When is enough Sleep, Enough? If you have a baby or toddler and they only have just enough sleep to keep them going and become grumpy or fractious soon after a nap, this is a sign it’s not enough sleep. Baby and child sleep is such and important requirement for the smooth running of family life and keeping hold of a job you love or having sufficient energy to do all the things you want to do in the day.
So how much sleep does a baby need? A new baby requires 16-18 hours, however some experts believe that as little as 10 hours is normal for some, personally I don’t believe it is. This would be an indication that something is not right either for the mother particularly if breast feeding or her child.
As your baby gets older they are awake for longer periods during the day and feeds start to space out and naps times increase too. By six months your baby will require around 14-16 hours sleep and be having 2-3 naps depending on their routine and sleep patterns. Night sleep should have stretched out to at least 1-2 4-6 hour periods or you may have a baby who sleeps all night long, being every parents dream!
By age one baby will require 13-14 hours sleep and naps will drop to 1-2. This will depend on how long your baby sleeps at night and what time they wake in the morning. Ideally your baby will sleep 11-12 hours at night and have 2-3 hours sleep during the day. If this is not happening it will be impacting your own sleep and could be unhealthy if it continues for more than a year.
To know whether you and your child have had enough sleep you will wake up happy and refreshed. If you or they still seem tired, clingy or are yawning shortly after waking or within a hour or so of waking, it may be time to do something about it, after all what are you and they missing out on?
If you are not getting enough sleep and you would like to discuss ways to improve your family life, let’s set up a call and get you motivated to make some positive changes at home, check the website or email Juliet@sanitynanny.com and leave your contact details and a summary of what’s happening for you.