Healthy sleep cycles for your baby and toddler

Healthy sleep cycles are determined by the amount of time spent awake. So, it is actually the time spent awake that drives the sleep, not the other way around.

As your child’s nervous system matures with age, so does their capacity to cope with sensory stimulation in their ‘awake’ time.

Here is a guideline of approximate ‘awake’ times before ‘stress’ levels are reached:

0 – 6 weeks            :                40 – 60 minutes

6 – 12 weeks          :                60 – 80 minutes

3 – 6 months         :                1 ½ hours

6 – 9 months         :                2 hours

9 – 12 months       :                2 ½ hours

1 – 2 years              :                3 – 3 ½ hours

2 – 3 years              :                4 – 5 hours

3 – 5 years              :                5 – 7 hours

Parents of children that don’t sleep often think that by simply keeping them awake all day, will ensure they will sleep all night long. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sleep makes sleep – that is for sure!

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Lara Bestbier

Writer. Creative. Word-nerd. Aspiring photographer. Old wife. Brand new member of the elite society called mommy-hood. Mom to the only drama queen more demanding than me. “Life’s too short to keep a straight face”.

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