Children's sleep needs vary by age, with recommended amounts generally including both nighttime sleep and naps. The consensus from multiple reputable sources is as follows:
- Newborns (0–3 months): 14 to 17 hours per 24 hours, including naps.
- Infants (4 to 12 months): 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours, including naps.
- Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours, including naps.
- Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours, including naps.
- School-age children (6 to 12 years): 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours.
- Teenagers (13 to 18 years): 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours
These recommendations come from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and are widely supported by pediatric health organizations. Getting the recommended amount of sleep is crucial for children's health, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. Insufficient sleep is linked to attention, behavior, and learning problems as well as increased risks for accidents, obesity, and mental health issues
. To help children get enough sleep, experts suggest establishing consistent bedtime routines, limiting screen time at least an hour before bed, and setting bedtimes based on when the child needs to wake up
