What 9–11 hours means for a 12-year-old
At 12, 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. That is still a lot of sleep, and many 12-year-olds fall short of it on school nights.
The NSF also lists 7–8 hours or 12 hours as “may be appropriate”. Some healthy young people fall into these ranges, but anything outside them is not recommended. The highlighted row in the table below is the one that applies to a 12-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 your child’s wake-up time. The table shows when they need to be asleep for 11, 10 or 9 hours.
| 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 |
For a 6:30 AM wake-up, being asleep by 9:30 PM (21:30) gives 9 hours. For 7:30 AM, 10:30 PM (22:30) gives 9 hours.
Homework, gaming and late nights
At 12, homework loads often grow, and online gaming and group chats can run late into the evening. A few simple boundaries help protect sleep:
- Agree a time when homework stops, even if it isn’t finished, and talk to the school if work regularly runs late.
- Set a cut-off for gaming and chats, ideally an hour before lights-out.
- Keep devices out of the bedroom overnight, so notifications can’t wake your child.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks such as cola and energy drinks, especially after lunch.
How to tell if a 12-year-old is short of sleep
Tired 12-year-olds are often hard to wake, moody, and slow to get going in the morning. Some struggle to concentrate in class or find it harder to manage their feelings. Long weekend lie-ins are another clue that they aren’t getting enough during the week.
If your child regularly can’t fall asleep for a long time, snores loudly, or seems exhausted despite enough time in bed, talk to their doctor.
Weekends and school holidays
A little extra sleep at weekends is fine, but try to keep your 12-year-old’s wake-up time within about an hour or two of school days. Very late nights and lie-ins shift the body clock and make Monday mornings harder.
Before a new school term, bring bedtime and wake-up time back gradually, by about 15 minutes every day or two, over the last week of the holidays.
More answers
- How much sleep an 11-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 13-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 10-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 14-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
What time should a 12-year-old go to bed?
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 12-year-olds aim for lights-out around 9:00–9:30 PM on school nights.
Is 8 hours of sleep enough for a 12-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 seems tired, an earlier bedtime is worth trying.
Are energy drinks OK for a 12-year-old?
Energy drinks are not recommended for children. They often contain a lot of caffeine and sugar, which can affect sleep and health. Water and milk are better choices.
Related calculators
Sleep needs by age
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Bedtime calculator
Enter any wake-up time to see bedtimes that let you wake between sleep cycles.
Nap calculator
Plan a 10-, 20- or 90-minute nap and see when to set your alarm.
Sleep debt calculator
Add up the last seven nights and see how far you are from your sleep target.
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.