Care

The Amount of Sleep Your Child Needs

By Parenting
 
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Of course, what each child requires also depends on personality and physiology, but use this as a guide:

AGE: 12 to 18 months
YOUR CHILD SHOULD SLEEP: 14 hours per day, including one or two naps
WHAT ABOUT NAPS? She'll likely outgrow two daytime naps in favor of one longer late-morning or early-afternoon one, but her total sleep should still be close to 14 hours.

AGE: 18 months to 3 years
YOUR CHILD SHOULD SLEEP: 12 to 14 hours
WHAT ABOUT NAPS? She may still take a second nap every so often; that's fine as long as it doesn't interfere with nighttime sleeping.

AGE: 3 to 6 years
YOUR CHILD SHOULD SLEEP: 10 to 12 hours
WHAT ABOUT NAPS? Most kids give them up altogether by age 5, but don't force it, especially if it leads to late-day meltdowns.



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