Sleep -- or a lack of it -- is probably the most-discussed part of baby care. New parents discover its importance in those first few weeks and months after their babies were born. Actually, the quality and quantity of a baby's sleep affects the well-being of everyone in the family. So how do new parents get their children to bed through the cries? And how much sleep is enough for their children? It all depends on their children' s age.       Sleeping charts that list the hours of sleep likely to be required by a baby or a two-year-old may cause concern if individual differences aren't considered. These numbers are simply averages reported by large groups of children of a particular age. There's no satisfactory number of hours required by all kids in a certain age group. Two-year-old Sarah might sleep from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am, while two-year-old Johnny is just as alert the next day after sleeping from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am.      Still, sleep is very important to a child's well-being. The link between a child's lack of sleep and his or her behavior isn't always obvious. When adults are tired, they can have low energy, but kids can become overexcited, disagreeable and have extremes in behavior. Most children's sleep requirements fall within a predictable range of hours based on their age, but each child is a unique individual with different sleep needs.      Here's a summary of a few ways that may help your child ease into a good night's sleep: Stick to bedtime.  Consider playing soft music.  Don't give your baby a bottle of milk or any sugar-containing drink to aid sleep.     There isn't one sure way to raise a good sleeper, but every parent should be encouraged to know that most children have the ability to sleep well. The key is to try, from early on, to establish healthy sleep habits that may last a lifetime. How should new parents treat the sleeping charts?
They should take it as a reference. They should make their kids' sleep hours different from it. They should follow it regularly and strictly. They should not follow it regularly.