7. Plenty of Sleep

Children require plenty of sleep to grow and develop.  Sleep can be as important as nutrition and exercise.  It can be difficult to know how much sleep children require.  The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies has provided the following guidelines:

"Newborns: 11 to 18 hours

Newborns and all infants, sleep on and off for a few hours at time. Babies don't develop a regular awake/sleep pattern until about 6 months of age.

Infants: 14 to 15 hours

From two months to a year, infants' sleeping patterns will change into a regular awake/ sleep pattern with one or two naps throughout the day.

Toddlers: 12 to 14 hours

Most toddlers will be sleeping through the night and only taking one nap during the day.

Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours

Consistent sleeping patterns should be established by now and toward the last few months of age 5, naps will probably end.

School-Age: 10 to 11 hours

School-age children need adequate sleep to function at their best. Added demands on their time for school, outside activities, and home life, can add to school-age children not getting enough rest."

prepared by NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.