Here is how much your child should be sleeping:
- Infants 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps)
- Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps)
- Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps)
- Children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours
For kids under 12, sort out when they need to get up to prepare for school. Count backwards from that time to establish a bedtime. Your kids may function fine with nine hours of sleep or may require 12.
For little kids, watch for signs of sleepiness. The rubbing of the eyes and the long blinks are clear indicators your child is tired. Notice the time these sleepy symptoms occur and use that as your bedtime guide.
Everyone should finish all games, chats and dealings with electronics 15 to 30 minutes before bed. Don't take the cell phone or tablet to bed with you. Keep the bed dedicated to sleeping.
Listen in as Dr. Lee J. Brooks discusses these new guidelines.