Healthy Sleep Habits
for proper Growth of your Child

Healthy sleep habits are important for your child's growth and development. Both daytime and night sleep are necessary for every baby and toddler. Children, who get a lot of sleep are more alert and perform better than children who don't sleep well.

Newborns sleep about 16 hours a day for the first two months. They usually don't sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time and don't stay up more than 2 hours at a time.

By about 3 months, babies develop a more steady routine. Babies at this age need about 14-15 hours sleep. A good time to put the baby to bed for the night is about 7-8 pm. The baby will also need 2-3 naps during the day. Establish regular night bedtime and nap times.

When the baby is 6-9 months old, the baby will need 12-15 hours sleep a day. At this age, the baby should sleep about 6 hours straight at night.

At about nine months, children usually sleep 11-14 hours a day with about 2 naps for one or two hours at a time.

Establish a consistent bedtime routine. The child should fall asleep on her own without being rocked to fall asleep.

Between the ages 2 and 3 years, the toddler will need about 10-11 hours sleep at night and about 2 hours nap time. This is the time when the child will make the transition from crib to a bed.

A suggested bedtime routine:
1. Give the child a relaxing and fun bath.
2. Go to the toilet and brush teeth.
3. Have a quiet time like reading a book.
4. Set a time limit, so that these routines don't carry on.
5. Say goodnight and turn off the light. You might leave a night light on.
6. The child should fall asleep without the parent staying in the room.

The book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth offers a program to ensure the best sleep for your child. Price is about $23-24.

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