How this tool works
Enter an age and the tool finds the matching age group in the National Sleep Foundation’s recommendations, then shows two ranges:
- Recommended: the hours experts agreed are right for most healthy people in that age group.
- May be appropriate: slightly more or less sleep that can suit some individuals. Outside both ranges isn’t recommended.
All figures are hours in a 24-hour day. For babies and young children that includes daytime naps. Babies under one year are grouped by months, because their needs change quickly.
Recommended hours by age
| 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 |
Your current result is highlighted in the table.
Worked example: a 10-year-old
A 10-year-old falls in the school-age group (6–13 years), so the recommendation is 9–11 hours in 24 hours. If they need to be up at 7:00 AM, being asleep between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM would give them that.
Some children do well on 7–8 or 12 hours, which is the “may be appropriate” range. Consistently falling outside it is worth mentioning to their doctor.
Sleep needs by exact age
For a closer look at one age, including typical bedtimes, naps and signs of too little sleep, pick it below.
- Newborn14–17 hours in 24 hours
- 3-month-old14–17 hours in 24 hours
- 6-month-old12–15 hours in 24 hours
- 9-month-old12–15 hours in 24 hours
- 1-year-old11–14 hours in 24 hours
- 2-year-old11–14 hours in 24 hours
- 3-year-old10–13 hours in 24 hours
- 4-year-old10–13 hours in 24 hours
- 5-year-old10–13 hours in 24 hours
- 6-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 7-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 8-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 9-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 10-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 11-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 12-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 13-year-old9–11 hours a night
- 14-year-old8–10 hours a night
- 15-year-old8–10 hours a night
- 16-year-old8–10 hours a night
- 17-year-old8–10 hours a night
When to seek help
Talk to a doctor or your child’s doctor if you or they:
- regularly sleep well outside the recommended range and feel unwell or tired;
- snore loudly, pause breathing or gasp during sleep;
- are very hard to wake, or very sleepy, irritable or unfocused during the day;
- for babies: always place them on their back to sleep, and ask your doctor or health visitor about any concerns with feeding or sleep.
Frequently asked questions
How much sleep does a 10-year-old need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 9–11 hours in 24 hours for school-age children aged 6 to 13.
Do naps count towards the total?
Yes. For babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the ranges cover all sleep in 24 hours, including naps.
Why enter months for babies?
Newborns (0–3 months) and infants (4–11 months) have different recommendations, so whole years aren’t precise enough. From 12 months, switch to years.
Why do other sources give slightly different numbers?
Different expert panels have published their own ranges, for example the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s paediatric guidance. This tool uses the National Sleep Foundation’s ranges throughout.
Related calculators
Bedtime calculator
Know when you need to wake up? Find the bedtimes that let you wake between sleep cycles.
Wake-up time calculator
Going to bed now or at a set time? Find wake-up times that land at the end of a cycle.
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.