Doctors have always prescribed eight hours of sleep for adults to function properly. But have you ever wondered how much sleep your child needs to be a healthy and balanced human being? According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), this is how much sleep children and teenagers need to promote optimal health:
Amount of sleep
- Infants four to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours, including naps.
- Children one to two years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours including naps.
- Children three to five years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours a day, including naps.
- Children six to 12 years of age should sleep nine to 12 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis
- Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep eight to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis.
Sleep problems
Sometimes, there may be problems that hinder children from getting all the hours they need. Recent studies show that around 30% of children suffer from some type of sleep disorder, which is more than simply waking up and crying for comfort, or wanting to be held, fed or rocked back to sleep. According to the Alaska Sleep Education Centre, sleep disorders in babies and children can vary in severity and it’s important to know the signs and symptoms so you can treat them early. The good news is, most sleep disorders can be treated and successfully cured – so you don’t have to lose sleep over it.
Signs and symptoms of sleep disorders in children
Researchers from the Alaska Sleep Education Centre believe that these symptoms could indicate an underlying sleep disorder:
Regular snoring: According to the guidelines set out by the American Academy of Paediatrics, children who snore should immediately be tested for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). “Snoring isn’t normal for babies or children and should be taken seriously,” says a baby and sleep expert Jolandi Becker, adding that OSA, is characterised by laboured breathing during sleep as well as disturbed sleep with frequent gasps, snorts or pauses. In some cases, the regular snoring is a medical issue that’s linked to enlarged tonsils and once these are removed, the snoring stops.
Nightmares or night terrors: Nightmares or bad dreams are especially prevalent in children who are between two and three years of age, as their imaginations run wild, explains Jolandi. She says nightmares can be triggered by movies, videos, books or stories and can also occur during times of change or trauma. The good news is, nightmares are usually infrequent, but if your child is having them more frequently, consider seeing a child psychologist or speaking to your paediatrician. Night terrors, on the other hand, are quite different, says Jolandi. They usually occur in older children between four and eight years old, but there have been cases reported where children as young as 18 months old experience night terrors. Night terrors, along with regular sleep walking can be a main contributing factor to a sleep disorder and should be managed quickly. “Parents can be quite alarmed by a night terror as their child can appear quite anxious and can scream for between five and 15 minutes,” says Jolandi. What’s worse is you might not be able to comfort your child when she’s in this state. They can be caused by fevers, medication and most commonly from sleep deprivation.
Bed wetting: While it’s normal for kids who are weaning off night nappies to have the occasional accident, bed wetting can be a sign of a more serious sleep disorder, says Jolandi. However, educators from the Alaska Sleep Education Centre say bed wetting isn’t considered a sleep disorder unless your child is older than five-years-old and has episodes at least twice a week, on a regular basis.
