How many hours of sleep does a child need by age?

«Is my child sleeping enough?» is one of the most common questions at home. The answer depends mostly on age, and there is a fairly clear medical consensus to start from.

Recommended hours by age

In 2016 the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published consensus recommendations, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They are total hours per 24 hours, so naps count:

• 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours, including naps.
• 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours, including naps.
• 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours, including naps.
• 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours.
• 13 to 18 years: 8 to 10 hours.

There is no recommended figure for babies under 4 months: newborn sleep varies a great deal, and that is normal.

How to work out bedtime

The practical way is to count back from the time they need to get up. A 4-year-old who wakes at 7:30 and no longer naps needs at least 10 hours, so they should be asleep by about 9:00 pm at the latest, and ideally a little earlier. If they still nap for an hour, there is a bit more room.

Remember that being asleep is not the same as going to bed. If pajamas, teeth and a story take half an hour, the routine needs to start half an hour earlier.

Signs they need more sleep

The ranges are wide because every child is different. More than the exact number, watch how they are during the day:

• They are very hard to wake in the morning, most days.
• They fall asleep on short car rides or in front of the TV.
• They are more irritable, tearful or prone to tantrums than usual.
• They seem wound up in the evening: in young children tiredness often looks like too much energy, not sleepiness.

Regularity matters as much as hours

Going to bed and getting up at similar times every day helps the body clock do its job. If bedtime drifts much later at weekends, Monday is twice as hard. A short routine that is always the same (bath, pajamas, teeth, a story and lights out) lets bedtime arrive without surprises.

When to ask for advice

Talk to your pediatrician if your child snores most nights, pauses in their breathing while asleep, regularly takes more than an hour to fall asleep, or is very sleepy during the day despite getting the hours they should.