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.
By preschool (aged three to five years), sleep needs to be reduced a bit to about 11-13 hours a night. But preschoolers, like toddlers, still tend to have trouble falling asleep, commonly waking up in the night. Older children (aged five to 12 years) require about 10-11 hours of sleep a night.