The right bedtime for a child depends on two things: how much sleep they need at their age and what time they have to get up. Work back from the wake-up time and you have your answer.
Free toolSleep Needs by AgeRecommended hours for every age, from newborns to over-65s.How much sleep do children need?
These are the ranges recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine:
| Age | Sleep per 24 hours |
|---|---|
| 4–12 months | 12–16 hours, including naps |
| 1–2 years | 11–14 hours, including naps |
| 3–5 years | 10–13 hours, including naps |
| 6–12 years | 9–12 hours |
| 13–18 years | 8–10 hours |
Bedtime chart for school-age kids and teens
Each bedtime includes about 15 minutes to fall asleep. The latest bedtime is the last one that still gets them the minimum. The ideal bedtime lands in the middle of the recommended range.
| Wake-up time | Kids 6–12: ideal | Kids 6–12: latest | Teens: ideal | Teens: latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:45 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 7:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:15 PM | 10:15 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:45 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:45 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 8:45 PM | 10:15 PM | 10:15 PM | 11:15 PM |
For any other time or age, the sleep needs by age calculator gives you the window in a tap.
Toddlers and preschoolers
For children under 6, the totals include naps, so there's no single bedtime formula. As a rough guide, most toddlers and preschoolers who wake around 6:30 to 7:00 AM do well with a bedtime somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 PM. If your child naps for a long time in the afternoon, a slightly later bedtime may fit better. Watch for signs of tiredness rather than the clock alone.
Teens: a special case
Around puberty, teenagers' body clocks naturally shift later. A 15-year-old genuinely may not feel sleepy until 10:30 or 11 PM, even with an early start the next day. It isn't just stubbornness.
What helps:
- Keep wake-up times consistent, even on weekends, within an hour or so.
- Get morning light on the way to school.
- Phones out of the bedroom at night. Late screens both delay sleep and cut it short.
- Watch caffeine. Energy drinks and sodas can keep teens up for hours. The caffeine calculator shows how long it lasts.
Signs your child needs more sleep
Children rarely say they're tired. It tends to show up in other ways:
- Hard to wake in the morning, or falls back asleep in the car
- Irritable, emotional or hyperactive, especially late in the day
- Trouble concentrating at school
- Sleeps much longer on weekends and holidays
- Falls asleep within a couple of minutes of lights out, every night
If you see several of these, try moving bedtime 15 to 30 minutes earlier for a week and watch what changes.
For more detail by age, see how much sleep a toddler needs and how much sleep teenagers need.
Making bedtime stick
- Same routine, same order, every night: bath, pajamas, teeth, books, lights out.
- Start the routine 30 to 45 minutes before lights-out.
- Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
- Avoid screens in the hour before bed.
- Keep it consistent on weekends as much as family life allows.
When to talk to a doctor
Speak to your pediatrician if your child snores loudly most nights, gasps or pauses in breathing while asleep, is very sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed, or has ongoing trouble falling or staying asleep.