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.
The amount of sleep a person needs depends a lot on his or her age. Babies sleep a lot â about 14 to 15 hours a day! But many older people only need about 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night. Most kids between the ages of 5 and 12 years old are somewhere in between, needing 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Some kids might need more and some need less.