How Much Sleep do Babies and Kids Need?

Ask-a-Doc | How much sleep do kids need?

We all need sleep, but the big question is, how much? For kids, the amount of sleep they need varies by age. From babies to teens and all ages in between, pediatrician Kim Matlock, M.D., has the answers you need to help ensure your child gets the sleep they need for a healthy, active lifestyle.

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Transcript

00:00

Hi. I'm Dr. Kim Matlock and I would like to talk to you about sleep tips for your child.

00:09

You know, sleep is an incredibly important topic for our children. It affects them in so many different ways, including growth and development, learning, behavior.

00:19

The appropriate sleep is very age dependent. Usually young infants between zero and four months are sleeping more than they're awake. And as they get to be older infants, they still require quite a bit of sleep.

00:31

Our preschool aged children need 12 hours of sleep at night, plus a two to three hour nap during the day.

00:39

As they get a little older, our early elementary age children need about 11 hours of sleep at night. And as they grow a little bit, our later elementary age children need an average of 10 hours of sleep at night.

00:52

Our adolescents don't get as near as much sleep as they need. They need 10 hours at night, but most adolescents don't get near that.

01:01

Giving kids good, adequate sleep will help them maintain healthy, active lifestyles. And those are my tips on sleep.

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