Final answer:
Sleep needs tend to decrease during middle childhood as children become more independent and engage in more complex cognitive activities. While infants may sleep up to 16 hours a day, this requirement reduces with age, resulting in fewer hours needed as children grow older.
Step-by-step explanation:
Throughout middle childhood, sleep needs tend to decrease in time. During this stage, which covers the ages of six to ten years, children require less sleep compared to their earlier years. As children grow older and develop more independence and cognitive abilities, their need for sleep reduces. It's interesting to note that while infants may require up to 16 hours of sleep daily, this amount declines as they age, averaging fewer than 7 hours by the age of 65. Sleep is vital for many aspects of health, including physical growth and cognitive development. In middle childhood, sufficient sleep supports children's learning and memory, helping them process complex ideas and plan for the future.