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.
A newborn infant will require up to 16 hours of sleep per day. This requirement drops to approximately 13 hours per day from the age of 6 months up to 3 years. Once a child reaches age 3 the need for sleep drops about two hours per day until they reach age 6. From age 6 to 9 the average child needs 10 hours of sleep.