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.
Children generally need at least 10 hours of sleep a night to function best during the day. Interestingly, school-age children don't usually complain of daytime tiredness or fatigue, even when they do feel a little tired. Instead, these concerns are more often noticed by a child's parents or caregivers.