How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? An Expert Shares the Amount for Every Age

"It's no secret that we all love our sleep. Time spent resting - whether we allow ourselves the pleasure or not - is crucial for our daily functioning and wellbeing. And while we relish the hour that we get to slip under the covers as adults, nothing is more dreaded as a child than bedtime. But kids need sleep just like the rest of us."

""Newborns are basically professional sleepers," Amanda DeLuca, Certified Pediatric Consultant and founder of Riley told TODAY.com. "As babies grow, their total sleep needs gradually drop, and you'll typically see more consolidated nighttime sleep by around 4 to 6 months [old]. By the time your baby hits their first birthday, most are clocking around 11 to 14 hours total, with one or two naps during the day.""

"The sleep expert says getting shut-eye is more than just rest - it is also active work for the body and brain. To that end, it supports memory and learning, growth, emotional regulation and immune health. After all, "Sleep truly is the best medicine," Dr. Vaishal Shah told Cleveland Clinic, adding that "it's free, has no detrimental side effects and requires no prior authorization from your insurance company.""

"DeLuca says that, generally, if your kid is healthy and occasionally sleeps more than recommended, their body will likely self-regulate. "Occasional long naps or sleep-ins usually mean their body needed extra rest - maybe after a growth spurt, illness or busy week. For infants and toddlers especially, there's almost no such thing as 'too much' sleep, unless it starts interfering with feeding or nighttime rest," she says."

Sleep is essential for children's functioning and wellbeing, supporting memory, learning, growth, emotional regulation, and immune health. Newborns sleep most, and total sleep needs decline over months, with more consolidated nighttime sleep by 4 to 6 months and about 11 to 14 hours total at one year including naps. Occasional long naps or sleep-ins often reflect extra rest needed after growth spurts, illness, or busy periods; infants and toddlers rarely get 'too much' sleep unless feeding or nighttime rest is affected. Consistently excessive sleep combined with daytime tiredness warrants a pediatrician evaluation, and sleep expectations should match developmental stage.

Read at TODAY.com