How many hours should my baby sleep?

How long children should sleep is one of the doubts that many parents may have. Taking into account the importance of sleep for a healthy development of the baby. A good rest is as important in childhood as eating a healthy diet.

Recently in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, an estimate of how many hours of sleep a dependent child needs at age has been published.

• 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours.
• 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours.
• 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours.
• 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours.
• 13 to 18 years: 8-10 hours.

Recommendations start after four months. Since before it is practically impossible to establish a schedule in terms of sleep time. This is a guide to how much a child can possibly sleep, because each baby is different. And the hours of sleep can vary. But this is the most recommended.

Sleeping the necessary hours has benefits at all levels, from basic to cognitive and emotional. Good sleep improves attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health. In addition to a good rest for parents. 

Some of my tips for you would be, a bath after mealtime helps to relax the baby. Stories, caresses, and soft music worked very well for me when my children were young. In addition to the use of lavender-scented creams.