Sleep calculator / Sleep needs by age
How Much Sleep Do I Need?
Pick an age and a wake-up time. See the recommended hours of sleep and the bedtime window that gets you there.
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Recommended sleep by age
These ranges come from expert panels at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (for children and teens) and the National Sleep Foundation. They're ranges, not exact targets. Some people are naturally at the low end and some at the high end.
| Age | Recommended sleep |
|---|---|
| Newborn (0–3 months) | 14–17 hours, including naps |
| Infant (4–12 months) | 12–16 hours, including naps |
| Toddler (1–2 years) | 11–14 hours, including naps |
| Preschool (3–5 years) | 10–13 hours, including naps |
| School age (6–12 years) | 9–12 hours |
| Teen (13–18 years) | 8–10 hours |
| Adult (18–64 years) | 7–9 hours |
| Older adult (65+) | 7–8 hours |
How to tell if you're getting enough
- You wake up close to your alarm time without feeling like you were dragged out of bed.
- You don't need caffeine to get through the morning.
- You don't fall asleep within minutes of sitting still in the afternoon.
- On holidays, you don't sleep hours longer than usual.
If most of those aren't true, you likely need more sleep than you're getting. Check your sleep debt.
Teens need more than you think
Teenagers need 8 to 10 hours, and their body clocks naturally shift later in puberty. That makes early school start times especially hard. A consistent bedtime and less late-night screen time help, but many teens are simply short on sleep.
Older adults
Sleep often gets lighter and more broken with age, but the need doesn't drop much: 7 to 8 hours is still the target after 65. Waking up often, or being very sleepy during the day, is worth mentioning to a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
Is 6 hours of sleep enough?
For almost all adults, no. The adult guideline is at least 7 hours. Very few people do well on 6 hours long term, even if it feels normal.
Can you sleep too much?
Regularly needing much more than 9 hours as an adult can be linked to other health problems, or to poor-quality sleep. If you feel unrefreshed after long nights, talk to a doctor.
How much sleep does a 10 year old need?
Children aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours a night. For a 7:00 AM wake-up, that means a bedtime between about 6:45 PM and 9:45 PM.
Sources
- Paruthi S et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016.
- Watson NF et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2015.
- Hirshkowitz M et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 2015.
- National Sleep Foundation. How much sleep do you really need?
Related reading
- What Time Should a 15-Year-Old Go to Bed? School Nights, Weekends and SummerA 15-year-old who wakes at 6:30 AM should go to bed around 9:15 PM, and by 10:15 PM at the latest. Bedtimes for school nights, weekends and summer.5 min read
- What Time Should a 17-Year-Old Go to Bed? School Nights, Weekends and JobsA 17-year-old who wakes at 6:30 AM should go to bed around 9:15 PM, and by 10:15 PM at the latest. Bedtimes for school nights, weekends, jobs and driving.5 min read
- What Time Should a 6-Year-Old Go to Bed? School Nights, Weekends and SummerA 6-year-old who wakes at 7 AM should go to bed around 8:15 PM, and by 9:45 PM at the latest. Bedtimes for school nights, weekends and summer.5 min read
More free sleep tools
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- Jet Lag CalculatorDays to adjust, plus a shift-before-you-fly schedule.
These results are general estimates, not medical advice. Everyone's sleep is a little different. If you're often exhausted despite enough time in bed, snore loudly, or have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, see a doctor.