“There are alarm clocks designed specifically to helpĬhildren learn good bedtime and wake up times,” says Dr. Letting them sleep longerĬould hinder their internal clock and make it harder for them to fall asleep Later than one hour past their normal wake time. Tang recommends that a child sleeps in no Also be sure to stop screen time at least one hour before bed and try to keep tablets and phones out of a child’s room to better promote sleep. Your child will start to associate that these things mean it’s time for bed. Sleep, and not necessarily as a place to play.Įstablish a nighttime routine with things like story time, a lullaby or dimming the lights. Try limiting daytime naps to less than 45 minutes.Īlso be sure that your child’s bedroom is associated with But if youįind that your child’s having trouble falling asleep and still waking up early, Nap time can be included in overall sleep time. And you’ve got to be consistent.” Naps and bedroom environment “Changing a bedtime and wake time can take about three weeks. “Once kids have developed bad sleep habits, parents need to have patience with trying to reverse it,” says Dr. Do this until they’re sleeping the appropriate amount of time and their wake-up time is manageable for you both. Start by putting them to bed 15 minutes earlier for a day or two ― and then continue moving it up by 15 more minutes each night.
Instead, be consistent about putting your child to bed at a specific time each night. At that point, they’re probably overly tired and it has begun to take a toll on them, says Dr. You shouldn’t wait until your child starts to show signs of being sleepy, like yawning or rubbing his or her eyes. School-age children (6 to 13 years) 9 to 11.Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 10 to 13 hours.
Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours.Newborn (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours.It’s important to know the recommended amount of sleep per dayįor each age group according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: Tang says that one of the biggest things that parentsĬan do is be consistent with keeping regular bedtime and sleep “So it’s important for a child to have good sleep habits for their overall health and well-being.”ĭr. “A lot of our sleep habits develop at a really early age,” says pediatrician Maria Tang, MD. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.