In Russia, about 25% of children suffer from insomnia. The absence of night rest is a risk factor for the development of childhood diseases. Experts explain that age determines the amount of daily sleep needed. The need for sleep can also vary greatly among children, regardless of age.
Sudden changes in need for sleep - is this the norm?
Most newborns sleep at different times of the day, because they do not know the rhythm of the day and night. Some sleep a lot during the day and wake up regularly at night, while others do the opposite.
During the first few months, they become accustomed to the difference between day and night, and increasingly switch to the normal daily routine. After birth, newborns usually sleep several times a day.
| Age | Average need for sleep |
| 0 to 3 months | 15.5 hours |
| 4 to 11 months | 13.5 hours |
| 1-2 years | 12.5 hours |
| 35 years | 11.5 hours |
| 6 - 13 years old | 10 hours |
| 14 - 17 years old | 9 hours |
Experts recommend sleeping in the afternoon for children under 4 years old. But, of course, a midday dream is something individual. While some children are no longer ready to sleep at lunch at the age of 2, others do this all the time.
Do not send children to sleep as punishment
Children should be able to fall asleep on their own at preschool age.
Students with sleep problems focus less on the subject and have poor grades at school. In addition, it is difficult for them to control their feelings.
Adverse behavior can have a negative effect on school success.
Parents must set a daily routine for their child. However, children should not be sent to bed as a punishment. Bad feelings only exacerbate the process of falling asleep.
Can children sleep with parents?
58% of women report that their children sleep with them in bed.
According to the survey, almost every second mother (47%) takes the baby to bed when he wakes up at night.
However, sleeping in your parents bed carries some risks. Under a heavy blanket and between two warm bodies, a child can quickly overheat.
Overheating is considered the cause of sudden infant death syndrome. Also, parents can accidentally harm a child in a dream. To this is added an overly disturbed sleep.
If the child is in the parents' bed, some mothers and fathers perceive every small movement and hardly rest.
Sleep is changing among teenagers
In adolescents, the sleep rhythm shifts significantly backward. This means that adolescents are able to get enough sleep in the morning and stay awake in the evening. Waking up at half-past seven in the morning to arrive at school on time is a real challenge for the younger generation.
Teenagers are unable to concentrate normally on the first lesson.
For this reason, sleep researchers demand that the school start be pushed back at 8:30 or 9:00. In the afternoon, adolescents have the highest performance.
Too little sleep makes you overweight.
A study from New Zealand shows that children who sleep little are a little more prone to obesity.
Professor Ed Mitchell of the University of Auckland and his colleagues measured the duration of sleep in 591 children aged 7 years.
On average, children spend 10.1 hours in bed per night, doctors say in the journal Sleep.
Children who sleep less than 9 hours are more likely to be overweight or obese. Lack of sleep can increase the risk of developing overweight by 3 times. It was shown that this effect does not depend on physical activity and watching television. Researchers emphasize the importance of adequate sleep for children's development.
Children who do not move fall asleep longer and sleep less
The less children move during the day, the longer they fall asleep. A healthy child needs an average of 3 minutes to go to sleep. According to the study, young people also sleep poorly if they move a little. Another study examined the behavior of 519 children under the age of 7 years, which came to similar results.
If parents are not sure if their baby is sleeping enough, a sleep diary can help. Entries in the sleep diary can help the pediatrician see if any changes in the daily routine can improve the quality of the baby’s sleep. Often this is enough to create a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere before going to bed.
Some experts believe that daytime sleep contributes to sleep disturbance, so not all children need it. The International Society of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine also believes that the child should be calm and not “agitated” before going to bed.
However, sports or exciting activities - television, computer games, exciting reading - interfere with calm falling asleep.
