Your child's sleep and physical activity: Essential guidelines

How much should my child sleep? 

The NHS gives guidance about the number of hours’ sleep children should have each day, this includes naps and night-time sleep.^[1]

It is important to remember that everyone has different sleep needs. But this might be a helpful guide, especially if you think your child might not be getting enough sleep or doesn’t have much energy.   

If you have concerns about your child’s sleep or energy levels, speak to your health visitor or doctor.  

How much physical activity does my child need? 

The four UK Chief Medical Officers published physical activity guidelines for under-fives, children and young people and adults in 2011, and these are still current advice. 

They recommended that once children can walk, they should be physically active for at least three hours every day. For babies under the age of one, the recommendation if that they have 30 minutes of physical activity a day, including tummy time. 

Physical activity for your  baby or child is not expected to be an organised sport or formal activities (although it might be), but comes as part of their play and consists of a mixture of being active inside and outside.  

It might include what are described as light activities, such as standing to play, paint or draw or moving around during play, but also things like running, jumping, swimming, riding a bike or playing on play equipment like climbing frames or slides.  

Really it is about a mixture of activities both inside and outside, and avoiding long periods of time sitting. It should include time doing more vigorous physical activity (for pre-schoolers the recommendation is that an hour each day is spent doing more vigorous activities).  

Research into sleep and physical activity 

It will probably come as no surprise to find out that researchers have found an association between physical activity and the amount of time toddlers sleep.  

One study used activity trackers and parental reports of sleep, and found a one-minute increase in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity corresponded to about two and a half minutes more sleep.^[3] Although it is important to note, this was quite a small study, and more research is needed to really understand this relationship. 

What these guidelines and research suggest is that when about it comes to your child’s sleep it might be useful to think about their entire day – not just bedtime.  

Three things to think about during the day that might help night-time sleep: 

Spending time outside^[1] 

Having access to natural light during the day regulates the hormones that help your toddler feel awake and sleepy at the right times.  

Plenty of stimulation during the day (including lots of time to move)^[1] 

What your toddler does during the day will help them to sleep well, so chatting, playing and having time to move each day all helps – although also think about having a bit less stimulation as it gets closer to time to sleep or rest.  

Thinks about physical activities you enjoy as well - if you love going for a walk or a swim, why not do this with your child.  

You can find out more about swimming with your baby or toddler on the Waterbabies website.

Mealtimes not too close to bedtime^[4] 

Food can have an impact on sleep and while some toddlers might sleep better if they have a snack before bedtime, a large meal close to bedtime might make it more difficult to get to sleep. 

Having sugar close to bedtime can give your toddler a burst of energy, so you might find it helps to avoid fruit as a bedtime snack. 

References: 

[1] NHS. Helping your baby to sleep. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/helping-your-baby-to-sleep/

[2] NHS (no date). Physical activity guidelines for children (under 5 years). Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-children-under-five-years/ 

[3] Felzer-Kim, I. & Hauk, J.L. (2020). ‘Sleep duration associates with moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and body fat in 1- to 3-year-old children’. Infant Behavior and Development, 58. Article 101392.  

[4] The Sleep Charity (2020). Diet and Sleep. Available at: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/diet-sleep/