3-5 years old: should go to sleep between 7:00 and 8:00 pm. 6-12 years old: should go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. 13-18 years old: should go to sleep around 10:00 pm. Bare in mind that once puberty hits, it will be difficult for teenagers to fall asleep until around 11 pm.
A 12-year-old should ideally get 9-11 hours of sleep. If your nearly teen needs to wake up at 6:30 am for school, aim for an 8:15, at latest 9 pm bedtime. Of course, the onset of puberty can affect your child's bedtime pattern and routine.
However, going to bed after midnight regularly or all the time can lead to a variety of health problems down the line. "This particular poor sleep pattern can affect your mood, as well as your physical health," Ramlakhan adds. Therefore, going to sleep before midnight is a healthy goal to strive for.
School-age children should go to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. Teens should try to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Adults should try to go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.
Most sleep experts recommend napping no later than 2 pm. As discussed above, napping prior to the mid-afternoon results in a combination of light and REM sleep, whereas napping after 2 pm results in more slow-wave sleep.
6-12 years old: should go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:30 pm. 13-18 years old: should go to sleep around 10:00 pm. Bare in mind that once puberty hits, it will be difficult for teenagers to fall asleep until around 11 pm.
At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.
REM sleep is the light sleep that typically occurs closer to when you wake up in the morning. When you go to bed after midnight, you receive less of the deep sleep you need to feel rested after you wake up, which can lead to daytime sleepiness and even sleep deprivation the next day.
'Noon' means 'midday' or 12 o'clock during the day. 'Midnight' refers to 12 o'clock during the night.
Teenagers stay up late for three main reasons. First, biological shifts in the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, make teens stay up later. Second, social media can keep kids up and blue light from devices suppresses melatonin production. Third, having a lot of homework can keep kids up late.
According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.
Rapid body changes, especially in adolescence, can disrupt sleep. This happens because the growth phase they're in causes their circadian rhythm—the body's internal clock—to reset, delaying their sleep cycle. Stress, anxiety, and worry are other common reasons for sleep problems.
Approximately one-third of toddlers transition to a bed between the ages of 18 months and 2 years old, and another third transition between ages 2 and 2.5. In general, most toddlers make the move from a crib to a bed between the age of 18 months and 3 years old.
Dr. Basora-Rovira says there is no specific age that is “too old” for co-sleeping. She encourages parents to not begin practicing co-sleeping in the first place. And, if you are already co-sleeping with your child, to transition him or her out of your bed and into his or her own room as soon as possible.
Dr Ramlakhan outlines the optimum amount of sleep we should be getting before midnight in order to feel rested and refreshed. “The 90-minute phase before midnight is one of the most powerful phases of sleep, because it's the period where the body is replenished,” Dr Ramlakhan says.
By providing more time to work or study, an all-nighter might seem helpful at first glance. In reality, though, staying up all night is harmful to effective thinking, mood, and physical health. These effects on next-day performance mean that pulling an all-nighter rarely pays off.
Kids are too wired.
Evenings might be too stimulating, from television to activities, that make bedtime harder. They can also be overtired from lack of sleep during the day, that they're too exhausted to actually fall asleep.
The answer depends on your teen and your own situation. A 13-year-old may need more help going to sleep at an appropriate hour, and parents can help. A 17-year-old shouldn't need as many reminders about good sleep habits. Rather than give an older teen a strict bedtime, it's better to educate your teen.
Causes of insomnia in kids
For many children, their difficulties falling or staying asleep stem from their daytime habits or how they spend their time right before bed. Eating too much sugary food during the day, for example, or watching TV right before bed could be enough to disrupt your child's sleep.
Practice consistent sleep patterns with your child. At this age aim for a bedtime between 8:30-9pm and have a consistent wake time in the morning. Even on the weekends. It's important to bring back bedtime and incorporate a calming bedtime routine with no electronics at least 60 minutes before bed.