Away with this sleep myth

This myth is unfortunately very persistent and states that a child must have a certain amount of sleep time at a certain age. Attention, spoiler: This is total rubbish!

It starts as early as infancy. There are some who sleep 18 hours and some who only sleep ten hours. And both are still within the normal range. Then there are small children with three nap phases, some with two, others stop napping altogether at the age of two - and some don't even start taking a nap. And here too, everything is fine for everyone. With older children, the length of sleep is also individual.

So, take it easy and don't use the stopwatch. I always say to parents: the important thing is what comes out at the end. In other words:

How is your child in the morning? Does it get out of bed? Are they fit? Are they lively and active at nursery/school? Are they well behaved during the day?

If you were able to answer these questions with a clear "yes" as far as possible, your child's sleep balance is good.

But don't feel bad if you have assessed this incorrectly so far. That happened to me too. One of my three children has a lower sleep requirement than the other two. And it also took us a long time to realise that this child simply has to go to bed a little later, needs a little less sleep and is still very fit and balanced in life.

So today's message is: don't let anyone tell you any fairy tales or believe any myths. Develop a feeling for your child's sleep needs yourself. And then you will save yourself the odd worry - or even a sleepless night.