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How Much Sleep Do Kids Need?


by Coach Debbie

 

Gone are the summer days of kids staying up late catching fireflies then sleeping in until brunch time.  And that is a great thing!  Now you can recapture some much-needed MOMSANITY!   That’s right, when kids get to bed earlier, you get more free time!  School means waking up bright and early (or maybe dark and early), so let’s make sure the kiddos get ample sleep each night.

 

The National Sleep Foundation shares how much sleep kids need by age:

0-3 months = 14 to 17 hours

4-11 months = 12 to 15 hours

1-2 years = 11 to 14 hours

3-5 years = 10 to 13 hours

6-13 years = 9 to 11 hours

14-17 years = 8 to 10 hours

18-25 years = 7 to 9 hours

 

How are your kids faring?  How are YOU doing with getting enough shut-eye?

 

My kids are ages 9-13 so they need nine to eleven hours of sleep (I am so jealous).  Guess what time they go to bed?  By 8pm.  Yeah, even the teenager.  Let’s do the math and start with their wake-up time.  Then work backwards to see what time they need to fall asleep. 

 

For example, I wake up my kids by 6am, so they need to be fall asleep between 7pm and 9pm.  Most kids don’t instantly fall asleep, so they need time to drift into dreamland.  Every hour counts!

 

When kids lack sleep they are grouchy, hyper, more likely to get sick, and less focused in school.   All of those make your life and theirs HORRIBLE. 

 

Let’s look forward to a bedtime routine of prayer time, bath time, snuggle time, reading time, and all those warm fuzzies.  Turn off screens WAY before the kids need to snooze so that they are relaxed.  Remind them that this is part of staying healthy! 

 

And then you can go relax for the rest of the night in peace and quiet (well, unless you have an infant).  Everyone wins! 

 

We want to hear from you!  What time do your kids go to bed?