Sleep is essential for both adults and children. Certainly for children, sleep is an important factor for development. During the day, children discover and play a lot of new information, information that is processed in the brain in the evening while sleeping. But what is the right time to go to bed for your child? And how much sleep do they need? We tell you more.
Babies and young children
The younger children are, the more sleep they still need. Babies and young children do not really have a sleep rhythm in the beginning and especially when they need it. Over time, a rhythm and permanent structure begin to come here. This way you will see that your child will sleep especially at night and only need some naps during the day. Children often indicate themselves when such an afternoon nap is no longer necessary. No worries, this can vary greatly per child and is completely normal.
Sleep rhythm during primary school
When children are four years old they go to primary school. Around this age and up to the six years, are usually going to bed around 6:30 PM or 19:00. It is recommended to let children of this age sleep around 11 to 12 hours. This too can differ per child. Therefore, listen to the needs of your child. Do you notice that your child is often tired during the day or cannot concentrate? Then going to bed could help again.
As much as hours of sleep, your child needs per night
How many hours of sleep a child needs per night can differ among themselves, and as they get older this gradually decreases. In the Netherlands this is the average number of hours of sleep that a child needs:
- 4 years: 11.5 hours a night
- 5 years: 11 hours a night
- 6 years: 10 hours and 45 minutes
- 7 years: 10.5 hours
- 8 years: 10 hours and 15 minutes
- 9 years: 10 hours
- 10 years: 9 hours and 45 minutes
- 11 years: 9.5 hours
- 12 years: 9 hours and 15 minutes
Because sleep is so important for children's development, it is up to the parents to pay attention to what their child needs. Sometimes that can be fewer hours, but often it is that children need more sleep. The fight to stay on for an hour longer is therefore better off let you pass. Below the average bedtime for children per year of life:
4 to 6 years between 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm
7 to 8 years between 7 pm and 8 pm
9 to 10 years between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm
11 to 12 years between 8 pm and 9 pm
An easier sleep rhythm with a children's alarm clock
Do you want to make learning a sleep rhythm easier for your child? Then a sleeper can help. Children's weakers help children to sleep longer. Certainly young children who have just stopped their afternoon nap can benefit from a children's alarm clock. These are a kind of alarm clocks that children show in a playful way when it's time to go to sleep or to get up. Curious about what such a children's alarm clock can do? Then view our webshop and children's weakers here.
