Children ages 6 to 12 years need 9 to 12 hours of sleep every 24 hours on a regular basis. Getting enough sleep helps your child pay attention, learn, remember, manage emotions, and stay physically and mentally healthy (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2016).
A good sign your child is getting enough sleep: they wake up fairly easily and are not overly sleepy or cranky during the day.
Why Sleep Matters
Regularly getting enough sleep is linked to:
- Better attention, behavior, and learning
- Better memory and emotional control
- Better overall physical and mental health
Regularly getting too little sleep is linked to:
- Trouble with attention, behavior, and learning
- Higher risk of accidents and injuries
- Higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression over time
Building a Healthy Bedtime Routine
- Keep a consistent schedule. Aim for the same bedtime and wake-up time every day, including weekends.
- Wind down before bed. A calm routine (bath, brushing teeth, reading together) signals the body it is time to sleep.
- Turn off screens early. Turn off TVs, tablets, phones, and computers at least 30 minutes before bedtime (American Academy of Pediatrics).
- Keep screens out of the bedroom. Televisions, computers, and other devices should not be in your child’s bedroom.
- Make the bedroom sleep-friendly. A dark, quiet, cool room helps sleep. Bright light in the evening makes it harder to fall asleep.
- Avoid caffeine. Children in this age group should not be consuming caffeine regularly especially in afternoons/evenings.
- Get daytime activity and daylight. Physical activity and morning light help set a healthy sleep rhythm.
When to Talk to Your Child’s Doctor
Contact your child’s clinician if your child regularly has:
- Loud snoring, gasping, or pauses in breathing during sleep
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness even when in bed for enough hours
- Frequent nightmares, night terrors, sleepwalking, or sleep talking
- Sleeping much more or much less than the recommended range
These can be signs of a sleep problem that your doctor can evaluate and treat.
Have any questions? Schedule a consultation to go over what’s best for you. To make an appointment call us at 817.346.4000 or visit us at bradbartelsmd.com