So how do you get kids to bed through the cries, screams, and avoidance tactics? How should you respond when you're awakened in the middle of the night? And how much sleep is enough for your kids?
How Much Is Enough?
Sleep quantity needs vary based on age. But common "rules" about how many hours of sleep an infant or a 2-year-old need might not be helpful when it comes to your own child. These numbers are simply averages reported for large groups of kids of particular ages.There's no magical number of hours all kids need in a certain age group. Two-year-old Lilly might sleep for 12 hours, while 2-year-old Marcus is just as alert the next day after sleeping for only 9 hours.
Still, sleep is very important to kids' well-being. The link between a lack of sleep and a child's behavior isn't always obvious. When adults are tired, they can be grumpy or lack energy, but kids can become hyper, disagreeable, and have extreme changes in behavior.
Here are some approximate numbers based on age, with age-appropriate tips to help you get your child to sleep.
Babies (Up to 6 Months)
Newborns' internal clocks aren't fully developed. They sleep up to 18 hours a day, divided about equally between night and day. Newborns should be wakened every 3 to 4 hours until they have good weight gain, usually within the first few weeks. After that, it's OK if a baby sleeps for longer periods.After those first weeks, infants may sleep for as long as 4 or 5 hours at a time — this is about how long their small bellies can go between feedings. If babies do sleep a good stretch at night, they may want to nurse or get the bottle more often during the day.
Just when parents feel that sleeping through the night is a far-off dream, their baby usually begins to sleep longer stretches at night. At 3 months, a baby averages about 14 hours of sleep total, with 8 to 9 hours at night (usually with an interruption or two) and two or three daytime naps.
It's important to know that babies can cry and make all sorts of other noises during light sleep. Even if they do wake up in the night, they may only be awake for a few minutes before falling asleep again on their own.
But if a baby under 6 months old continues to cry, it's time to respond. Your baby may be truly uncomfortable: hungry, wet, cold, or even sick. But routine nighttime awakenings for changing and feeding should be as quick and quiet as possible. Don't provide any unnecessary stimulation, such as talking, playing, turning on the lights, or using a bright mobile device while waiting for your child to sleep. Encourage the idea that nighttime is for sleeping. You have to teach this because your baby doesn't care what time it is as long as his or her needs are met.
Ideally, place your baby in the crib before he or she falls asleep. It's not too early to establish a simple bedtime routine. Any soothing activities (bathing, reading, singing) done consistently and in the same order each night can be part of the routine. Your baby will associate them with sleeping and they'll help him or her wind down.
The goal is for babies to fall asleep by themselves and learn to soothe themselves and go back to sleep if they should wake up in the middle of the night.
