As Jacki pointed out last week, sleep is important for children's health. I can totally relate to her post about strict bedtimes ... we're going through this right now ourselves. After a long summer of lazy evenings spent with little regard to bedtime (and peaceful mornings where the kids slept in!), we now have to be up, at the latest, at 7 A.M. each morning.

Because my kids are still quite young, I know that they still need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a night. It's not easy getting them to bed early (my goal is 7:30), but I know that if we don't stick to the new bedtime routine, I'll have sleepy, grouchy kids who aren't getting what they need to be healthy.

So how much sleep do kids need? It depends on their age and their individual needs. My girls should be getting 10 to 12, but I know from experience that 12 is really optimum for them. Kids Health has a great article on sleep guidelines for kids. As a general rule:

• 0-6 months: Newborns may sleep up to 16-20 hours a day, split between day and night.
• 6-12 months: Between naps and nighttime, babies this age may sleep 15-16 hours a day.
• 1-3 years: Toddlers need 10 to 13 hours of sleep, including a nap
• 3-5 years: Preschoolers will sleep about 10 to 12 hours a night, and may start to drop their nap.
• 6-9 years: These kids still need about 10 hours a night.
• 10 to 12: Aim for a little more than 9 hours per night.
• Teens: Not quite adults, teens still need about 8.5 to 9 hours per night.
  

Of course, these are only guidelines. There are children who will need more sleep, as well as those who thrive on less. But in general, making sleep a priority will help your child be healthy and alert for whatever their day holds.

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Sleep is important for kids. Disturbed sleep can lead to poor school performance and behavior problems. My son is just about to turn 11. He's at his best when he gets about 10 hours of sleep though, more often than not, he wakes up after nine hours. When he gets less than that he is grumpy, unfocused, and defiant for the rest of the day. What makes matters worse is that my son has ADHD, which disrupts his sleep. It's a vicious circle, really. The ADHD makes it harder for him to sleep and a lack of sleep exacerbates his ADHD symptoms.

It turns out that my son is not alone. A recent survey found that more than 73% of kids with ADHD have sleep problems including difficult falling asleep, resistance to sleeping, and still feeling tired after waking up. There are many ways to help your child get proper sleep.

• First and foremost, speak to your doctor if your child has ADHD and is having trouble sleeping. If your child is on ADHD medication it may be worsening his/her ability to get to sleep. Your doctor may have advice for adjusting the medication or even simply modifying the time of day your child takes meds.

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