Children’s Sleep Problems — Medicaid (QUEST) Accepted

Sleep struggles — bedtime battles, night wakings, a child who never seems to get enough rest — touch almost every family. Good sleep is not a luxury for keiki; it shapes mood, learning, behavior, and health, and small, consistent changes usually make a real difference.

How much sleep children need

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends per 24 hours (including naps): infants 4–12 months, 12–16 hours; toddlers 1–2 years, 11–14 hours; preschoolers 3–5 years, 10–13 hours; ages 6–12, 9–12 hours; and teens 13–18, 8–10 hours. Regularly hitting these is linked to better attention, behavior, learning, and emotional health.

Building better sleep

The most powerful tool is a consistent routine: the same wake time and bedtime, and a short calming wind-down (“brush, book, bed” works well for little ones). The AAP recommends keeping screens out of the bedroom and turning them off at least 30–60 minutes before bed, since screen light and stimulation delay sleep. A cool, dark, quiet room and avoiding caffeine help too.

How we approach it at Ohana Care Clinic

We help families tell everyday sleep habits apart from sleep problems that need a closer look — loud snoring or pauses in breathing, for example, deserve evaluation. Because our practice integrates behavioral health, we also look at anxiety, which is a common and treatable driver of bedtime resistance and night waking. Many of these visits work well by telehealth.

Getting care by telehealth

Most of our care at Ohana Care Clinic happens by secure video across Hawaiʻi. A new pediatric patient is seen in person for the first visit at our Hilo clinic; after that, many follow-ups, feeding and sleep questions, and behavior check-ins work well by video — which makes it easy to loop us in without packing up the whole ʻohana.

When to get help now

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for a baby who is limp, unresponsive, has trouble breathing, or a child with severe or one-sided pain, swelling, fever, or a limp that keeps them from walking. When in doubt, call us at (808) 867-8002 or use our symptom checker for after-hours guidance.

Medically reviewed by Donna Leonard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, pediatric nurse practitioner, and George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, President & Owner of Ohana Care Clinic.
Date published: July 2, 2026 · Last reviewed: July 2026 · Citations verified: July 2026

This article is general health education from Ohana Care Clinic, reviewed by Donna Leonard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, and George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP. It is not a substitute for a personal evaluation by a qualified clinician who knows your child’s situation, and reading it does not create a provider–patient relationship. If you think your child may have a medical condition, reach out to us or another licensed provider. In an emergency, call 911.

References

Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D’Ambrosio, C., et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: A consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 785–786. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866