What time should your child go to bed and how much sleep does she need?
Depending on the family, bedtimes can be set in stone or be very flexible.
The key to finding a bedtime that works well is to find the balance where a) your child gets the rest she needs and b) she still has the time she needs to bond with family members.
A formula for determining the correct bedtime is to a) start with the time she needs to wake up in the morning and b) count backwards using the guidelines below–
- Ages 0-3 months, 14-18 hours of sleep
- Ages 3-6 months, 14-16 hours of sleep
- Ages 6 months-2years, 12-14 hours
- Ages 2-5 years, 10-12 hours
- Ages 5 years and up, 10 hours
- Teenagers need 9.5 hours of sleep per night
If your child is well rested, learning will be easier.
And remember, fun learning is forever learning!
Ann Simpson
