A 6-year-old who wakes up at 7:00 AM should go to bed around 8:15 PM, and no later than 9:45 PM. That gives about 10.5 hours of sleep, inside the 9 to 12 hours the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends for children aged 6 to 12. Each bedtime on this page includes about 15 minutes to fall asleep.
These are the same numbers the kids bedtime calculator gives for a 6-year-old. Six is usually kindergarten or first grade, the nap is gone, and the school day is long. Below are the school-night times for every common wake-up, plus weekends and summer.
Free toolSleep Needs by AgeRecommended hours for every age, from newborns to over-65s.What time should a 6-year-old go to bed on a school night?
Count back 10 hours and 45 minutes from the time your child has to get up. For a 7:00 AM wake-up that's 8:15 PM; for 6:30 AM it's 7:45 PM.
| Wake-up time | Ideal (10.5 h) | Latest (9 h) | Earliest (12 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 5:45 PM |
| 6:15 AM | 7:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 6:30 AM | 7:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 6:15 PM |
| 6:45 AM | 8:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 7:00 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:45 PM | 6:45 PM |
| 7:15 AM | 8:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| 7:30 AM | 8:45 PM | 10:15 PM | 7:15 PM |
The "latest" column is the last bedtime that still meets the 9-hour minimum. It's a floor for an unusual night, not the everyday target. The "earliest" column is the top of the range, and an early night after a big day does no harm.
Many 6-year-olds, especially early in the school year, do better a little earlier than the ideal column. An 11-hour night means 7:45 PM for a 7:00 AM wake-up, or 7:15 PM for 6:30 AM. Ages 6 to 9 side by side are in what time should a 7-year-old go to bed.
What time should a 6-year-old go to bed for school?
Start from the time your child must be up for school, not the time school starts. If the bus comes at 7:40 and breakfast takes a while, a 6:45 AM wake-up and an 8:00 PM bedtime may fit better than the 7:00 AM row.
First grade asks more of a 6-year-old than kindergarten did: a longer, more structured day, reading and math, and less time to rest. The tiredness often shows up as meltdowns at dinner or tears over homework rather than yawning. If that sounds familiar, move bedtime 15 minutes earlier for a week before deciding it isn't working.
A few things make the first weeks of school easier:
- Shift the schedule before the first day. Move bedtime and wake-up 15 minutes earlier every couple of days for the last two weeks of summer.
- Keep after-school time low-key on the first few weeks. A busy afternoon and a late bedtime together are hard at this age.
- Lay out clothes and pack the bag the night before, so the morning doesn't push the wake-up earlier.
What time should a 6-year-old go to bed at night?
For most 6-year-olds, lights out somewhere between 7:15 and 8:45 PM fits, depending on the wake-up time. Very few need to be up past 9 on a school night.
Is 8 PM a good bedtime for a 6-year-old?
Yes, for most. With a 7:00 AM wake-up, an 8:00 PM bedtime gives about 10 hours 45 minutes of sleep. With a 6:30 AM wake-up it gives about 10 hours 15 minutes, still well inside the range.
Is 9 PM too late for a 6-year-old?
On a school night it usually is. With a 7:00 AM wake-up, 9:00 PM gives about 9 hours 45 minutes of sleep. With 6:30 AM it gives 9 hours 15 minutes, close to the minimum. Fine now and then, but not a good everyday bedtime at 6.
What time should a 6-year-old go to bed on the weekend?
Keep weekend bedtime and wake-up within about an hour of school nights. If your child wakes at 7:00 AM on weekdays, an 8:00 AM weekend wake-up and a 9:15 PM bedtime keep the same 10.5 hours.
| Weekend wake-up | Bedtime for 10.5 hours |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | 8:45 PM |
| 8:00 AM | 9:15 PM |
Regularity matters at this age. A large UK study of more than 10,000 seven-year-olds found that children without regular bedtimes had more behavioral difficulties, as rated by mothers and teachers, and those who moved to regular bedtimes showed improvement. It's observational, so it can't prove cause, but it's a good reason to keep weekends close to the school-night routine.
What time should a 6-year-old go to bed during summer?
In summer, a later bedtime is fine as long as wake-up moves later by the same amount and your child still gets about 10.5 hours. For an 8:00 AM wake-up that's bed around 9:15 PM; for 8:30 AM, around 9:45 PM.
| Summer wake-up | Ideal bedtime | Latest (9 h) |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:45 PM |
| 8:30 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:15 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 10:15 PM | 11:45 PM |
Bright evenings are the usual summer problem. Blackout curtains or blinds, dimmer lights in the last hour, and a steady wake-up time do most of the work. Camp or a summer program with a fixed morning start keeps the schedule from drifting too far.
Getting a 6-year-old to bed on time
A short routine in the same order every night does more than any argument at bedtime. Start about 30 minutes before lights-out: bath or wash, pajamas, teeth, then two books in bed.
- Give choices inside the routine, like which pajamas or which book, not whether to go to bed.
- Build in the last requests: water, bathroom, one more hug, then lights out.
- Keep screens out of the bedroom and off in the last hour.
The full routine by age is in bedtime routine for kids. If your child still lies awake for half an hour most nights, try 15 minutes later for a week; for a child who still sometimes naps, see what time a 5-year-old should go to bed. The kids bedtime calculator gives the window for any other wake-up.
When to talk to your pediatrician
Check with your child's pediatrician if they snore loudly most nights or have pauses or gasps in breathing while asleep, are very sleepy during the day despite enough time in bed, wake often every night, or have had trouble falling asleep for weeks.