How Much Sleep Do Children Need?
Children need more sleep than adults. The younger the child, the more sleep they need. Below is a guideline for the amount of recommended, minimum, and maximum amount of sleep your child should be getting based on their age [Sleep Foundation]. All children are different and have unique needs, hence there is a recommended number listed, and outside of that a minimum and maximum amount of sleep are listed as well:
- Newborns 0-4 months
- 11-19 hours per day; Recommended 14-17 hours per day
- Infants 4-12 months
- 10-18 hours per day; Recommended 12-15 hours
- Toddlers 1-3 years
- 9-16 hours per day; Recommended 11-14 hours
- Preschoolers 3-5 years
- 8-14 hours per day; Recommended 10-12 hours
- Adolescents 6-13
- 7-12 hours per day; Recommended 9-11 hours
- Teenagers 13-18 years
- 7-11 hours per day; Recommended 8-10 hours
It's important to try and establish what amount of sleep allows your child to perform best. When children don’t get enough sleep, they will experience sleep deprivation.