Our readers are invited to email us with their questions! Q: How many times a day are people meant to sleep? (Hope J.) A: Hello Hope! Our bodies are programmed for two natural periods of sleepiness during a 24-hour day, no matter how much sleep we've had in the previous 24 hours. The primary period is between midnight and 7 a.m., and a second period occurs in the midafternoon, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Good Question! -------------------------------------------------------------- Q: How much sleep should my pre-schooler get? (Greg I.) A: Hi Greg! Sleep needs vary from person to person, and they change throughout a person’s lifecycle. Children in preschool need 11 to 13 hours of sleep per night. Newborns sleep up to 18 hours a day, and school-aged children (up to age 12) need 10 to 11 hours. Adolescents need about nine hours of sleep a night, and most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep. |