Getting enough sleep is vital for concentration, immunity and emotional balance, yet sleep disorders are common and affect your ability to function properly during the day. Less well known is the impact that lack of sleep has on a child’s development. Not getting enough Zzzzzzs lowers levels of growth hormone, which is responsible for regulating biological events in the body and can stunt a child’s growth. Too little sleep also affects a child’s ability to learn, resulting in poor academic performance and can make your child accident-prone. So it’s important that you keep track of how much time your child spends sleeping and to look for signs that they may not be getting enough.
The amount of sleep a child can vary significantly from one to another and depends on their age as follows:
Newborns: 15-16 hours per day, typically in periods of two to four hours.
One to twelve months: 14-15 hours. Regular sleep patterns of up to four hours start to emerge and consolidate with longer periods of sleep at night.
One to three years: 12-14 hours per day. The morning nap usually disappears during the second year.
Three to six years: 10-12 hours per day. The afternoon nap becomes shorter before disappearing between the ages of three and five. Most children will sleep through the night after three.
Seven to twelve years: Bedtime becomes later as the child’s activities are extended into the evening. However, they will still need at least 9 hours per day.
Twelve to eighteen years: During their teens, children will limit the amount of sleep they need to 8 or 9 hours, mostly due to social pressures. Although as many parents know, teenagers will make up hours by sleeping late when allowed!
Tip: Ensure children who own mobile phones, laptops, tablets or other devices don’t use them for at least an hour before going to bed. The visible blue light emitted from screens and monitors suppresses melatonin – a hormone needed to get off to sleep.