How long should children sleep?
Many parents wonder how much sleep their child needs. It is very age-dependent and varies how much your child should sleep. For example, children between the ages of 4 and 11 months need about 14 hours of sleep. Here you can find out how much your child should sleep on average.
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Not all children need the same amount of sleep
It is very age-dependent how much your child needs to sleep. However, children of the same age can sleep very differently, as is also genetically determined. Therefore, there is an approximate time range in which the sleep requirement is considered healthy.
If your child sleeps according to the recommendation, you as a parent should make sure to maintain this sleep pattern as much as possible. If your child is not as tired in the evening, you can gradually shorten the nap and at some point eliminate the nap completely.
Even today, there is the problem that children in daycare centers all have to go to sleep at the same time, although each child should find its own time.
Reasons for sleep problems
1. Your child wakes up more often at night
Until your child is 4 years old, sleep-through problems are nothing out of the ordinary. Signs of too little sleep are tantrums and bad moods.
There can be several reasons if your child has sleep-through problems. If your child is anxious and tense, it’s probably because your child doesn’t have enough self-soothing skills yet. As a parent, you should then support your child and, for example, hold your child’s hand. Despite everything, you should gradually get your child used to falling asleep alone.
2. Your child may be testing his or her limits
If your child is not anxious, he may be testing his limits. If he suddenly wants something to drink or eat, even though he has just eaten something, you should kindly point out to your darling when it is time to eat and when it is time to go to bed.
It is advisable to let your child have a bit of a romp before bedtime, so that he or she can fall asleep more easily afterwards.
3. Your child broods too much in the evening
If children have trouble falling asleep, it may be because they think too much in the evening. All it takes is a small argument with a friend or the thought that mom is leaving for work tomorrow and will be gone. For these reasons, parents should give their child enough opportunities to talk about it during the day, not just at night before they go to sleep. It’s just not good if your child is preoccupied with problems before bedtime.
Consistent lack of sleep can be dangerous
If your child sleeps too little, it can have serious effects on development. Other risk factors are that the immune system is weakened and can deteriorate emotionally as well as physically or psychologically.
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