Yes, there are distinct patterns that have been observed throughout the lifecycle. Sleep has been documented to begin in utero. Newborn infants spend a total of 17 out of 24 hours sleeping. By their fourth or fifth month of life, the amount of sleep decreases to about 14-15 hours. From ages one to five the number of hours spent sleeping decreases to approximately ten hours a day, including morning and afternoon naps.
Boys tend to sleep more than girls until about age five.
Between six and nine years of age, the number of required hours of sleep is usually established at six to ten hours and is maintained from early adulthood onward. Older adults are more wakeful and often return to a biphasic pattern of sleep similar to the toddler's sleeping pattern, which includes napping. Between one and two thirds of people with chronic insomnia have a diagnosable psychiatric illness. Depressive disorders, anxiety and panic disorders frequently are characterized by' insomnia. If these are the root causes, then a sleep disturbance may best be treated by addressing the underlying psychological disturbance.