Sleep is Important
Having a good nights sleep and the right amount of sleep is important and helps young children to stay healthy.
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Most 2 year olds will sleep for 11-12 hours at night, with 1 or 2 naps in the daytime.
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Most children aged 3 or 4 will need from 8 - 14 hours sleep and some will still need a nap during the day.
Establishing a good sleep routine will help:
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Decide what time you want your child to go to bed
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Remove all screens from their bedroom at night.
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Have a 'winding down' time around 30 minutes before bedtime.
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Set a limit on how much time you spend with your child when you put them to bed. For example, read only 1 story, then tuck in and say goodnight.
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Give you child their favourite toy, dummy (if they use one) or comforter before settling into bed.
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Leave a dim light on if necessary.
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If your child gets up, keep taking them back to bed again with as little fuss as possible.
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Try to be consistent and be prepared to repeat this routine for several nights.
For more information and advice, you can speak to your
Health Visitor or use the HealthChat text service.
Open Monday - Friday 9-4pm
075206 15720
You can also speak to a trained sleep advisor on the
National Sleep Helpline - 03303 530 541
