What 9–11 hours means for a 10-year-old
At 10, a child is in the National Sleep Foundation’s school-age group, which runs from 6 to 13 years. For this group the recommended amount is 9 to 11 hours of sleep in every 24 hours. Most 10-year-olds get all of it at night; regular daytime naps are unusual at this age.
The NSF also lists 7–8 hours or 12 hours as “may be appropriate”. Some healthy children fall into these ranges, but less than 7 or more than 12 hours is not recommended. The highlighted row in the table below is the one that applies to a 10-year-old.
| Age group | Ages | Recommended | May be appropriate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0–3 months | 14–17 h | 11–13 or 18–19 h |
| Infant | 4–11 months | 12–15 h | 10–11 or 16–18 h |
| Toddler | 1–2 years | 11–14 h | 9–10 or 15–16 h |
| Preschooler | 3–5 years | 10–13 h | 8–9 or 14 h |
| School-age child | 6–13 years | 9–11 h | 7–8 or 12 h |
| Teenager | 14–17 years | 8–10 h | 7 or 11 h |
| Young adult | 18–25 years | 7–9 h | 6 or 10–11 h |
| Adult | 26–64 years | 7–9 h | 6 or 10 h |
| Older adult | 65+ years | 7–8 h | 5–6 or 9 h |
Asleep-by times for school mornings
Count back from the time your child needs to get up. The table shows when they need to be asleep, not just in bed, for 11, 10 or 9 hours. Allow extra time for the bedtime routine and for falling asleep.
| Wake up | 11 h sleep | 10 h sleep | 9 h sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM06:30 | 7:30 PM19:30 | 8:30 PM20:30 | 9:30 PM21:30 |
| 7:00 AM07:00 | 8:00 PM20:00 | 9:00 PM21:00 | 10:00 PM22:00 |
| 7:30 AM07:30 | 8:30 PM20:30 | 9:30 PM21:30 | 10:30 PM22:30 |
If your child gets up at 7:00 AM, being asleep by 9:00 PM (21:00) gives 10 hours, right in the middle of the recommended range.
Signs a 10-year-old may need more sleep
- They’re hard to wake most mornings, or sleep much longer at weekends.
- They’re irritable, tearful or prone to mood swings later in the day.
- They find it hard to concentrate or remember things at school.
- They doze off in the car or in front of the TV in the afternoon.
Children who are short on sleep don’t always seem sleepy. Some become more restless or active instead, which can be mistaken for other problems.
If you notice several of these most weeks, try moving bedtime 15 minutes earlier every few nights until your child wakes more easily. If nothing changes after a few weeks, mention it to their doctor.
A sample school night for a 10-year-old
Busy evenings are the main reason 10-year-olds fall short of 9–11 hours. One way to plan a school night with a 7:00 AM wake-up:
- 3:30 PM: home, snack and a break.
- 6:00 PM: homework finished.
- 8:00 PM: screens off, phone or tablet on charge outside the bedroom.
- 8:30 PM: in bed, reading.
- 9:00 PM: lights out and asleep, for 10 hours.
Clubs and sport can move things later on some nights; keeping the 8:00 PM screen cut-off steady makes the rest easier.
Sleepovers, sport and late nights
A late night now and then is fine. To get back on track afterwards, keep the wake-up time close to normal and bring bedtime forward the next evening, rather than letting your child sleep until late morning. Long lie-ins shift the body clock and make the next school morning harder.
For nearby ages, see a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old.
Screens, homework and busy evenings
By 10, evenings fill up with homework, clubs and screens, and bedtime can slide later without anyone noticing. A few habits help:
- Keep bedtime and wake-up time roughly the same on school nights and weekends; long weekend lie-ins can make Monday mornings harder.
- Switch off screens about an hour before bed, and charge phones and tablets outside the bedroom.
- Finish homework and energetic activities earlier in the evening where you can.
- Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool.
More answers
- How much sleep a 9-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep an 11-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep an 8-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 12-year-old needsNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 4 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:15 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:30 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:45 AM wake-upRelated answer
Frequently asked questions
Is 8 hours of sleep enough for a 10-year-old?
Eight hours is below the recommended 9–11 hours, though the National Sleep Foundation lists 7–8 hours as possibly appropriate for some school-age children. If your child regularly sleeps 8 hours and seems tired, irritable or struggles at school, try an earlier bedtime and talk to their doctor if things don’t improve.
What time should a 10-year-old go to bed?
It depends on when they get up. For a 7:00 AM (07:00) wake-up, being asleep between 8:00 PM (20:00) and 10:00 PM (22:00) gives 9–11 hours. Many families aim for lights-out around 8:30–9:00 PM on school nights.
Why do other sources say 9–12 hours?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine uses slightly different age groups and recommends 9–12 hours for children aged 6 to 12. SleepCalcHub uses the National Sleep Foundation’s ranges throughout, which give 9–11 hours for ages 6 to 13.
Related calculators
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Sleep debt calculator
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Sources
- Hirshkowitz M, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 2015;1(1):40–43. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010.
- Paruthi S, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016;12(6):785–786. doi:10.5664/jcsm.5866.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep.
When to seek help
Talk to your child’s doctor if they:
- snore loudly most nights, or pause, gasp or snort while asleep;
- are very hard to wake, or are often sleepy, irritable or struggling to focus during the day;
- regularly take a long time to fall asleep or wake often in the night;
- have sleep problems that are affecting school, mood or family life.