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.
As few as 9 hours and as many as 16 hours may be appropriate. Preschoolers (between 3 and 5 years old) sleep between 10 and 13 hours each day. As few as 8 hours and as many as 14 hours may be appropriate. School-aged children (6 to 13 years old) need 9 to 11 hours of sleep each day. As few as 7 hours and as many as 12 hours may be appropriate. Teens (14 to 17 years old) need 8 to 10 hours each day to feel their best.