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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) takes a strong stance against co-sleeping with children under age 1. The AAP does recommend room sharing for the first 6 months of a child’s life, though, as this safe practice can greatly reduce the risk of SIDS.Jun 29, 2020
The AAP recommends infants share a parents’ room, but not a bed, “ideally for a year, but at least for six months” to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Recent studies indicate that near-epidemic proportions of children are co-sleeping with parents today. According to Parenting’s MomConnection, a surprising 45 percent of moms let their 8- to 12-year-olds sleep with them from time to time, and 13 percent permit it every night.
Barclay notes that there’s nothing wrong with letting your child sleep with you, if you decide to go that route. “Many families in other cultures sleep together,” she says. “If this works for you and your family, then it’s perfectly fine.”
Dr. Basora-Rovira reminds parents that under the age of 12 months, there should be absolutely no bed-sharing. The AAP updated their sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) guidelines in 2016 to recommend room-sharing for the baby’s first year, but to avoid bed-sharing due to accidental suffocation risks.
When to Stop Co-Sleeping
The AAP advises against co-sleeping at any time, especially when the child is younger than four months old. The organization also recommends that babies sleep in the same room as their parents, in a crib or bassinet, for at least six months, but preferably a year.
Recent studies indicate that near epidemic proportion of children are co-sleeping with parents today. According to Parenting’s MomConnection, a surprising 45% of moms let their 8- to 12-year-olds sleep with them from time to time, and 13% permit it every night. Subscribe to our parenting newsletter.
Plenty of toddlers, preschoolers, even school-aged children nationwide are sleeping with their parents at least some of the time. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), as many as 24% of parents have their children sleep in their beds for at least part of the night.
Thankfully, most kids want to bathe daily once they hit puberty. Dermatologists tell parents that once puberty starts, kids should: Shower or take a bath daily. Wash their face twice a day to remove oil and dirt.
If allowed to sleep on their own schedule, many teens would get eight hours or more per night, sleeping from 11 p.m. or midnight until 8 or 9 a.m., but school start times18 in most school districts force teens to wake up much earlier in the morning.
Most teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep each night. Some need as little as 7 hours or as much as 11 hours. It’s very common for children in the early teen years to start wanting to go to bed later at night and get up later in the morning.
There is not a per se law against bathing with a child— but it’s a very quick way to get charged with indecency with a child, especially if the adult and the child are both unclothed.
It may sound counterproductive, but a shower every day could be bad for your skin. Some dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week. Many people hit the shower at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before bed.
Somniphobia is an anxiety disorder and a sense of fear that keeps people from sleeping even when they are tired. Common fears that fuel this problem are connected to health problems, the idea of dying, worrying about nightmares or nighttime behaviors.
How much sleep does a kid need? School-aged children (5 to 12 years old) need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night, says pediatric sleep specialist Vaishal Shah, MD. But many children get only 7 to 8 hours per night — sometimes even less.
Age | Hours of Sleep | Bedtime |
---|---|---|
15 months – 3 years | 12-14 | 6:00 -7:30 |
3 – 6 years | 11-13 | 6:00 – 8:00 |
7 – 12 years | 10-11 | 7:30 – 9:00 |
Teenagers | 9+ | See note |
“Most 3-year-olds are learning how to potty train, and this new skill or emphasis on the skill might cause more night waking than usual,” Willenborg explains. “Having to urinate may wake them from sleep, and they have difficulty falling back to sleep.”
Early school start times and packed schedules can take away from the hours needed for sleep. … The body releases the sleep hormone melatonin later at night in teens than in kids and adults. This resets the body’s internal sleep clock so that teens fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.
At what age should you get your child a cell phone? According to PewResearch Center, the average age is between 12 and 13, but when to get your child a cell phone is a personal decision, and can vary from kid to kid based on maturity and need.