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.
There are no hard and fast rules about the exact number of hours of sleep children need at different ages. The NHS offers some broad recommendations developed by the private Millpond Children 's Sleep Clinic: 1-4 weeks old: 15.5-16.5 hours per day. Newborns typically sleep in short periods of two to four hours.