What 8–10 hours means for a 14-year-old
At 14, a child is in the National Sleep Foundation’s teenager group, which runs from 14 to 17 years. For this group the recommended amount is 8 to 10 hours of sleep in every 24 hours. Most 14-year-olds need less sleep than younger children, but more than adults, and many get well under 8 hours on school nights.
The NSF also lists 7 hours or 11 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 14-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 teenager’s wake-up time. The table shows when they need to be asleep, not just in bed, for 10, 9 or 8 hours.
| Wake up | 10 h sleep | 9 h sleep | 8 h sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM06:00 | 8:00 PM20:00 | 9:00 PM21:00 | 10:00 PM22:00 |
| 6:30 AM06:30 | 8:30 PM20:30 | 9:30 PM21:30 | 10:30 PM22:30 |
| 7:00 AM07:00 | 9:00 PM21:00 | 10:00 PM22:00 | 11:00 PM23:00 |
For a 6:30 AM wake-up, being asleep by 10:30 PM (22:30) gives 8 hours, the minimum recommended for a 14-year-old.
Why early school starts are hard for teenagers
During the teenage years, the body clock naturally shifts later. Many 14-year-olds don’t feel sleepy until 11:00 PM, yet still need 8–10 hours. With an early start to the school day, the maths simply doesn’t work.
For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 AM or later. Families can’t usually change the school timetable, but they can make the most of the time available: a regular routine, a dark bedroom and as little early-morning rushing as possible.
Ways to help a 14-year-old get more sleep
- Encourage time outdoors in the morning; daylight helps the body clock shift earlier.
- Agree on a time when phones and gaming stop, ideally an hour before bed, and charge devices outside the bedroom.
- Avoid caffeine, including energy drinks, cola and strong tea, after lunch.
- Keep weekend wake-up times within about two hours of school days.
Teenagers are more likely to accept changes they help design, so work out the plan together rather than imposing it.
A sample school night for a 14-year-old
With a 7:00 AM wake-up, 8–10 hours means being asleep between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM. A school night that lands in the middle of that range:
- 8:30 PM: homework and messages wrapped up.
- 9:15 PM: phone on charge outside the bedroom.
- 9:30 PM: shower, then reading or music in bed.
- 10:00 PM: asleep, for 9 hours.
Agreeing a phone cut-off together, and keeping it as a household rule, usually works better than enforcing it at 10:00 PM.
Exams and late-night revision
Staying up late to revise often backfires. Sleep is when the brain strengthens what was learned during the day, so a full night before an exam usually does more for memory than an extra hour of study.
In exam season, try to finish revising at least an hour before bed, keep the usual wake-up time, and plan study for the afternoon and early evening. For nearby ages, see a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old.
Signs a 14-year-old isn’t getting enough sleep
- Very hard to wake on school days, or sleeping several hours longer at weekends.
- Dozing in class, on the bus or in front of the TV.
- Low mood, irritability or more arguments than usual.
- Grades slipping, or finding it hard to concentrate and remember things.
If these are regular, look at how much sleep they are getting on school nights first. If your teenager snores loudly, struggles to fall asleep most nights or seems exhausted despite enough time in bed, talk to their doctor.
More answers
- How much sleep a 13-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 15-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 12-year-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 16-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 14-year-old go to bed?
For a 6:30 AM (06:30) wake-up, being asleep between 8:30 PM (20:30) and 10:30 PM (22:30) gives 8–10 hours. Many 14-year-olds aim for lights-out around 10:00 PM on school nights.
Is 7 hours of sleep enough for a 14-year-old?
Seven hours is below the recommended 8–10 hours, although the National Sleep Foundation lists 7 hours as possibly appropriate for some teenagers. Most 14-year-olds need more.
Why does my 14-year-old want to stay up so late?
The body clock shifts later in puberty, so teenagers often feel alert late in the evening. It is a real biological change. Morning daylight and a fixed wake-up time help bring it earlier.
Related calculators
Sleep needs by age
See the recommended hours of sleep for any age, from newborns to older adults.
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.
- Adolescent Sleep Working Group, Committee on Adolescence, Council on School Health. School Start Times for Adolescents. Pediatrics, 2014;134(3):642–649. doi:10.1542/peds.2014-1697.
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.