Baby Sleep Guidelines: How Much Sleep Your Baby REALLY Needs
You’ve heard over and over again that “back is best” and it’s true—placing your baby on his or her back is the safest position for sleep. A crib is the best place for your little one to sleep, but use a play yard, never a soft surface, if a crib is unavailable.
Now that you have the who, what and where figured out, you may be wondering, “How long should my newborn sleep?” and “How much sleep do babies need?” Babies, children, and teens need significantly more sleep than adults to support their rapid mental and physical development. We’ve broken down the recommended baby hours of sleep by age, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
While every child is slightly different in terms of how much sleep they need, most require the following to be fully rested:
Newborn: 0-3 months
For a healthy newborn sleep schedule, it’s recommended that newborns age 0 to three months receive 14 to 17 hours of sleep each day. Sleeping between 11 and 19 hours per day is also acceptable, but unless your pediatrician suggests otherwise, your newborn’s sleep schedule should stay within those limits.
Infant: 4-11 months
Infants between four and 11 months of age should be sleeping between 12 and 15 hours each day. Anywhere between 10 and 18 hours of sleep per day is also an acceptable newborn sleep schedule for this age range.
Toddler: 1-2 years
Babies between one and two years of age should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep each night, but 9 to 16 hours is also acceptable as per the baby sleep guidelines.
Preschooler: 3-5 years
After your toddler’s third birthday, he or she should be sleeping 10 to 13 hours each night. Sleeping between 9 and 14 hours is also acceptable for preschool-aged children.
At Delta Children, we understand the importance of a good night’s sleep, so we’ve rounded up some of our best tips for helping your baby sleep through the night and developing a bedtime routine for your toddler.
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