Baby Sleep, How Much Do They Need?

The following article is a humerous look at  baby sleep and infant sleep times. This is loosely based on the standard but remember your infant's sleep times may not fit in with these times. Don't worry, so long as he or she is healthy and has plenty of energy, your infant is getting all the sleep they need. Too many parents worry that their infant has a sleep disorder when in fact they are perfectly normal

How much do babies need to sleep?

No two children are alike but most experts agree on the following guidelines for sleeping:

Infants need about 16 hours/day, divided up during the day and night. (I bet you didn't realize that's how much your new little one was sleeping!)

By the time your infant is three or four months old, she will probably be sleeping about 15 hours/day, but her sleep cycles won't be dispersed but more concentrated during the nighttime.

Some parents have experienced just the opposite. Their children seem to have day and night mixed up (or think they were born in Antarctica!). Don't worry, you needn't move to another continent to resolve this issue. It shouldn't take but a few weeks of training to get your child's clock turned around . Unless, of course, you do want to move to Antarctica . In which case, I would say sleep is the least of your worries.

At six months, your baby should be sleeping about 12 hours/night while taking two long naps during the day (morning and afternoon).

Your child will probably take naps until she is about three years old. At 12 – 15 months, she will drop one nap and by the time she's five, she probably won't need to nap anymore. Only then will all her sleep be concentrated at night.

Remember that every child is different.

Some children don't need naps after they're two years old (sigh), while others will continue to nap until they're in Kindergarten (yahoo!).

By knowing your child and understanding her needs, you can determine what will be best for her! ©www.sleepbabysecrets.com

This web site (sleepbabysecrets) faded away leaving me (and several others) with broken links. However I have honoured the copyright. Visit www.insomnia-connection.com/baby-sleep.html for more information on baby sleep, infant sleep and information on infant sleep disorders

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