 at night as long as they rest between 10 and 8 hours a day.
How to make the child sleep at the indicated time?
Now we know what time children should sleep and how much sleep they need.
But how to achieve this? The following list of recommendations can be very helpful in getting started with good sleep habits.
- In the case of a newborn, remember that he or she does not stay awake for more than three hours. Pay attention to the signs so that you can identify when he wants to sleep. Usually, they cry and rub their eyes.
- If your baby is at least 4 or 5 months old and starts sleeping more hours at night, always try to keep the space bright and accompanied by music or other moderate noise during the day. At night, keep the environment dark even when you wake up and need to breastfeed, and be very quiet.
- For children between 3 and 4 years old, taking a relaxing bath before going to bed or telling a story is recommended. As much as possible, try to stick to the same routine and schedule when putting them to bed. That way they’ll get used to it.
- From age 7, avoid distractions such as television, cell phone, tablet or any other visual stimulant that makes sleep difficult. A glass of warm milk before going to bed can help you get a pleasant sleep.
In conclusion, it is important to be aware of your child’s sleep routines.
If you notice that he sleeps too much or, conversely, if he has trouble sleeping, always consult your doctor for a professional opinion.
