A 5-year-old who no longer naps and wakes at 7:00 AM should go to bed around 7:45 PM, and no later than about 8:45 PM. That gives 10 to 11 hours of night sleep. Children aged 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours in 24 hours, including naps, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and each bedtime here includes about 15 minutes to fall asleep.
The nap is the big variable at this age. A child who still naps for two hours can happily go to bed later than one who has dropped it, so the right bedtime for a 3-, 4- or 5-year-old depends as much on the afternoon as on the alarm.
Free toolSleep Needs by AgeRecommended hours for every age, from newborns to over-65s.Preschooler bedtime chart, with and without a nap
Find your child's wake-up time, then the column that matches today's nap. The columns assume about 11 hours of total sleep with no nap, 11.5 hours with a 1-hour nap, and 12 hours with a 2-hour nap, all inside the 10 to 13 hour range.
| Wake-up time | No nap | 1-hour nap | 2-hour nap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM |
Notice that a nap doesn't simply add on: children who nap usually need a bit more total sleep, so a 2-hour nap moves bedtime about an hour later, not two. If the later bedtimes in the right-hand column feel too late for your family, a shorter nap that ends by mid-afternoon brings bedtime back. For other wake times, the sleep needs by age calculator shows the range for any age.
How naps change bedtime
A long or late nap pushes bedtime later; dropping the nap pulls it earlier, by 30 to 60 minutes in the chart above. Most children stop napping somewhere in the preschool years. A review of napping studies worldwide found that fewer than 2.5% of children stop before age 2, while about 94% have stopped by age 5. The years from 3 to 5 are when it varies most from child to child.
Signs the nap is starting to cost night sleep:
- Lying awake in bed for 30 minutes or more on nap days
- Bedtime battles that only happen after a nap
- Very early waking after a long afternoon nap
If you see these, try shortening the nap, moving it earlier, or swapping it for quiet time.
What time should a 3-year-old go to bed?
A 3-year-old who naps for about an hour and wakes at 7:00 AM should go to bed around 8:15 PM, or 7:45 PM for a 6:30 AM wake-up. Without a nap, aim for 7:45 PM and 7:15 PM.
Most 3-year-olds still nap, and that's fine. If yours goes down for a nap at 1 PM and sleeps until 3:30, an 8:30 PM bedtime may be more realistic than 7:30. Watch how quickly they fall asleep at night: settling within about 20 minutes is a good sign the timing is right. For younger children, see how much sleep a toddler needs.
What time should a 4-year-old go to bed?
A 4-year-old should go to bed around 7:45 PM on no-nap days and 8:15 PM on 1-hour nap days, for a 7:00 AM wake-up.
Four is the classic in-between year: some days your child naps, some days they don't. It's fine to have two bedtimes. On days the nap doesn't happen, move bedtime 30 minutes earlier instead of pushing through. Quiet time in their room, with books or soft toys for 45 minutes, gives a rest even when sleep doesn't come.
What time should a 5-year-old go to bed?
Most 5-year-olds no longer nap, so a 7:45 PM bedtime suits a 7:00 AM wake-up and 7:15 PM suits 6:30 AM. The latest bedtimes that still give 10 hours are about 8:45 PM and 8:15 PM.
Kindergarten is tiring in a new way. Many 5-year-olds fall asleep in the car after school, and a 20-minute doze at 4 PM can push bedtime back by an hour. If that happens often, try a snack and some music on the drive home, and bring bedtime earlier on the days they're clearly exhausted.
What about a 6-year-old?
At 6, the recommended range moves to 9 to 12 hours, with no nap, so a 7:45 PM bedtime still works well for a 7:00 AM wake-up. Ages 6 to 9 are covered in detail in what time should a 7-year-old go to bed.
A bedtime routine for preschoolers
A short, predictable routine every night helps preschoolers fall asleep faster and sleep longer. In a study of more than 10,000 children up to age 5 across 13 countries, a consistent bedtime routine was linked to earlier bedtimes, falling asleep faster, fewer night wakings and more sleep. The more nights a week families kept the routine, the better the results, though the study shows a link rather than proof.
A routine that works for many families, in the same order each night:
- Bath or wash, 10 minutes
- Pajamas and teeth
- Two books in bed, with the lights dimmed
- A song or a short chat about the day
- Lights out, same words every night
Start it 20 to 30 minutes before the bedtime in the chart. Keep screens out of that time.
When to talk to your pediatrician
Check with your pediatrician if your child snores loudly most nights or has pauses or gasps in breathing while asleep, is very sleepy or unusually irritable during the day despite enough time in bed, or has trouble falling or staying asleep that goes on for weeks.