The child's sleep is very important both for his development and for the comfort of the other family members. Sleep is an active, dynamic physiological process, with a major impact on health. During sleep, a reversible state of reduced motor and metabolic activity occurs.
Some infants or small children set their bedtime too early and this involves waking up very early in the morning, in this case it is necessary to adapt the entire schedule of meals, walking, playing, playing, etc. At the opposite pole is the group of babies or children aged between 1-3 years who fall asleep very late in the evening, are restless, irritable, tired, capricious.
The natural question is: how long should my child sleep?
Each child has its behavioral characteristics, a certain psychological pattern and an environment that influences its development. That's why sleep and wake time can vary from one child to another. However, studies conducted on large groups of infants (0-1 years) and small children (1-3 years) have concluded that depending on age, the sleep-wake ratio can be as follows:
- newborn (0-1 month) requires frequent meals, usually breastfeeding is on demand, and the total sleep hours are 16-18
- the infant between 1-3 months he sleeps between 12-14 hours a day
- the baby between 4-6 months can sleep a total of 12-14 hours
- after the age of 6 months , the infant has relatively fixed mealtimes, 4-5 meals a day, and bedtime after the bath is around 9:00 p.m. He can sleep for about 12 hours in total
- in the last quarter of the first year of life , the baby is much more motor active, has a relative independence (stands supported, walks with support, etc.), can sleep a total of approximately 12 hours a day and rarely wakes up for the night meal
- after the age of 1 year sleeps 10-11 hours a day, the ideal bedtime in the evening is between 20.00-21.00, and the time to wake up in the morning between 6.00-8.00
Text: Dr. Cristiana Mirica , Primary Pediatrician
