ANCSLEEP BLOG

What is Sleep Apnea in Children?

Sleep apnea is a medical condition where you stop breathing many times throughout the night and, in consequence, momentarily wake up to begin breathing again. Symptoms of sleep apnea in children are also the same as adults, though you might describe some of the symptoms more in child-like terms:

• Wake up throughout the night
• Loud snoring
• Excessive daytime tiredness
• Less  capable of managing anxiety and stress
• "Acting out"
• Chronic "fussiness"

For children some of their symptoms are very similar to those seen in adults:

• Decreased performance in nearly every area of life
• Increased stress, anxiety, and rates of depression
• Increased risk of numerous medical problems

How Much Sleep Should Children Have

Children, ages 0-17, need a lot more sleep than adults. The recommended amount of sleep for children varies with age. Here are some ranges that you will commonly see for nighttime sleep recommendations [NHS]:

• 1-5 years: 11-12 hours of sleep per night
• 6-9 years: 10-11 hours of sleep per night
• 10-17 years: 9-10 hours of sleep per night

Of course, we are all individuals and your child may need a bit more or less sleep than indicated above. Also, naptime is important for babies and toddlers in addition to the above recommendations for nighttime sleep.

How Many Hours of 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 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, but this general guideline can provide you with a baseline on which to customize. 

• Newborns 0-4 months
  • Recommended 14-17 hours per day
  • No less than 11 hours
  • No more than 19 hours
• Infants 4-12 months
  • Recommended 12-16 hours
  • No less than 10 hours
  • No more than 18 hours
• Toddlers 1-3 years
  • Recommended 11-14 hours
  • No less than 9 hours
  • No more than 16 hours
• Preschoolers 3-5 years
  • Recommended 10-13 hours
  • No less than 8 hours
  • No more than 14 hours
• Adolescents 6-13
  • Recommended 9-12 hours
  • No less than 7 hours
  • No more than 12 hours
• Teenagers 13-18 years
  • Recommended 8-10 hours
  • No less than 7 hours
  • No more than 11 hours

What’s important is to try and establish what amount of sleep allows your child to perform best. When children don’t get enough, they will suffer from sleep deprivation. Sometimes, sleep deprivation can mirror ADHD. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between the two, and how to tell them apart. 

Signs Your Child Isn’t Sleeping Enough

When your child isn’t sleeping enough, they will likely show signs such as being defiant, hyperactive, and/or crabby. If children don't get enough sleep, there may be an increase in behavioral issues. Signs your child isn’t sleeping enough include:

• Behavior that is consistent with ADHD signs
  • Hyperactivity
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Defiant behavior
  • Impulsive behavior
• Excessive sleep on weekends
• Falling asleep during the day, such as at school
• Poor or erratic performance at school
• Hard time waking up in the morning

In fact, there is an increasing body of evidence from studies that children with chronic sleep problems can be misdiagnosed with ADHD (Shur-Fen Gau 2006). Another important thing is to try and establish a baseline of behavior and performance for your child so it's easier to decipher what is normal and what is uncharacteristic.

If your child’s behavior/performance is erratic from day to day, or if they are uncharacteristically defiant/crabby/sleepy, look at their sleep schedule.

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.