As much as we would all love to get eight hours of sleep in each night, that is not always the case. Being adults, we can try and monitor our sleep much easier than our children can. Knowing how much sleep your child needs and knowing ways to help them achieve it will help your child sleep better and maybe even give you that extra hour in the night to get your beauty rest.

Newborn babies are the kings of sleeping and usually rest about eight to nine hours a night and eight hours per day. Children 6-12 months old can sleep about 10-12 hours a night and five hours during the day. As the years increase, the daytime sleep decreases but children all the way up to 6 years of age should still be getting about 10 hours of sleep at night.

It is not always easy to get your child to get those vital sleep hours in both during the day or at night, but there are some ways to try and speed along that process. No matter what the age of your child, it is important to start a quiet time about 20-30 minutes before you would like them to go to bed. Listening to quiet music or reading them a book is best; TV should not be a part of this quiet time.

When it is time to go to bed, say goodnight, shut off the light and leave the room.  If you are consistent with this routine and try to not enter the room much after you have put them down, they will eventually fall into that rhythm as well. Some children need a comfort object to help them go to sleep. Let them use their favorite blanket or stuffed animal to help get them ready for bed. Try and always put your child to bed when they are awake so they can learn how to let themselves fall asleep.

As stated above, routine is of the up most importance. If you are consistent with when you put your child down, how you do it, and how you react when they do not go to sleep, your child will catch on and eventually get in the right habit themselves