Many parents have experienced that curious moment when their energetic little ones suddenly drift off to sleep without signs. One second they're bouncing with excitement, and the next they're “switched off.” It's often a delightful surprise, leaving parents both entertained and wondering how to help their babies develop a more consistent sleep routine.
Importance of Baby Sleeping
In the first three years of life, a newborn revolves around three essential activities: eating, playing, and sleeping. Among these, sleep occupies nearly half of their time. It is the most effective form of recharging and scientific research consistently shows that nothing matches the benefits during these formative years. Sleep plays a vital role in cellular recovery. During deep sleep, the body releases human growth hormone (HGH), a crucial hormone for muscle repair and protein synthesis. This natural process accelerates cell regeneration and helps restore damaged or senescent cells. Infants have a high basal metabolic rate, making quality sleep beneficial to their growth and development. Additionally, it strengthens their immune system, stabilises emotions, and improves cognitive functions such as focus and learning.
Everyday Sleeping Time
How much sleep do children need? To answer that, we need to consider their age, behavioural patterns and emotional responses. As children grow, their sleep structure gradually matures. Around the age of one, babies begin to develop a basic concept of day and night, laying the foundation for a more consistent sleep routine.
According to the Guidelines published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2019*, toddlers aged 1-2 years need approximately 11-14 hours of sleep, which includes 10-12 hours of nighttime sleep and 1-2 naps during the daytime, each lasting 1-2 hours.
While time is an important indicator of children’s sleeping quality, parents should also pay attention to their behaviours during sleeping andupon waking. Frequent turning over, kicking off quilts, sudden awakenings, prolonged groggy, irritability, or concentrating difficulty may signal poor sleep quality. At these cases, parents should take notice and make timely adjustments to their child’s sleep habits.
As children develop their motor and cognitive skills, they may begin to delay or resist naps and sleep. How should parents respond?
Three-Step Bedtime Routine
- Regular and appropriate nap time
Research indicates that children's afternoon naps should last for 2 hours and should ideally end by 3:30 p.m. to minimise any potential impact on nighttime sleep. In HKSPC day crèches, an afternoon nap is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for children aged one and older. We also recommend that parents maintain a consistent rest routine on both weekdays and weekends to help stabilise their children's biological clocks and promote healthy sleep patterns.
- Comfortable Sleeping Environement
Day crèches provide a temperature-comfortable, dimly lit environment to help babies settle into sleep. We remove stimulating items such as toys from the crib and play gentle music, creating a soothing atmosphere that encourages peaceful rest.
- Regular Bedtime Rituals
Teachers in day crèches create bedtime rituals for babies, helping them to develop regular sleeping habits. Bedtime rituals refer to a series of preparatory activities performed before sleep, which are typically brief and static. For example:
Singing or finger rhymes
Pat babies’ bodies Switch off lights
A consistent bedtime ritual is key to creating a calm sleep environment and gently guiding children toward rest. When parents or caregivers follow the same routine, babies begin to recognise the sequence and understand what comes next. Over time, this familiarity helps them wind down naturally, making it easier for them to feel sleepy and drift off into a peaceful slumber.
Every parent hopes to see their baby fall asleep with ease. With patience, consistency, and loving guidance, building healthy sleep habits from an early age becomes not only easier but also more enjoyable.
*WHO guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Lam Ka Man
Centre Supervisor
Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children SIA Shaukiwan Day Creche
With over twenty years of experience in early childhood education services, Lam holds a Master of Arts in Parent Education from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Hong Kong Baptist University. She is also a certified instructor of the "6A Character Education™" program. Over the years, she has placed great emphasis on parent education, hoping to work hand in hand with parents to nurture children and to experience the beauty of growing together with them.