Much like food, water, and shelter, sleep is essential for optimal health and well-being. Usually it’s not until we don’t get enough that we realize just how vital sleep is. From grogginess and irritability, to trouble focusing and feeling physically run down, the consequences of a lack of quality sleep can make even the simplest tasks a challenge.

The same holds true for children of all ages. In fact, sleep plays a crucial role in the development of young minds, has a direct impact on happiness, learning and memory, attention and alertness, and in early infancy, growth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is estimated that sleep problems affect 25-50 percent of children and 40 percent of adolescents.

While the amount of sleep a child needs can vary, here are some general guidelines:

1 – 4 weeks old: 15 to 16 hours of sleep per day, including naps
1 – 12 months old: 14 to 15 hours
1 – 3 years old: 12 to 14 hours a day
3 – 6 years old: 10 to 12 hours a day, which might include a nap
7 – 12 years old: 10 to 11 hours of sleep
12 – 18 years old: 8 to 9 hours

Here are some tips for ensuring your child is well rested and getting the amount and quality of sleep he or she needs to be at their best.

Start with good sleep habits. Establish a bedtime routine from infancy and make age-appropriate modifications; as your child grows their natural sleep cycle shifts. For example, a dropped nap may warrant an earlier bedtime; a teen may have trouble falling asleep but wants to sleep in later to get the right amount of Zs, and so on.

Take note of your child’s queues. Pay attention to signs of tiredness. A baby may start to yawn and rub her eyes, a toddler or preschooler may become irritable, an adolescent might have trouble focusing, and so on.

Go screen-free before bed. TVs, video games, and cell phones have a stimulating affect on the brain and can make it difficult to settle down and fall asleep (for children and adults alike). Turn off entertainment and social connection devises at least a half hour before bedtime.

Create the right sleep environment. Whether it’s black-out window coverings, a relaxing bath, white noise machine, bedtime story, or relaxing music, it’s important to create a comfortable sleep environment for your child. Make sure the room temperature is not too hot or too cold, either and that the humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent.

Speaking of indoor comfort, are your home’s heating and cooling systems conducive to a good night’s sleep? Too much humidity can mess things up. So can poor air distribution. Leaky ducts. Lack of routine maintenance. And more. For the sake of your entire family, contact Optimum Air today to request preventive maintenance for your furnace and/or central AC system, especially if it’s been a year or longer since maintenance was last performed.