How much should children at different ages sleep?

When a baby is born, Mom and Dad’s sleep needs become less important. At first, the emotions triggered by the birth of their little one are so powerful that parents have neither the time, nor the intention to rest. But after just a few weeks, new parents start to wonder: will we get a good night’s sleep ever again?

How children sleep
As a matter of fact, the newborn’s sleep is a series of naps interrupted by feeding time. Little ones do not distinguish between day and night and can wake up every few hours, or even every hour or so. It may often be the case that a baby may suffer from colic. This disrupts the baby’s sleep, both in terms of duration and quality. This is when parents may feel like day and night are blending into one…

After 3 months (the period also known as the fourth trimester), the duration of uninterrupted sleep increases. Babies start to develop their daily routine. By the end of their 1st year most babies nap three times a day. After the first birthday, the number of naps goes down to two, and then one (some five-year-olds may still need an occasional nap).

Sleep is important
For the youngest ones, sleep is as important as food. It is essential for their brain development and recovery, release of the growth hormone and development of their immune system.

It turns out that the time of going to sleep is also extremely important. Research done by a team from the Ohio State University (USA) has shown that for children the best time for falling asleep is by 8 pm. Going to bed after 8 pm may lead to being overweight, or — in extreme cases — even teenage obesity.

Children who sleep long and deep feel better, are calmer and find it easier to concentrate, learn and remember things.

Sleep duration
Researchers from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) have published a new set of recommendations for sleep duration:

• Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours a day
• Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours a day
• Toddlers (1-2 years old): 11-14 hours a day
• Pre-schoolers (3-5 years old): 10-13 hours a day
• Older children (6-13 years old): 9-11 hours a day

In children of up to 5 years of age, the total number of hours of sleep is divided into night rest and the appropriate number of naps.

myHummy bears for better sleep
Using sleep aid can greatly improve your baby’s sleep quality. White noise will induce a state of relaxation in your baby, while subtle pink noise will help maintain a peaceful deep sleep.

myHummy app* enables you to remotely control the settings of your bear (i.e. changing the sounds, altering the volume, activating the Sleep Sensor or the non-stop mode).

*myHummy app and Bluetooth connectivity only available with Bluetooth models of myHummy