Question
Why does a five-month-old baby often cry at night? What should be done if the baby’s sleep duration is too short?
Answer
The required sleep duration for infants varies from one to another. Newborns typically need 18 to 20 hours of sleep per day, while infants aged 2 to 3 months require 16 to 18 hours, and those aged 5 to 9 months need 15 to 16 hours. By one year old, the duration is 14 to 15 hours, from 2 to 3 years old it’s 12 to 13 hours, from 4 to 5 years old it’s 11 to 12 hours, and from 7 to 13 years old it’s 9 to 10 hours. However, individual differences in the amount of sleep needed for very young children are significant. If a baby is energetic after waking up and there are no underlying health issues, a shorter sleep duration should not be considered abnormal. Avoid forcing a child to sleep; when they are tired, they will naturally want to rest. Please note that the “Generating summary” needs to be replaced with a one-sentence summary based on the content.