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Parenting

13th Mar 2023

Children’s sleep expert shares exactly when they should be going to bed and waking up

Ellen Fitzpatrick

children's sleep

“We generally say 12 hours awake and 12 hours asleep.”

Getting our children to sleep is a struggle for any parent, especially when it comes to young children.

When it comes to getting your child to sleep at the right time, The Happy Sleep Coach has some advice for parents about what time you should be tucking your little ones in at.

Speaking to The Mirror, Jennifer Robinson shared that a “7pm bedtime and a 7am wake up is what we would aim for” when it comes to our children’s sleep patterns.

Working mostly with children aged between 18 weeks and seven years old, she encourages parents to stick to this routine as much as possible.

children's sleep

Jennifer told The Mirror: “If you find your child is waking before six or seven o’clock in the morning then we would bring the bedtime forward to counteract that.

“We generally say 12 hours awake and 12 hours asleep for a child who is nine months old and that carries on all the way until they are at least seven years old.

“Before nine months bedtimes can vary significantly as it would depend on the baby’s daytime sleep and how late their last nap was.”

When it comes to naps, it can affect a child’s sleep. If your child has dropped their naps due to nursery or school, it is advised that the bedtime is pushed to an earlier time of 6pm.

Jennifer also added that if a child is waking up before 7am, it is a sign that they have had too little sleep and should also be put to bed at an earlier time to ensure the full 12 hours are had.

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children,sleep