If you’ve started the new year with a resolution to improve your child’s sleep, and you’re not sure where to begin, here are five things that you can start working on today to make it a more restful year for your entire family.
1. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.
The numbers in the chart below are just averages, but they’re a good place to start if you’re not sure how much sleep your child needs to be considered well-rested. Of course, every child is different, but most don’t deviate from the average by more than one hour. If your child is sleeping more than one hour less than the average amount, and especially if they seem tired and cranky, they may not be getting enough sleep.
| Age | Total Sleep | Night Sleep | Number of Naps |
| 1 week | wide variation | wide variation | on demand |
| 1 month | wide variation | wide variation | on demand |
| 4 months | 15 hours | 11 hours | 4 to 8 |
| 6 months | 14-1/4 hours | 11 hours | 3 |
| 9 months | 14 hours | 11-1/2 hours | 2 |
| 12 months | 13-3/4 hours | 11-1/2 hours | 2 |
| 18 months | 13-1/2 hours | 11-1/2 hours | 1 |
| 2 years | 13 hours | 11-1/2 hours | 1 |
| 3 years | 12 hours | 11 hours | 1 |
| 4 years | 11-1/2 hours | ||
| 5 years | 11 hours | ||
| 6 years | 10-3/4 hours | ||
| 9 years | 10 hours | ||
| 12 years | 9-1/4 hours | ||
| 15 years | 8-3/4 hours | ||
| 18 years | 8-1/4 hours |
2. Make sure your child is sleeping at the right time.
When your child sleeps is just as important as how much they sleep. Too much awake time between naps, too late a bedtime, or too early a wake-up time can leave your child overtired, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you’re not sure about the timing of your child’s sleep, take a look at my FCM post on naps – it will give you an idea of typical awake windows by age and help you to decide if your child’s schedule needs tweaking.
To determine your child’s ideal bedtime, start with their average morning wake-up time and count backward the number of hours of sleep they require at night. For example, a typical six-month-old needs approximately 11 hours of sleep at night. If they wake at 6:00 a.m., they should be asleep by about 7:00 p.m. to get the 11 hours they need.
3. Create a sleep-friendly environment – dark, quiet, and cool.
Although some children can sleep in bright rooms and noisy environments, most sleep best in a dark and quiet space. If you haven’t already, invest in room-darkening shades, which are especially helpful during the summer, when it’s light outside until 9:00 p.m. Keep mobiles and other stimulating toys out of the crib or bed, and keep electronics out of the bedroom. Use a white noise machine (the Marpac Dohm is my favorite) to muffle sound, and make sure the room isn’t too hot or too cold. Most experts agree that 68-72 degrees F is the ideal temperature for sleep.
4. Have a consistent and relaxing bedtime routine.
A predictable and relaxing bedtime routine not only allows your child to wind down before bed – research shows that it can help your child fall asleep faster, wake up less, and sleep longer. Try not to rush through the steps of your bedtime routine, and don’t be afraid to skip a bath or read one less book on days when you’re running behind schedule. The best routines are simple and calming, and don’t drag on too long – 30 to 45 minutes is a good time frame for a bath, pjs, books, or a song before lights out.
5. Make sure your child knows how to put themselves to sleep.
If your child is frequently waking throughout the night, take a look at what’s happening at bedtime. Are you rocking, bouncing, or feeding your child to sleep? If so, then chances are they’re expecting you to do the same thing every time they have a partial arousal throughout the night. Teaching your child to put themselves to sleep without assistance may seem daunting. Still, the reality is that if your child is developmentally ready and you have a plan, they can probably learn this critical skill much more quickly than you think.
