Sleep is a crucial component of a child’s overall well-being. Children who are properly rested are less likely to display behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, or to be moody. They also concentrate better and have improved performance in terms of memory, physical activities and decision making. Well-rested children are also less likely to experience nightmares or sleep terrors.

However, many children do not get the necessary amount of rest. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 69 percent of children under the age of 10 experience some difficulty with sleep.  

Sleep consists of five stages, the first four of which are called non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Stage 1 is the transition from being awake to sleeping, stage 2 is an intermediate level of sleep, and the third and fourth stages may be referred to as deep sleep or slow wave sleep. The fourth stage is also known as delta sleep, which is the deepest type of sleep. During delta sleep, growth hormone, which regulates cell division and protein synthesis necessary for growth, is produced. The fifth stage of sleep is called REM sleep. Dreaming occurs during this stage. Sleep is an active, complex process that involves the brain in multiple ways.

During the first six months of life, newborns have erratic sleep patterns because their internal clocks have not fully developed. Parents and caregivers are typically urged to wake children every three to four hours during the first two weeks of life, until the proper amount of weight gain is established. After the first six months, it is healthy for children to sleep as long as they want, although most children wake every three or four hours to be fed. By the age of 3 months, most babies are sleeping for five hours during the day and 10 hours at night. The vast majority of babies this age sleep between six and eight hours at a time during the night.

By the age of 6 months, babies generally nap for three hours during the day and sleep for 11 hours at night. Separation anxiety may become a problem between 6 months and 1 year of age, and babies of this age may begin to wake again at night. Parents are generally urged to let children of this age fall back to sleep on their own.

Between the ages of 1 and 3 years, toddlers usually sleep for anywhere from 10 to 13 hours. By the time a child is 5, average sleep time may have dropped by about an hour. Children ages 6 to 9 generally require about 10 hours of sleep, whereas children ages 10 to 12 need around nine hours of sleep.

As children move into the teenage years, they generally require over nine hours of sleep. However, many of today’s teens do not meet these basic requirements. In addition to impairing mood and performance, a lack of sleep may also be responsible for other negative consequences, such as car accidents, poor academic performance, bouts of depression and/or irritability, daytime sleepiness, and abuse of stimulants designed to keep the child awake. 

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to consult a physician if their newborn or infant becomes extremely fussy over an extended period of time. This may indicate that the child is sleep deprived. As children grow older, they may display other signs of sleeping problems that require the attention of a physician. These may include noisy breathing or other breathing problems, loud snoring, and consistent and unusual awakening at night. Children who consistently have difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep may also need medical attention.

Other signs of potentially significant sleep problems include:

• Commonly occurring anxious, touchy and impatient behavior
  
  
• Bedwetting after age 5 years
  
  
• Daytime sleepiness (somnolence)
  
  
• Increased tearfulness
  
  
• Teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism)
  
  
• Tendency to wake early
  
  
• Waking up and crying at night