How many hours should a child sleep? – Sleep Guide Part 3

Our children's proper rest is essential for their development, and it's no coincidence that clinical research and neurobiological studies indicate that childhood sleep disorders, inadequate quality of rest, or chronic sleep deprivation can have far more severe consequences than mere fatigue.

Sleep deprivation profoundly and complexly affects nervous system maturation, cognitive functions, behavioral regulation, and the balance of the immune and endocrine systems.

We often find that despite being exhausted and tired, a child doesn't want to fall asleep. This raises several questions:

• How many hours of sleep do children actually need at different developmental stages?

• What determines when a child should go to sleep to wake up truly rested and in perfect harmony with their own circadian rhythm?

• From a physiological and psychological perspective, why doesn't a child want to sleep in the evenings, and what hidden neurological processes hinder falling asleep?

• Why can't a baby sleep when the environment seemingly provides all the conditions for peaceful rest?

Sleep in childhood is an indispensable, critical developmental process influenced by countless external factors (such as environmental stimuli, appropriate tools for bedtime, physical comfort, parental responsiveness) and internal physiological factors (hormonal balance, central nervous system maturation, anatomical predispositions).

In the following, we will examine children's sleep from several perspectives: age-specific characteristics, common causes behind difficulties falling asleep and nocturnal awakenings. Then we will suggest scientifically based solutions that are practical for everyday use for common sleep problems.

Age-specific characteristics: What is the ideal sleep duration?

The biological sleep requirement of a developing organism changes dynamically with age, the maturation of the central nervous system, and increasing environmental demands. The quality of sleep and the number of hours spent sleeping have a direct, measurable effect on somatic (bodily) growth, brain development, emotional regulation, and the consolidation of new information in memory.

The most reputable international pediatric and sleep medicine societies define the daily ideal sleep duration essential for healthy development as follows.

0–12 months (newborn and infancy):

During this period, a baby's development is incredibly rapid, especially concerning the brain and nervous system. This often leads many parents to wonder: why doesn't the baby sleep in longer, continuous stretches?

A newborn (0–3 months) can sleep up to 14–17 hours a day, but not all at once; rather, it's broken into several shorter 1–4 hour sleep periods. This is completely natural because the baby's internal "clock" doesn't yet function like an adult's – they can't differentiate between day and night.

The day-night rhythm gradually develops: around 6 weeks of age, they begin to adapt to light and darkness, and by 3–6 months of age, a more regular sleep rhythm starts to emerge.

As the baby grows (between 4–12 months), the daily sleep requirement decreases to 12–16 hours, and sleep increasingly concentrates during nighttime hours. Meanwhile, the number of daytime naps also consolidates, typically into 2–3 distinct sleep periods.

Frequent waking and short sleep periods are therefore natural companions of a baby's development.

1–3 years (toddlerhood):

In this age group, children's ideal sleep requirement is 11–14 hours daily. This period is the "age of discovery," when little ones learn new things almost overnight: walking, running, talking, and exploring the world with increasing independence.

They experience a multitude of new things during the day, which their brains need to process. As a result, they often become "overstimulated" by evening and find it harder to calm down. This is why many parents often ask: why doesn't my child want to sleep at the usual time? Their nervous system is simply still too active, and they need time to slow down.

In this period, separation anxiety is also common, meaning the child finds it harder to cope with being separated from a parent. This can make falling asleep difficult and may lead to waking up several times at night, seeking closeness.

Difficulties falling asleep and frequent waking at this age are completely natural and closely linked to development.

Preschool age (3–6 years):

In this age group, children's sleep requirement is generally 10–13 hours a day. Starting preschool brings new challenges: more stimuli, more rules, and more social experiences daily. Therefore, it is particularly important that they get enough good quality sleep, as this helps with balanced behavior, emotional regulation, and resilience.

Parents and preschool teachers often ask the question: how long is an afternoon nap needed?

Experience shows that most children still need daytime rest until 4–5 years of age. This helps the nervous system "recharge" and ensures that new experiences gained during the day are better consolidated.

However, it is important to note that this is individual: some children stop napping earlier, while others still need it.

School age and adolescence (6–18 years):

School-aged children (6–12 years) generally need 9–11 hours of sleep. This is important not only for rest but also because the brain processes what it has learned during sleep. Adequate sleep aids attention, thinking, learning, and memory.

If a child consistently sleeps too little, the consequences will soon be visible: their academic performance declines, they find it harder to concentrate, they become more irritable, and may be more scattered and restless.

In the long term, sleep deprivation can even cause symptoms that resemble attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

For adolescents (13–18 years), the sleep requirement decreases to 8–10 hours, but an important change occurs: their biological "internal clock" shifts. This means they naturally get tired later and find it harder to wake up in the morning.

Therefore, it is common for teenagers to want to go to bed late, while school requires them to wake up early – which can easily lead to sleep deprivation.

Insomnia in childhood

In childhood, sleep disorders are viewed slightly differently than in adults, but there are recognizable signs.

If a child cannot fall asleep for more than 30 minutes after bedtime, it is considered difficulty falling asleep. This means falling asleep is not easy and is regularly prolonged.

Another common form of sleep problem is when the child:

• wakes up several times during the night

• cries or stays awake for extended periods

• frequently goes to parents for comfort

If these awakenings occur multiple times during a night and persist consistently, it may indicate a more serious sleep disorder.

It is also a revealing sign if the child spends a lot of time in bed but is not actually sleeping for a significant portion of it. In such cases, sleep is not effective enough, meaning it is not sufficiently restorative.

If a child regularly has difficulty falling asleep or experiences frequent night awakenings, it is worth taking the problem seriously, as good sleep is not just rest but also one of the most important foundations of development.

Chronic sleep disorders not only cause fatigue but also affect thinking and learning, can disrupt growth (due to hormones produced during sleep), and can increase stress and tension.

Why doesn't the child want to sleep? - The functioning of the developing organism

Many parents experience that their child is tired by evening but still resists sleep. The reason for this is not "bad habit" or defiance, but a combination of several natural processes occurring in the background.

1. Too many experiences, "overstimulated" brain

Children learn and experience a lot during the day: they move, talk, explore. Their brains are still processing these by evening, making it harder for them to calm down, they become "wound up" and find it harder to fall asleep. For them, going to bed in the evening often feels like "missing out," so they instinctively resist.

Similar to adults' "overthinking," this manifests differently in children: in younger ones as separation anxiety (not wanting to be separated from a parent), and in older ones as fears (of darkness, imaginary things).

2. The play of hormones: why does a tired child still stay awake?

Sleep is regulated by two important "internal processes":

• Melatonin – helps to fall asleep (produced in the evening)

• Cortisol – keeps awake (stress hormone)

What can disrupt this balance?

• Screens and artificial lights: the light from phones, tablets, or TVs inhibits melatonin production, making the child feel sleepy later.

• Overtiredness: If a child is put to bed too late, their body starts to "defend" itself by producing more cortisol, which makes them even more awake and restless, even though they are very tired.

3. When there is a medical, physical reason behind it

Not all sleep problems are behavioral. Sometimes there is a specific physical cause. The most common problems include enlarged adenoids or tonsils, persistent nasal congestion, and mouth breathing, snoring. These make it harder for the child to breathe during sleep, they wake up more often, and do not get enough deep, restorative sleep. In more severe cases, brief breathing pauses can occur, which degrades sleep quality.

It is worth consulting a doctor if our child snores loudly, sleeps with an open mouth, is restless at night, and wakes up tired and irritable.

When a child does not want to sleep, it is most often the result of an overloaded developing nervous system, hormonal imbalance, or occasionally a physical obstruction. In other words, they are not "not sleeping" on purpose, but simply cannot calm down yet. The parent's task in such cases is to help them slow down – with patience, routine, and an appropriate environment.

In clinically more severe cases, sleep apnea can develop, where the child's breathing stops partially or completely for seconds during sleep. During the night, blood oxygen levels drastically decrease and micro-arousals are frequent, which aim to prevent suffocation and restart breathing. These micro-arousals completely disrupt the healthy sleep structure, depriving the child of restorative deep sleep and REM phases. A direct consequence of this is that the child wakes up lethargic and irritable in the morning, is unfocused during the day, their performance deteriorates, and their behavior may become hyperactive and impulsive.

Early recognition of such sleep disorders, ENT diagnostics, and potential surgical or sleep medicine treatment are essential for the child's healthy physical and mental development. For example, an unrecognized cow's milk allergy or other specific chronic inflammation, which causes persistent nasal congestion due to allergic inflammation and watery swelling of the respiratory mucous membrane, can be behind the sleep problem.

Common dilemmas: Afternoon sleep and evening routine

One of the biggest challenges for parents is finding the right balance: when should a child go to sleep to be active during the day and well-rested at night? A well-established daily routine and age-appropriate rest are very important for this.

Afternoon nap: up to what age?

Generally, most children need daytime rest until 3–5 years of age. Daytime sleep is not just about the child resting. During this time, the brain processes what has been learned during the day, new movements and words are consolidated, and memory and attention improve.

Children who still need it but don't nap during the day are often more irritable, tired, and find it harder to concentrate.

When should daytime naps be discontinued?

There comes a point when the child no longer needs it. This may be indicated if they have great difficulty falling asleep in the afternoon, don't seem sleepy during the day, and can only fall asleep too late in the evening due to the daytime nap.

In such cases, a quiet rest period can be a good solution: listening to stories, looking at books, and calm play. This helps them recharge without disrupting evening sleep.

The role of the evening routine – Why is it so important?

Children like predictability. If every evening unfolds similarly, it helps their bodies "prepare" for sleep. However, if they go to bed at different times each day and the usual evening routine is missed, the sleep rhythm can easily be disrupted.

Falling asleep can be disrupted by: late, heavy, or sugary dinners, overly active play before bedtime (e.g., running around, wrestling), screen use, and caffeine-containing foods/drinks (e.g., cola, chocolate, tea). All of these "stimulate" the body, making it harder to calm down and fall asleep.

Irregular sleep and bad evening habits lead to a decline in sleep quality; the child wakes up tired and irritable, finds it harder to focus during the day, and becomes more impatient and irritable.

What does a good evening routine look like?

It starts at the same time every day, is no longer than 45 minutes, and consists of calm, repetitive steps. For example, after bathing, we brush our teeth, there is silence, calm, and dim light in the room, we read a story to the child or listen to quiet, relaxing music, and then it's time for sleep.

How to teach your baby to sleep - Practical solutions

The ability for a child to fall asleep independently and to fall back asleep after waking up at night is not an innate skill. It is learned gradually, with the development of the nervous system and the help of parents.

Many parents ask the question: how can we teach our baby to sleep in a way that they feel safe and their attachment is not damaged? The good news is that the two are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to help a child toward independent sleep while continuously providing parental support.

Learning to sleep is a gradual process, where the most important factors are consistency, calm presence, and a predictable routine. The goal is for the child not only to be able to fall asleep with external help (e.g., rocking, feeding) but also to be able to calm down on their own.

Gentle methods

Fading method

Initially, the parent stays with the child when they fall asleep, then provides less and less help day by day, so the child gradually learns to fall asleep alone.

Chair method

The parent sits by the bed until the child falls asleep, then gradually moves further away over several days, eventually leaving the room. This way, the child feels secure but doesn't get used to being rocked.

"Pick up, put down" method

If the baby cries, the parent comforts them, then puts them back in bed while still awake. This can be repeated several times but helps teach that the bed is for sleeping.

However, no matter which method we choose, the key to the success of the process and minimizing separation anxiety is consistency, quality bonding time during the day, and minimizing excessive stimuli at night. Accept that change doesn't happen overnight, as the child needs time to learn the new habit.

In the short term: safety and reassurance

While the child is still learning to sleep independently, small, reassuring aids can be very helpful: a sleeping toy or blanket that they are attached to, an appropriate room temperature (approx. 20–22 °C), and white noise (e.g., rain sounds, soft hum). The latter is effective because it masks sudden noises, provides a steady, calming sound, and reminds the baby of the sounds heard in the womb.

What to do immediately if the child can't fall asleep?

Even with the best bedtime routine, it can happen that a child gets overexcited in the evening, is restless, or cries and fights against sleep. In such cases, the most important thing is: do not force sleep!

If the child still cannot fall asleep after 20-30 minutes and is visibly becoming more tense, do not scold them or force them to stay in bed! If the bed is associated with bad experiences (tension, crying), it can make falling asleep even more difficult in the long run.

To calm an overstimulated state, the "boring room" technique and stimulus-free, monotonous activities can be effective solutions. These greatly help calm the nervous system in a perfectly stimulus-free, safe environment.

What can help?

1. Calm environment: silence and dim light

If the child is very overstimulated, take them out of bed to a dim, quiet place, avoid toys and exciting things, and engage in some boring, calm activity (e.g., sitting quietly, tidying up). As soon as they get sleepy (yawning, rubbing their eyes), put them back in bed.

2. Monotonous story or quiet talking

If they stay in bed, read slowly, in a calm voice, avoiding exciting stories. The monotonous sound helps calm the nervous system.

3. Create an ideal sleeping environment!

Sometimes very simple things hinder sleep: the room is too warm, the pajamas or blanket are too thick, or it's not dark enough. For ideal sleep, the body needs to "cool down" a bit, so a cooler environment helps with falling asleep.

4. Help the body relax!

For older children, simple relaxation games can work: "blow out the candle" (slow exhalation), "smell the flower" (slow inhalation). These calm the body and help with falling asleep.

The goal is for the bed and bedroom to be a safe, calm place, and not to become a scene of arguments, crying, or struggles. If the child cannot fall asleep, the solution is not to "force" sleep, but to help them calm down and slow down.

Creating the right sleep environment – The mattress is also important!

When we talk about a child's sleep, we often focus on habits and routines, but there is a very simple yet crucial factor: what kind of bed they sleep on.

Children's bodies develop most intensely during sleep. This is when most growth hormone is produced, so it is particularly important that the body receives adequate support. Since the bones are still flexible and moldable, a poor mattress can also affect posture in the long term.

What kind of mattress is ideal for children?

Many parents think that a soft mattress is the most comfortable, but this is not true. A too-soft mattress allows the body to sink in, which is not good for the spine. For younger children, it can even pose a safety risk.

Experts say the best choice is a medium-firm or firm mattress, which adequately supports the body at pressure points and helps keep the spine in its natural position. As the child grows, how they sleep (on their back, side, or stomach) and their body weight also matter. Therefore, it is important that the mattress adapts to the body but also provides stable support.

Another important aspect is ventilation and thermal comfort. Children sweat more at night and have more difficulty regulating their body temperature; this is a completely natural physiological phenomenon. If the mattress is not well ventilated, or its cover is largely synthetic, body heat and moisture from sweat can get trapped on the surface and in the core. The child will toss and turn, wake up more often, and cannot sleep deeply. It is worth choosing a mattress that is well-ventilated, wicks away moisture, and provides a dry, comfortable sleeping environment.

Hygiene also matters! The right bed is not only comfortable but also clean. Well-ventilated mattresses are less prone to mite proliferation, and from a hygiene perspective, it is important to have a removable, washable cover at high temperatures, and it is also advisable to use a waterproof but breathable mattress protector.

Good sleep is therefore unimaginable without the right environment. An ideal mattress supports development, aids deep, restful sleep, and contributes to a balanced daily life.

If we want to be sure, it is worth choosing a solution that supports healthy sleep quality and long-term.

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On our website, our SMART MATTRESS SELECTOR helps you choose the most suitable mattress for your age group, body weight, and sleeping habits, but it is definitely worth visiting one of our showrooms, where our colleagues will present our range to you with expert advice.