Cloud 9 Air Mattress Beds
Sleep and American Children
2004 Sleep in America Poll Highlights
America's children sleep less than experts recommend for their age group, but parents don't always know how much sleep their child needs.
- Recommended amount of sleep during a 24 hour period for infants (3-11 months) is 14-15 hours; for toddlers, 12-14 hours; preschoolers, 11-13 hours, and school-aged children, 10-11 hours
- The Sleep in America poll shows infants sleep 12.7 hours; toddlers, 11.7 hours; pre-schoolers, 10.4 hours, and school-aged children 9.5 hours.
More than two-thirds of all children (69%) experience one or more sleep problems at least a few nights a week.
Parents are unsatisfied with their child's sleep habits. A majority (76%) would change something about those habits, if possible.
Nearly one-third of children 10 and younger wake up at least once a night needing attention, including 14 percent of school-aged children.
About one-quarter of infants, toddlers and preschoolers appear sleepy or overtired during the day, according to their parents/caregivers.
Caffeine and a television in the bedroom disrupt the sleep of older children.
- About 26 percent of children between the ages of 3-10 drink at least one caffeinated beverage a day; they sleep less than those who don't drink caffeine (9.1 vs. 9.7 hrs/night), a loss of about 3.5 hours a week.
- More than 40 percent of school-aged children have a television in their bedroom; they go to sleep almost 20 minutes later and sleep less than those without a TV (9.2 vs. 9.6 hours/night), a loss of more than two hours of sleep a week.
