What's the Right Amount of Sleep for a Kid?
At 5 Little Monkeys, our mission is to help kids everywhere get better quality sleep by offering the world's best mattress for kids. But the quality of your children's bed isn't the only thing that matters for healthy sleep: quantity counts too, in addition to quality. For many parents, it's unclear how many hours of sleep their children should be getting to promote healthy growth and development. If you've been wondering about the same thing, we can offer some answers.
The Right Number of Hours of Sleep for Kids
Before we answer this question, there's one important caveat we have to address: every child is different. While there are general guidelines on the amount of sleep a child should get, each child's needs will be completely specific to them, and you and should work with your child to find a sleep schedule that works for them.
Sleep needs also vary dramatically with age. During the earliest parts your child's life, they'll sleep the most, and their need for sleep will gradually decrease as they age. With that in mind, here are some general recommendations for the amount of sleep a child should get:
- Newborns & Infants: 12 to 16 hours
- Ages 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours
- Ages 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours
- Ages 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
- Ages 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours
Some kids won't get all of this sleep at one time – these totals include both nightly sleep and any naps your child takes during the day. After age 18, most people need about 8 hours of sleep per day for optimal health. But again, this is all relative: some kids need more sleep, some need less. Ultimately, what matters is doing what feels right for your child.
Order the World's Best Sleep System for Kids
These numbers should help in determining a healthy sleep schedule for your child. But in addition to quantity, quality of sleep is critical for healthy development – and unfortunately, most children's mattresses on the market today don't give kids what they need for truly restful, healthy sleep. At 5 Little Monkeys, we're proud to have created a world-class children's mattress specifically designed to promote healthy, restful sleep for kids. Interested in finding out what truly restful sleep can do for your child? Order a 5 Little Monkeys mattress today!