The way we sleep changes as we grow, with new issues to face at every stage. Colette Earley finds out more…
From naps to big blocks of sleep, the way we snooze changes with age. But how do we know what’s normal? Should an infant be sleeping through the night? Is waking before sunrise a problem? Can you sleep for eight hours but still feel tired the next day? These are just a few concerns regarding our sleeping habits. With the help of sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley we look at the sleep patterns for each age to assess what counts as ‘normal’ when we hit the hay.
YEARS 0-10 A vital stage of sleep for healthy development
Sleep at this stage in life is crucial, as our brains and bodies are developing at a rapid pace. As any new parent knows, a newborn baby has no concept of day and night, so their sleep is equally divided between the two – but worrying that your baby isn’t developing the right sleeping pattern is a common concern for parents. So, what is considered ‘normal’ sleep for a baby? “On average, from birth to around three months old, a baby will sleep in three- to four-hour periods, followed by one to two hours awake,” explains Neil. “At around two to three months, they will sleep mostly during the night.”
But don’t fret if your baby is still sleeping lots during the day. “In order to get the sleep it needs, a child will still require one or two sleep periods during daytime.” However, Neil assures us that every infant is different. He says, “By around nine months, 70 to 80 per cent of children will ‘sleep through the night’.
Nonetheless, parents shouldn’t worry if their infant isn’t doing this – even after 13 months, it’s natural for some babies to wake.“Babies don’t have a sleep rhythm – they’re developing their own rhythm,” he says. “And we shouldn’t be trying to enforce one just because it’s convenient for our lifestyle. The rhythm will come naturally.”
As your child grows, their need for regular sleep declines, with most children no longer needing naps by age six. So how many hours should your child be sleeping per day? The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends 11 to 19 hours for newborns (0–3 months), 10 to 18 hours for infants (4–11 months), nine to 16 hours for toddlers (1–2 years), eight to 14 hours for pre-schoolers (3–5 years), and seven to 12 hours for school age (6–13 years).
Neil concludes, “Regardless o
