Encouraging Healthy Toddler Sleep patterns.
Childcare : Developing Toddler Sleep Patterns

Toddler sleep patterns vary for every child. Each child’s sleep requirement is quite unique to itself. The amount of sleep required by toddlers is according to the individual needs. Some parents have no problem with their toddlers sleeping routine whereas some parents are very worried about their toddlers erratic sleep routine. Studies have shown that small infants do not have a defined sleep-wake cycle, but as they get bigger they begin to demonstrate a sleep wake pattern, which develops, as they grow older. Unregulated sleep routines that may result in lack of sleep is known to cause irritability, lack of concentration and temper tantrums in toddlers. A general study of the sleep-wake patterns of toddlers has led researchers to determine an approximate idea of the number of hours of sleep required by toddlers at each age.

Toddler sleep patterns are generally judged by keeping in mind the number of sleep periods and total sleeping time of the toddler with respect to the toddlers’ age. For instance it has been deduced that on an average a one year old may require 12-15hours of total sleep with 2-3 sleep periods in a day and toddlers between the ages of 2 –5years require11-13hours of total sleep with 1or2 sleep periods and children between the ages of 5-9 years need approximately 10hours of total sleep time with maybe just 1 sleep period.

Toddler sleep patterns are under a lot of study as studies suggest that a lack of adequate sleep of the toddler may have a psychological impact on both toddlers and adults. Also research is underway to prove that toddler sleep patterns affect their motor development, though no conclusive results have been made as yet.