HOW MUCH SLEEP IS ENOUGH SLEEP?
So how much sleep do babies need within each 24 hour period?
Below are new and revised guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation. Helping parents with one of the most frequently asked questions “how much sleep do babies need?“. It shows the AVERAGE amount of sleep a child requires at various ages over a 24 hour period. Each child is unique but the variations should not be huge.
A lot of parents are not aware of quite how much sleep babies need. Sleep allows our children to consolidate memories and retain the new skills they learnt that day. It is also an important part of developing a strong immune system. I’m sure I don’t need to tell any parents how important sleep is when it comes to the mood of their child! For babies under six months of age it is important to prioritize getting daytime sleep over the way you get them to sleep. Movement sleep is not as restorative as still sleep but it is better than no sleep. So go ahead and use the swing or stroller for those young babies. Fill your child’s sleep tank during the day and you will set them up for a better nights sleep. Sleep really does beget sleep 🙂
Very alert children will often sleep less than the numbers quoted above. Not because they don’t need it (alert children actually need more not less sleep) but because these babies and toddlers find it much harder to switch off and shut the rest of the world out. These little ones suffer from poor naps, multiple night wakings and are often sleep deprived. If you think this could be your child look out for my Blog full of tips on how to help your alert child get the sleep they need.
If you would like to know how to improve your child’s quality of sleep e-mail me at info@happylittlesleepers.com
Amanda x
