How Much Sleep Kids Need: Recommended Hours by Age

Kids go through a lot of phases growing up ­— especially when it comes to sleep.

Recommendations for how much sleep children need change by age. They require a lot of downtime during their early months and years. Slowly over time, though, those hours of needed ZZZs decrease.

But no matter their age, getting the right amount of sleep is critically important for their healthy childhood development.

So, how much is enough at various ages? Let’s find out from pediatric sleep specialist Vaishal Shah, MD.

Sleep needs by age

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends a certain number of hours that each age group — from babies to teenagers — should sleep in 24 hours.

Here are the targets:

Dr. Shah suggests doing a little clock math to set a bedtime for your kid: “Start with when your child needs to wake up in the morning, then count backward to come to an appropriate bedtime,” he says.

Why sleep is so important

The benefits of tucking your kiddo into bed for the night extend beyond grabbing a bit of quiet time after a full day of parenting and adulting. (Though let’s be honest — that is a fabulous perk.)

Children need their sleep to be their best, says Dr. Shah. Research shows that kids who get enough sleep show improvements in:

• Attention.
• Behavior.
• Learning.
• Memory.
• Emotional regulation.
• Mental health.
• Physical health.
• Overall quality of life.

“Sleep truly is the best medicine,” he continues. “Better yet, it’s free, has no detrimental side effects and requires no prior authorization from your insurance company.”

While a restful slumber is always important, here’s a look at the needs by age.

Newborns (0 to 3 months)

Average sleep range: 11 to 17 hours per day

In the first few months of life, newborns keep it simple. They’ll sleep, wake up, eat, poop, look cute and start the cycle over again. They typically don’t do this on a convenient schedule.

“In those early months, a baby’s brain does not have what we call circadian rhythm, which is the ability to differentiate between night and day,” Dr. Shah explains. “Around three to six months, we start seeing them develop a difference in their nighttime versus daytime sleep patterns.”

The Pediatric Sleep Council says most babies this age will sleep about 11 to 17 hours per day. Because sleep at this stage varies so widely and is spread more evenly during the day and night, there isn’t a standard recommendation for how long newborns need to sleep.

Take care to keep your newborn’s sleep environment safe: Don’t share your bed and keep bumpers and other accessories out of their crib.

Babies (4 to 12 months)

Recommended sleep duration: 12 to 16 hours, including naps

Once children start figuring out the difference between days and nights, they’ll begin to fall into a sleep rhythm. You can start to encourage a more regular sleep schedule once that happens.

At this age, you’ll want to calculate the number of hours devoted to night sleep, plus naps, toward the recommended hours of sleep. Babies this age generally sleep about six to eight hours at night ­— ideally in one block if you’re lucky.

“The rest of the sleep time is during naps,” says Dr. Shah. “Some kids at this age will take one nap. Some will take two or three. We see a wide variation in real life. That’s OK, as long as they’re happy, healthy and getting to that total number of hours.”

Also, around 6 to 12 months old, most babies don’t need to be fed at night unless they have a medical condition that makes it necessary. As long as your baby is healthy, you can start to wean them from nighttime feeding at this age.

Toddlers (12 to 24 months)

Recommended sleep duration: 11 to 14 hours, including naps

As your toddler starts walking and talking, their sleep needs will change. Look for them to start sleeping longer at night and take fewer naps (likely just one per day) that don’t go as long.

Many children this age cling tightly to routine. Establishing gentle but firm boundaries, consistent routines and positive reinforcement around sleep at this age will help them get the sleep they need, notes Dr. Shah. (Get tips about getting your toddler to bed.)

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)

Recommended sleep duration: 10 to 13 hours, may include a nap

Expect children around this age to drop their afternoon napping habit and get most of their sleep at nighttime. The process is often a gradual one. “Your child may nap on alternate days, or sometimes, they’ll nap for a few days but not on other days,” explains Dr. Shah.

As they transition, try to build some quiet time into your child’s afternoon so they can relax and recharge. (Think of it as a break instead of a nap.)

One last note, too: Losing naptime doesn’t mean they should shed those hours of sleep. You may want to look at moving their bedtime up a bit to make up for the shuteye they’re no longer getting during the day.

School-aged kids (6 to 12 years)

Recommended sleep duration: 9 to 12 hours

When your child starts going to school, their No. 1 job is to learn. Getting sufficient sleep will go a long way toward keeping them engaged during their classes.

“Kids who aren’t getting enough sleep are more likely to have problems concentrating and behaving appropriately at school,” Dr. Shah shares. “Insufficient sleep can affect them in ways that make them fall behind their peers in classroom performance.”

Beyond the classroom, a lack of sleep also can make it difficult to keep up in sports or other extracurricular activities.

Teenagers (13 to 18 years)

Recommended sleep duration: 8 to 10 hours

How many hours of sleep do teens really need? More than you might think. (Something to think about the next time you grumble when they sleep until noon on a Saturday.)

Teenagers have a lot of demands on their time, after all. Sleep can easily get pushed to the side most days as they juggle classes, jobs, extracurricular activities, homework and keeping up with their social calendars.

For these reasons and more, Dr. Shah says it’s common for many teenagers to actually be sleep-deprived.

“I often hear teens say they feel tired all day but they can’t get enough sleep because they’re super busy,” he says. “It’s a vicious cycle, though, because often you may be slower and tired because you’re not sleeping enough. So, making time for sleep is really important.”

And as your teenager takes the wheel, a sleepy new driver is a serious cause for concern, warns Dr. Shah. Research shows that young drivers are at the greatest risk of being involved in a drowsy driving crash.

Final thoughts

Sleep is one of the most basic of all human experiences. We all need it — and helping your children get enough of it is important to keep them going about their business of learning and growing.

“Kids who don’t get enough sleep aren’t only going to be tired,” says Dr. Shah. “They’re not going to be able to function like they should. That’s something that can negatively affect everything they do.”