Sleep patterns and behaviour for children

Good quality sleep is crucial for your child’s growth, development, and learning. While they sleep, their brains and bodies work hard to recover and prepare for the day ahead.

When children get enough sleep, they are generally happier, more energetic, and in a better headspace to focus and learn.

Benefits of good sleep

A healthy sleep routine supports your child's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. 

The key benefits of good sleep

  • Physical Health: Sleep helps in growth and makes the immune system stronger.
     
  • Concentration and Learning: Well-rested children can focus better, which is essential for learning.
     
  • Mood and Behaviour: Good sleep can help with managing mood and emotional regulation. This can reduce irritability and behavioural issues.
     
  • Promotes Long-Term Mental Health: Healthy sleep habits in childhood contribute to improved mental health as they grow older.

“There is a huge reduction in a lot of negative mental health outcomes in adulthood, if children sleep well. Think of it as an investment” - Dr Chris Seton (Paediatric & Adolescent Sleep Physician) 

Not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your child's physical, emotional, and cognitive health. This means they may have difficulty:

  • concentrating and learning
  • managing or regulating their emotions
  • following directions
  • using problem-solving skills.

Lack of sleep can also impact your child's immune system. This can make it easier for them to get sick and make their recovery time longer.

Impact of sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation happens when a child regularly doesn’t get enough sleep. While missing sleep once in a while can leave your child feeling tired or moody, sleep deprivation is when they don’t get enough sleep over a longer period. 

Sleep deprivation can affect your child’s physical health, emotions, and ability to think clearly. They may find it harder to: 

  • focus
  • learn
  • manage their feelings
  • follow instructions
  • solve problems. 

Sleep deprivation can also weaken a child's immune system, making them more likely to get sick and take longer to get better.

For more tips on how to help your child get enough sleep, see Improving your child's sleep patterns. 

Sleep recommendations

The Australian Department of Health offers sleep guidelines to help parents and caregivers understand the amount of good-quality sleep children need at different ages to promote their health and development. 

The guidelines below are for every day (24 hours)

  • birth to 3 months: 14-17 hours of sleep (including naps)
     
  • 4 to 11 months: 12-16 hours of sleep (including naps)
     
  • 1 to 2 years: 11-14 hours of sleep (including naps) with consistent sleep and wake times
     
  • 3-5 years: 10-13 hours of sleep (including naps, if needed) with consistent sleep and wake times
     
  • 5-13 years: 9-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep
     
  • 14-17 years: 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep

Remember that recommendations are a guide, and every child has different sleep needs. 

For strategies to help your child reach these sleep targets, visit Improving your child's sleep patterns.

Understanding the sleep cycle

Sleep isn’t just a time to rest—it’s when the body and mind make important changes to prepare for the next day.

During good quality sleep, your child’s body will:

  • repair cells
  • reduce stress
  • build and repair tissue.

Their heart rate, breathing, and body temperature will drop, while their brain activity changes depending on the stage of sleep they’re in.

There are two main phases of sleep, both important for your child’s growth and learning:

Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM)

A deep sleep phase where the body slows down, helping it repair and recover.

Stage 1: The transition from being awake to falling asleep.

Stage 2 and 3: Deeper stages, where heart rate and body temperature drop.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

The stage where dreams happen. The body shows similar activity to when awake, like faster heart rate and breathing, but the muscles are relaxed. This stops your child from acting out their dreams.

How sleep is regulated

Two key systems help control your child's sleep

Sleep pressure (or homeostasis)

This is how your child's body balances being awake and needing rest. The longer they stay awake, the more sleep pressure builds up, sending signals that it’s time to sleep, no matter the time. After being awake for about 15 hours, your child will feel more tired and have a stronger urge to sleep.

Circadian rhythms

These are your child's natural body clocks, working on a 24-hour cycle to manage when they feel awake or sleepy. Circadian rhythms help the body adjust to environmental changes, like light and darkness. 

Circadian rhythms start to develop around 3 months of age, and you may notice this more when travelling to a different time zone or during daylight savings when your child’s body needs to adjust to different daylight hours. 

Ideally, circadian rhythms help your child feel alert in the morning and ready to sleep in the evening.

Signs of a tired child

Some signs of tiredness in children can be obvious, like yawning, looking drowsy or rubbing their eyes. Others can be more subtle.

Tired signs

  • slower movements 
  • staring blankly for long periods 
  • sucking fingers or hands 
  • irritable behaviour 
  • jerky movements 
  • crying 
  • fussy eating 
  • becoming clingy 
  • losing interest in activities or toys.

Younger children might also become overtired if they miss a nap, have a late bedtime or have poor-quality sleep. 

Overtiredness can look like:

  • sudden energy and hyperactivity
  • tantrums
  • aggression
  • resisting sleep despite being very tired.

Knowing your child’s tired signs will help ensure they get the sleep they need to grow, learn, and thrive.

Sleep training: What you need to know

Helping your child get good quality sleep can be one of the more challenging aspects of parenting. If you have been looking for ways to help your child sleep better, you may have come across the topic of sleep training in your searches.

Sleep training refers to various techniques that parents and caregivers can use to help their children learn to fall asleep and stay asleep independently.

There are many different types of sleep training programs. Some are older and more common, while others are newer and may be developed as part of paid training, resources or apps. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep and sleep training.

What do the experts say about sleep training?

Experts, like the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health, recommend sleep training or strategies focusing on your baby’s emotional and developmental needs. Avoid harsh methods like "cry it out" and instead try gentler approaches that support both your baby’s sleep and your own well-being. If you need more information or support, contact your local nurse or doctor for expert guidance tailored to your family’s needs.

Common elements of sleep training programs may include:

  • education about sleep patterns that are normal at different ages
     
  • managing the use of dummies or pacifiers
     
  • practical strategies around feeding, setting up the environment and settling a crying baby
     
  • identifying specific sleep problems and causes
     
  • creating a sleep management plan with the support of a clinician
     
  • face-to-face training in a clinic or follow-up appointments.

No parent should feel guilty for their choices when helping their child sleep. 

Every child is different, so speaking to your local doctor or nurse about sleep strategies tailored to your child's needs and development is important.