After a 10-month study reviewing published papers and sleep expert advice, the American Association of Sleep Medicine recently released recommendations for the amount of sleep needed by children and teens to achieve optimal physical health, mental health and cognitive functioning. This marks the first time the organization has set official guidelines for pediatric sleep. How Much Is Enough? If you’re wondering how much sleep your child should get — it depends on their age and individual sleep needs. Each age group has a range of optimal time and your child may fall anywhere on the spectrum. These are the new recommendations: Infants 4–12 months should sleep 12–16 hours per 24 hours. Children 1–3 years should sleep 11–14 hours per 24 hours. Children 3–5 years should sleep 10–13 hours per 24 hours. Children 6–12 years should sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours. Teenagers 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 […]