verb (used with or without object), bifurcated, bifurcating. 1. to divide or fork into two branches. adjective. 2. divided into two branches.
Advertisement. By the Numbers. According to the National Sleep Foundation, newborns should sleep 12 to 18 hours out of every 24 (every new parent hopes), with a gradual reduction to 12 to 14 hours for toddlers ages 1 to 3; 11 to 13 hours for preschoolers 3 to 5; and (yes!) 10 to 11 hours for schoolchildren ages 5 to 10.
Sleep needs vary from person to person, and they change throughout a person's lifecycle. Preschool children (aged 3 to 5) 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.