
Monthly Health Message from the YourFamily Specialist Health Visitor
World Sleep Day 18th March 2022
Did you know that new-borns divide their sleep equally between day and night?
Gradually daytime sleep diminishes over the first three years of life. By around six weeks of age, rhythmic sleep patterns start to develop and by three to six months these form a regular circadian sleep-wake cycle. During sleep, the brain processes information during the REM stage and in quiet sleep, tissue growth and repair occurs, and growth and development hormones are released. Improving babies sleep has a documented improvement in maternal mood.
How much sleep do we need?
Infants 4-12 months – 12 to 16 hours
Children 1-2 years – 11-14 hours
Children 3-5 years – 10-13 hours
Children 6-12 years – 9-12 hours
Children 12-18 years – 8-10 hours
Adults – 6-9 hours
YourFamily will be holding workshops on babies and their sleep, if you would like to help shape the workshops, please fill out this short survey!
Useful links
Children – The Sleep Charity Sleep problems in young children – NHS (www.nhs.uk)Institute of Health Visiting Top Tips on sleepingLullaby TrustThe Period of Purple Crying