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.
Here's the lowdown on how much sleep kids need at different ages, according to a consensus group of 13 sleep medicine experts and researchers who developed the recommendations: Infants 4 to 12 months - 12 to 16 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps). Children 1 to 2 years - 11 to 14 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps). Children 3 to 5 years - 10 to 13 hours of sleep every 24 hours (including naps). Children 6 to 12 years - 9 to 12 hours of sleep every 24 hours.