Your child's sleep needs change dramatically as they grow, and hitting those targets really matters for their development. Newborns and young infants need sleep scattered throughout the day and night, but as your baby grows, they need increasingly consolidated nighttime sleep. By school age, research suggests most children need 9–12 hours of solid nighttime sleep. The key insight: it's not just *how much* sleep, but *when* it happens. Nighttime sleep is fundamentally different from naps or weekend catch-up sleep — your child's body clock relies on consistency. If your child's sleep needs seem unclear at any age, your pediatrician can help you figure out realistic targets for your specific situation.