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How much sleep do your kids need?

ClockSleep is important to our health at all ages. Kids need a little more sleep than the rest of us, and it is especially important that kids get the sleep they need during the school year- since they are expected to sit and learn for 6-7 hours a day. I think we can all agree that we all look forward to bedtime so that we can regroup for the next day and maybe even have a little “mommy time”. But how much sleep does your child really need? The American Academy of Pediatrics breaks it down by age so that you can make sure your baby, child, and teen are all getting the rest they need to be at their best for the following day. And who knows, maybe may even be able to put your kids to bed earlier when you see how much sleep they really need. 😉

  • Newborns- 4 month olds need to sleep for 14 to 18 hours a day, but at a very irregular schedule.
  • 4 month -11 month olds need to sleep for 12 to 15 hours at night and 2 to 4 hours during the day.
  • 1 year-3 year olds need to sleep for 11-14 hours in a 24 hour period, including one or two naps.
  • 3 year-5 year olds need to sleep 10-13 hours at night. If they will still nap, let them!
  • 6 year-12 year olds need to sleep 9-11 hours at night.
  • 13 years old and beyond need to sleep 8-10 hours at night.

KidsHealth wrote an article directed to kids about why they need sleep, and an excerpt from it says-

“When your body doesn’t have enough hours to rest, you may feel tired or cranky, or you may be unable to think clearly. You might have a hard time following directions, or you might have an argument with a friend over something really stupid. A school assignment that’s normally easy may feel impossible, or you may feel clumsy playing your favorite sport or instrument.

One more reason to get enough sleep: If you don’t, you may not grow as well. That’s right, researchers believe too little sleep can affect growth and your immune system — which keeps you from getting sick.”

So are their any downsides to bedtimes? Mommy time, stronger immune system, more focus, and sharper motor skills all sound like good things to me! Try implementing new bedtimes if you think your kids would benefit from them, or just keep your routine that is working for you, you awesome mom!

 

About Brittany:

Brittany was born and raised in Alabama. She is a Wife and Mama of two sweet babies- her son John is two years old and her daughter Annie is ten months old. She is pursuing her degree in Home and Family Studies with an emphasis on Child Development from BYU. She is looking forward to writing for Birmingham Mommy in preparation for graduation in the Fall of 2016.

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