The first thing to note is that it depends on how old you are, as to how much sleep your body needs. The younger you are, the more sleep you need. For example, a baby requires a lot of sleep, and will sleep up to 16 hours a day. An infant will need about 14 or so hours of sleep a day. Children will need less sleep as they get older, so between eight and nine hours of sleep is usually enough for most of them. Teenagers actually need a lot of sleep, since this is usually when growth spurts occur, and need around nine hours of sleep a night.

There is no generic answer believe it or not, we are not robots- each person is different. Sleep is important for growth and development. As a general note babies require 10 to 14 hours of sleep per night. Children may need 9 to 12 hours and adults between 7 to 9 hours. As we get older we generally sleep less, however this is not to say we don't require as much sleep! Most of us experience sleep debt during the week which we often try and make up on the weekend by sleeping in.

Between six and twelve months, children need fourteen or fifteen hours. This is the stage when your baby will need to take several naps, and sleep at night as well. Most kids at this stage take two or three naps during the day, and sleep through the night fairly well. They no longer need to eat at night. This is the best stage to start your child on a routine. Pay attention to their normal moods, and put them on a sleep schedule that gives them a morning nap when they are tired, and an afternoon nap when they are tired. Put them to bed between seven and nine p.m., and plan on them waking between six or eight a.m.

An interesting study published in BBC News Online (24th April 2004), suggests that sleep problems in babies could lead to drug problems in the teenage years. This is the first study to look at the relationship between children's sleep problems and substance abuse in later life. Researchers from the University of Michigan claim that early sleep disruption does not mean a child will have substance abuse problems as a teenager, but that it could be a 'marker' for later issues. This is one more reason that parents should focus on healthy sleep habits for their children.

Some babies are fantastic sleepers, going through the night from 6 weeks old and taking three perfect naps a day. But most babies ­ probably yours included - are not fantastic sleepers. There is no reason why they should be, of course. Many of the sleep "problems" with young babies are to do with parental expectations rather than with the baby behaving abnormally. But while you shouldn't have high hopes of your baby's sleep fitting in with yours in the early days, it is important to plan ahead. The habits that your baby is getting into by around the 6-month mark will condition her sleep habits for the months to come.

Read about Babycare and also read about Pumping Breast Milk and Weaning Baby