Data on Sleep Duration for Different Ages

In HSH,HC, I published data from my own research regarding the sleep times, the awake times, and duration of naps. My research showed that the average sleep durations for specific ages had not changed much since the early 1900s. Therefore, I concluded that sleep durations had a strong biological basis but at any give age, there was a range of sleep durations. This type of data is descriptive and not prescriptive. For any child at any age, the amount of sleep needed should be based on how the child looks near the end of the day; does my child appear to be well rested?

I have noted in other publications charts showing how much sleep children "need" but there is never a scientific citation of source material. In the absence of evidence, these reports should be viewed as simply opinions.

Additionally, there are recently published reports showing that young children now sleep less than in my original study population. I think this is correct in settings where factors such as dual career families, day care, digital distraction, or more scheduled afternoon activities play a role in causing children to stay up later than in previous decades.

Marc

Filed under: Bedtime, Individual Differences