Open Your Eyes to Healthy Sleep Habits for Kids

Helping a child sleep well is a key concern for most parents. A youngster will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood sleeping and by the age of two will have spent more time asleep than awake. Sleep is critical because it directly impacts a child’s mental and physical development.

“It’s important for parents to help children establish healthy sleep habits at a young age,” advises Manisha Panchal, M.D., Camino Medical Group (CMG) pediatrician. “In general, the biggest sleep-related problem I see among my patients is that many are going to bed too late at night. Some parents think that if you keep a child up later, they will sleep in later but instead, children who go to bed earlier tend to sleep longer.”

The best approach is to set a good sleep routine for children starting at an early age, said Dr. Panchal. Infants begin developing a sleep rhythm at about six weeks of age. By the time they are 3 to 6 months old, most have regular sleep-wake cycles.

To help children set healthy sleep patterns, Dr. Panchal advises parents to follow these basic suggestions:

• Help your child learn to fall asleep on his or her own.
  
• Give your child sleep associations, including phrases like “time for bed” or a special stuffed animal or blanket.
  
• Create a bedtime routine.
  
• Be consistent.
  
• Be flexible.

Naps are an important part of every child’s sleep routine until he or she is about 4 years old. Normal napping requirements:

Age	Naps/day	Hours/day
1 month	3	6-7 hours
3 months	3	5-6 hours
6 months	2	3-4 hours
9 months	2	2.5-4 hours
12 months	1-2	2-3 hours
2 years	1	1-2 hours
3 years	1	1-1.5 hours