Is your little one getting enough shut-eye? According the sleep experts, the answer is probably no.
After reviewing 100+ years of studies about children and sleep — more than 300 of them — University of South Australian researchers determined that sleep experts have consistently found that children got less sleep than recommended, Time Magazine reported.
“Over the 112 years the study covered, children lost about 75 minutes of shut-eye,” Time’s Bonnie Rochman wrote of the new study inPediatrics, “in 1897, experts were recommending that kids sleep 1 hr. 15 min. more than was advised in 2009.”
“Another constant,” Rochman added, “societal hand-wringing over children’s lack of sleep and a tendency to blame the hectic pace of modern life.” One of the study’s authors said, “People are always recommending kids sleep more than they do.”
So what’s the current recommended amount of sleep time for children?
It varies based on age, but according to the National Sleep Foundation babies between the ages of 3 to 11 months need a total of 14 to 15 hours, while toddlers between 1 to 3 years old should get 12 to 14 hours. Preschoolers need 11 to 13 hours, and elementary schoolers should sleep between 10 to 11 hours. Older children and teens need a minimum of 8½ hours.
Source: National Sleep Foundation
How many hours of sleep do your kids normally get?
