How Much Sleep?
Knowing the recommended hours of sleep and sharing those with your child can be helpful if they tend to fight going to bed.
The way I put it with my kids was “The people who study these things and are very wise about all things sleep and how it keeps you healthy recommend (e.g.) 11 hours sleep a night. During term time you need to be up at 7am which means you need to be asleep at 8pm. My job and your job is to make a plan to get those hours in so you have lots of energy to enjoy the day.”
Then I ask questions to help them come up with a bedtime plan, including how long it takes them to fall asleep. One of my children is asleep the minute the head hits the pillow, the other needs time to gradually switch off the brain, so we have different routines. Help your child notice their own patterns and needs when forming a plan.
Once the plan is formed agree how you’re going to help them stick to it. I give time reminders in the run-up to bed which is what my kids said they would need. Support your child to take ownership but how much support they need will be age-dependent.
Bedtimes matter because not only do your children get the valuable sleep they need, you get the valuable downtime you need! If you’d like to think through how to best structure the routine and how to support your child when they are resistant to bedtime please book a FREE Ignite Change session so we can discuss how I can help you.
Daily hours of sleep recommended by GOSH
Newborn (0-3 months old) 14-17 hours
Infant (4-12 months old) 12-16 hours inc naps
Toddler (1-2 years old) 11-14 hours inc naps
Preschool (3-5 years old) 10-13 hours inc naps
School Age (6-12 years old) 9-12 hours
Teens (13-18 years old) 8-10 hours
