These guidelines provide recommendations on the amount of time in a 24-hour day that chidlren under the age of 5 should spend being physically active and sleeping, in additional to the maximum time these children should spend on screen-based sedentary activities or time restrained. 

The new (2019) guidelines were developed by a WHO panel of experts. They assessed the effects on young children of inadequate sleep, and time spent sitting watching screens or restrained in chairs and prams. They also reviewed evidence around the benefits of increased activity levels. Applying the recommendations in these guidelines during the first five years of life will contribute to children’s motor and cognitive development and lifelong health.