Sleep is important for children to develop and grow. When children don’t get enough sleep, it can impact their mood and their ability to succeed in school. It can also impact their physical health.
How much sleep do children need?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends the following amount of sleep for children:
Children Ages 3-5
Children Ages 6-13
Children Ages 14-17
10-13 hours
9-12 hours
8-10 hours
When might you be concerned about your child’s sleep?
The child is very tired when they wake up and/or throughout the day.
The child is taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
The child is waking up multiple times at night.
The child’s mood, attention, or memory has noticeably changed due to suspected sleep challenges.
The child is having frequent nightmares.
The child is experiencing significant fear or anxiety around the dark during bedtime (e.g., crying, screaming, talking about being scared to go to bed).
The child is having separation anxiety or difficulty falling asleep independently (e.g., child will only fall asleep with parent).
What can you do as a parent/caregiver to help improve your child’s sleep?
Parents/caregivers can help their child get better sleep by:
Sticking to the same bedtime and wake time every day. Consistency is key to helping children stick to a sleep schedule so their bodies know when it’s time to sleep.
This includes the weekends! It can disrupt a child’s sleep schedule when they stay up late or sleep in on the weekends. This can make it harder to fall asleep and wake up during the week.
Make bedtime a routine. A bedtime routine helps tell a child’s body that it’s time for bed. The bedtime routine should happen every night at the same time, when possible.
It can help children to do relaxing, lower-energy activities leading up to bed. Reading a story or listening to calming music can help children relax.
An example could be: going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, and reading a bedtime story.
Keep the bed for sleeping. Children should only use their bed for sleeping. This teaches the child’s body that being in bed means it’s time for sleep. If a child eats or plays video games in bed, the bed no longer tells the child’s body it’s time for sleep.
Limit screens. Try not to keep cell phones, tablets, or other electronic devices in the child’s bedroom. These devices could distract the child and keep them awake. You can also limit the child’s screen use before bedtime.
Prepare the environment. A child’s room should be kept cool, quiet, and dark for sleep. For example, a child should not have the TV on in the background when trying to sleep.
Between Session Practice:
What are your current concerns about your child’s sleep?