Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep is important at every age. Try to establish a healthy sleep routine for overall better health and good school performance. Sleep deficiency in children differs from that in adults. Sleep-deficient children might be overly active, have problems paying attention, feel angry and impulsive, or have mood swings. Do you know how much sleep your family needs each day?

Newborn: 16-18 hours per day

Preschool aged child: 11-12 hours

School aged child: At least 10 hours

Teen: 9-10 hours

Adult: 7-8 hours

Safe sleep is important. We recommend babies sleep on their back in crib, bassinet, or play pen using a proper firm mattress with no extra pillows or blankets. Visit the CDC for more information on safe sleep.

Sleep training can be exhausting, but it can be done! There are different approaches to sleep training. We suggest you finding the right fit for your child and parenting style.

The "cry-it out" approach

These sleep training methods say it's okay to leave your child to cry, if necessary, although they don't advocate letting a baby cry endlessly. Typically these methods suggest putting your baby to bed when he's still awake and allowing short periods of crying punctuated by comforting (but not picking up) your child. The most well known "cry it out" technique is the one developed by pediatrician Richard Ferber, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children's Hospital Boston and author of Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. Ferber says that in order to fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night, babies have to learn to soothe themselves. Ferber believes that teaching a baby to soothe himself may involve leaving him alone to cry for prescribed periods of time.

The "no tears" approach

Sleep training methods in this category encourage a more gradual approach, with the parent offering comfort right away when their child cries. Pediatrician William Sears, author of The Baby Sleep Book, is probably the most well known proponent. Parent educator Elizabeth Pantley outlines a step-by-step no-tears approach in her book The No-Cry Sleep Solution.

Some experts fall somewhere between these two methods in their recommendations. Perhaps the most well known of these is pediatrician Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block. His method suggests a very specific routine involving "the five S's": swaddling, the side or stomach position (for calming your baby, not for sleeping), shushing, swinging, and sucking. One of our favorite experts is Marc Weissbluth, pediatrician and author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

One of our favorite resources for sleep is Marc Weissbluth, pediatrician and author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.