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Kids between 3–5 years need around 11 to 13 hours per day and night, and may still need a 1 hour nap.¹

Deep sleep is very important, as it restores your child’s physical well-being, boosts immunity, helps them grow (growth hormone is secreted during sleep at night), helps them learn, remember and concentrate.^1,2

A good night’s sleep is falling asleep and staying asleep all night. If a child gets enough good quality sleep, they will wake up by themselves in the morning.¹

During the night, a sleep cycle consists of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (dream sleep).^1,2 Usually the first half is deep sleep, then the second half is light and dream sleep. That is why children usually sleep well the first few hours then start to wake up more later in the night.²

During sleep, children usually wake up briefly as they shift between light and dream sleep, but are not aware of that. To stay asleep, they need to be able to fall back asleep by themselves.^2,3

How to help your child sleep better and deeper:

1. Set a bedtime routine around the same time each night. For small children, a bath, a story in bed can help them wind down and relax, a bed-time buddy like a blanket or teddy can help too. For older children, you can help them relax by talking about their day, reading a story in bed, listening to gentle music, playing relaxation games like breathing, counting, thinking happy thoughts. That in all should take less than 30 minutes.^1,3
2. Keep your children’s bedtime and wake up time fixed every day with a margin of less than an hour. Keep their sleep routine constant even on holidays and weekends, allowing a very small variation. That helps keep their body clock functioning in a regular pattern.^1,3
3. Keep day-time naps early and short. Most children stop napping at 3-5 years, but if your child still needs a nap, try to keep it no longer than 30 minutes and early in the day. A late long nap will make it hard for them to sleep at night.¹
4. Make sure your child is safe. Avoid scary TV shows, games, and movies before bedtime. If they are scared of the dark, put a night light in the room^1,3 and encourage them to talk about their fears, reward them when they act brave. Have them sleep with comforting stuffed animal or blanket with your perfume on it.
5. Decrease noise and light in your child’s bedroom ^1,3
6. Have the right sleep room temperature. Around 18° C is the right room temperature for conducting deep sleep.⁴
7. Turn off all screens at least one hour before bedtime and keep them outside of the bedroom. Blue light from TVs, computer screens, tablets and phones suppress melatonin levels (a hormone that helps you fall asleep), and delays sleepiness.^1,3
8. Avoid looking at the clock while trying to fall asleep, as it might cause stress and affect relaxation.¹
9. Healthy eating habits. Make sure your child eats a good breakfast as it helps start the day right. Offer a good meal for dinner at a reasonable time. If your child is too hungry or too full before bed, it will make him/her more alert or uncomfortable and hard to fall asleep.^1,3
10. Have your child get plenty of sunlight (protected by the harmful UV) and exercise during the day. Bright light suppresses melatonin, helps your child feel awake and alert during the day and sleepy at bed time ^1,4
11. Avoid drinks containing caffeine like tea, chocolate, cola in the late afternoons and evenings.^1,3
12. Instead, provide your child with milk before sleep (the milk should also be adapted to the child’s age). Milk, contains ingredients that are known to help sleep. For example, milk contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that can help the human body produce serotonin, that helps the brain inducing deeper and more restful sleep by creating the melatonin responsible for a person’s sleep-wake cycle.⁵
13. Infants and children should be put to bed when tired but still awake, so they can fall asleep on their own in their bed, in their room rather than falling asleep in their parents’ arms or parents’ room. That way, when they wake up during their sleep cycle, they can self soothe and fall asleep back again.³

If your child has great difficulties with sleep or has severe anxiety, consult your pediatrician for help.

Dr. Rima Halat

MD Pediatrician

¹https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/sleep/better-sleep-settling/sleep-better-tips

²https://www.healthline.com/health/deep-sleep

³https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/children-sleep-problems

⁴https://www.happyfamilyorganics.com/learning-center/toddler/how-to-help-your-toddler-sleep-through-the-night/

⁵9 Foods High in Tryptophan and Why You Need It (webmd.com)