Just like eating well and staying active, getting enough sleep is super important for your child’s health.
Getting the right amount of sleep will;
Making sure children and young people get enough sleep helps them keep well, thrive and reach their potential.
Sometimes sleep is more difficult. There are so many different factors which can affect children’s sleep such as:
There are things you can do to help your child get enough rest, this is called sleep hygiene
“Research shows that if children are sleep deprived by just an hour a night, it could reduce their cognitive academic performance by up to 2 whole years. We need to recognise that sleep is one of the most powerful performance-enhancers known to human kind.”
Dr Guy Meadows, Sleep Physiologist
It is important to understand that at first your child’s sleep patterns may appear to become worse before they get better as they may try to resist new changes that you make. Parents often give up when implementing a routine as they feel that it isn’t working, you need to give any changes at least 2 weeks in order to see results.
6 Sleep Steps for a Better Night's Sleep
Check out this video where Jacqs from the Sheffield Parent Hub shares 6 steps to help your child sleep better at night.
The 6 steps
Points to remember
Remember every child is different. This is an average and the amount of sleep children need will vary, particularly for those with special needs.
|
Age |
Average number of hours needed at night |
Average number of hours needed during day |
|
12 months |
11 ½ |
2 ½ |
|
2 Years |
11 ¾ |
1 ¼ |
|
3 Years |
11 |
1 |
|
4 Years |
11 ½ |
- |
|
5 Years |
11 |
- |
|
6 Years |
10 ¾ |
- |
|
7 Years |
10 ½ |
- |
|
8 Years |
10 ¼ |
- |
|
9 Years |
10 |
- |
|
10 Years |
9 ¾ |
- |
|
11 Years |
9 ½ |
- |
|
12 Years |
9 ½ |
- |
|
13 Years |
9 ¼ |
- |
|
14 Years |
9 |
- |
|
15 Years |
8 ¾ |
- |
|
16 Years |
8 ½ |
- |
Taken from Lyn Quine - “Solving Children’s Sleep Problems”.
This information is shared as part of our Sheffield Children and Young People Sleeping Well handout pack and is discussed in further detail in our Sleep Sessions. Sessions supported by Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and The Sleep charity.
Sleepy foods contain an essential amino acid called tryptophan, this converts into serotonin, which is then converted into melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone produced to help us go to sleep.
There are a variety of food groups which can help with improving sleep
|
Milk & Dairy |
Warm milk, yogurt, soya milk, cheddar processed cheese, cottage cheese & tofu |
|
Meat & Fish |
Chicken, turkey, cod, tuna, mackerel & salmon |
|
Fruits |
Apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, avocado, pineapple, peaches & cherries |
|
Vegetables |
Spinach, asparagus, green peas, broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumbers & potatoes |
|
Nuts & Seeds |
Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, chestnuts, almonds, ground flax, sesame, pumpkin & sunflower seeds. |
|
Legumes & Grains |
Mung bean, soybeans, kidney beans, lima beans (butter beans), chickpeas, wheat, brown rice, red rice, barley, corn & oats. |
|
Bread |
Whole wheat bread. |
What your child eats during the day impacts on their sleep at night. Avoid them having sugary snacks and anything with caffeine, particularly before bedtime.
Free regular online sessions delivered by Sheffield Parent Hub, Sheffield Children's Hospital 0-19 service and Sheffield Sleep Clinic.
This is an information session for all parents/carers of children 12 months and over.
The session will cover:
To view dates and book a place on a seminar visit the Sheffield Parent Hub event page
The under-fives sleep hygiene session is for parents and carers of children with sleep difficulties aged 1 to 5 years of age.
The session will be ‘live’ and delivered by the Sheffield Children’s Hospital 0 – 19 Service and Sleep Clinic.
The session will explain the following:
The session will be approximately an hour with half an hour for questions at the end as time allows.
To view dates and book a place on a seminar visit the Sheffield Parent Hub event page
This information session has a neurodiverse focus, it is for parents/carers of children who have a diagnosis of or are on the waiting list for assessment for a condition such as Autism, ADHD and other neurodiversity’s
The session will cover
To view dates and book a place on a seminar visit the Sheffield Parent Hub event page
Contact your Health Visitor, Family Hub, Nursery/School or
For children under 5 Years
Self-refer by contacting the Health Central team on 0114 3053224
For children over 5 Years
Self-refer by contacting Sheffield Parent Hub on 0114 2057243 or