New guidelines have been published from an organisation in the US outlining the amount of sleep that children of different ages should ideally be getting.
(Note: We say ideally because, let’s face it, the reality of getting kids to sleep is not usually in keeping with any sort of guidelines.)
Anyway, the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released recommendations today based on the findings of 13 experts and researchers.
The guidelines are as follows:
- 12 hours to 16 hours including naps for infants aged 4 months to 12 months. (Younger infants aren't included because they have a wide range of normal sleep patterns.)
- 11 to 14 hours including naps for children aged 1 to 2 years.
- 10 to 13 hours including naps for children aged 3 to 5 years.
- 9 to 12 hours for children aged 6 to 12 years.
- 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 18 years
The recommendations have received the backing of the
American Academy of Pediatrics and were published in the
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
It is argued by the consensus paper author, Dr. Lee Brooks, that when kids meet the requirements on a regular basis, they reap the rewards in terms of attention span, behaviour and learning.
