Children not only differ in the way they play, eat or talk, they also differ in the way they sleep. However, the overall course of their sleeping behavior is the same for almost all children. In their first weeks and months, young babies have very different sleep stages and patterns than we do, and their sleep habits are usually unpredictable. It’s helpful to know this difference so you know what to expect and when to intervene.
However, by the age of 4, most children have more or less adult sleep patterns . The only major difference between individual children is the amount of sleep they need. Although children differ in this regard, most need a recommended minimum amount of sleep for optimal health.
l to 3 months
The expression sleeping like a baby is well chosen. In the first weeks of their lives, babies sleep an average of 16 hours per day, evenly divided between day and night. Parents’ lives would be a lot easier if their baby slept continuously for this period, but of course sleep is divided into many cycles of 2 to 4 hours.
This unpredictable pattern results from the slow development of the biological clock , which means that newborns do not know the difference between day and night. Instead of taking daylight or darkness as cues, they rely more on their stomachs these first few weeks, waking or falling asleep when they’re hungry or full, respectively.
Most babies can tell day from night by 10 weeks, a developmental stage that parents welcome with great relief. If the daytime naps are reduced from about four to three at the end of the third month, they will sleep longer at night. In fact, three-quarters of all babies by 3 months sleep for long periods of time at night.
3 to 6 months
During this period, rapid development takes place, and babies need approximately 14 hours of sleep. Although this development is determined by the baby’s biological clock, it is also a period in which parents can strongly influence the times at which the baby sleeps; this has benefits for both the baby and themselves. The reason for this is that at 3 to 4 months babies are not only biologically able to sleep through the night, but are also increasingly receptive to patterns set by their parents. This is probably an early opportunity to sleep train the baby that should not be missed.
6 to 12 months
During this period there is a marked shift in the time the baby sleeps at night and during the day, and by 9 months most babies only need to nap in the morning and afternoon. There is also more of a pattern in the number of hours the baby sleeps at night. This allows parents to better plan activities around the baby and, just as importantly, sleep better and more peacefully.
l to 3 years
At some point halfway through this period, it is normal for most babies to shift their morning nap to midday. This nap usually lasts one and a half to 2 hours and means that the afternoon nap can be skipped.
By the age of 3, the length of this nap is reduced to about an hour. This is supplemented with an 11-hour night’s sleep, which often makes life easier for the parents. During this period, good sleep habits are often easily disrupted; the sleep-wake cycle is still developing and is easily disrupted by vacations, illnesses, or a change in the sleep environment. That is why it is important to maintain a good bedtime ritual .
3 to 6 years
By the middle of this period the daily rhythm has fully developed. As long as children sleep well at night, they no longer need to take naps during the day. However , the fact that they have acquired an adult sleep pattern does not mean that they need less sleep. This is important to remember, because sleep deprivation will still affect behavior.
Biological clock
The body clock is the main control mechanism for sleeping and waking. It regulates the balance of hormones that relate to mood, energy and sleep behavior. The body clock uses signals such as sunlight and darkness to know when to produce and shut down sleep hormones . The clock cycles these hormones in 24- to 25-hour cycles, known as the circadian rhythm . Without this cycle, the body clock does not work.
