Bedtime Calculator by Age for Children and Teenagers
Deciding what time your child should go to bed can feel like guesswork, particularly as sleep needs change so much between primary school and the teenage years. I created this bedtime calculator by age to give you a clear starting point for children and teenagers aged 5 to 17, based on the recommended sleep duration for their age and the time they need to wake up.
Bedtime calculator for kids and teenagers
Enter your child’s age and morning wake-up time. The calculator suggests when to get into bed and when to start winding down.
Choose an age to see the sleep target.
A possible bedtime for your child
The broad age ranges come from AASM guidance. The starting amount for each individual age is a practical estimate, not a separate clinical recommendation.
At age five, the published daily range includes any daytime nap. Account for naps when planning night-time sleep.
These times assume your child stays asleep until morning. If they often wake during the night, they may get less sleep than shown.
Make the hour before bed work for your child
Begin winding down one hour before getting into bed. Keep the steps familiar and choose activities your child finds relaxing. Reading, quiet music or a comfortable sensory activity might help.
For practical ideas, read my articles:
- Calming bedtime activities for building a familiar routine
- Sleep solutions for children aged five and over
- ADHD sleep routines for children who struggle with bedtime steps
- Why a child with ADHD may resist sleep
- Sensory sleep strategies for adjusting the sleep environment
- Sleep ideas for teenagers and pre-teens
- Sleep support for autistic teenagers
Every child is different. Notice how your child sleeps and how they feel during the day. If sleep is still difficult, if your child takes a very long time to fall asleep, or if tiredness affects daily life, speak to your doctor or a paediatrician or clinical psychologist. You can also use the free sleep diary to spot patterns.
Sleep guidance: CDC age ranges and NHS age examples.
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How much sleep does your child need by age?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's guidance recommends 10 to 13 hours for five-year-olds (including any daytime naps), 9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12, and 8 to 10 hours for ages 13 to 18.
Each night, your child moves through several sleep cycles of non-REM sleep (including deep sleep) and REM sleep (the dreaming stage). This pattern, known as sleep architecture, supports memory consolidation, and REM sleep plays a big part in emotional regulation.
School age sleep needs vary within these ranges, so the calculator starts each age with a practical number of hours you can adjust. The table below shows example sleep times for a 7.00 am wake-up.
| Age | Starting hours of sleep | Aim to be asleep by |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 6 | 11 hours | 8.00 pm |
| 7 to 8 | 10 hours 30 minutes | 8.30 pm |
| 9 to 11 | 10 hours | 9.00 pm |
| 12 to 13 | 9 hours 30 minutes | 9.30 pm |
| 14 to 15 | 9 hours | 10.00 pm |
| 16 to 17 | 8 hours 30 minutes | 10.30 pm |
What time should your child go to bed?
Count backwards from their wake-up time by the hours of sleep they need. For a nine-year-old who wakes at 7.00 am, a possible time to aim to be asleep is 9.00 pm (10 hours’ sleep). If they take 30 minutes to fall asleep, they could get into bed at 8.30 pm.
A few groggy minutes after waking (known as sleep inertia) are normal. Signs of sleep deprivation or a growing sleep debt include being very hard to wake, dozing off in the car or in front of the TV, and being irritable or tearful by late afternoon. If you notice these, try a slightly earlier bedtime for a week, and if that doesn't help, mention it to a healthcare provider.
Why does your teenager's body clock shift later?
Teenagers often need a later bedtime because, during puberty, the circadian rhythm (the body's internal clock) shifts later and melatonin (the hormone that makes us feel sleepy) is released later in the evening. Some parents notice this as a sleep regression in the early teens, and early school starts then cut their sleep short, which can leave them with a sleep debt by the end of the week. I recommend agreeing a realistic wind-down time together that suits their circadian rhythm. My guide to teen sleep problems has more ideas.
Simple ways to make a new bedtime stick
A predictable bedtime routine and good sleep hygiene (the everyday habits that support sleep) can help your child fall asleep faster. You could:
- Agree the routine together, with a little choice about how they wind down.
- Keep screen time before bed to a minimum, ideally putting screens away 30 to 60 minutes beforehand.
- Try reading or slow breathing together, or one of these calming bedtime activities for children.
If you are facing bedtime resistance, or a sleep regression after a holiday or illness, move bedtime earlier by 10 to 15 minutes every few nights. A consistent wake time anchors your child's circadian rhythm, so keep weekend wake-ups within about an hour of school days to protect their natural sleep schedule.
Get more help with your child's sleep
Please treat these times as a starting point and adjust them to suit your child. The calculator is designed for children and teenagers aged 5 to 17. For advice about babies’ or toddlers’ sleep, speak to your health visitor or GP.
If the bedtime calculator by age suggests a time your child finds very hard to manage, or you are worried that sleep deprivation is affecting daily life, speak to your GP or another healthcare provider.
As a clinical psychologist with 20 years' experience, I have a specialist interest in children's sleep, partly because one of my own children had significant sleep difficulties. I created Sleep for Success to help you understand how sleep shapes your child's behaviour, mood and emotional regulation. It offers practical, clinically grounded strategies for bedtime battles and sleep difficulties in children and teenagers aged 5 to 17. Find out more about my Sleep for Success course.
Dr Lucy Russell is a UK clinical psychologist and Clinical Director of Everlief Child Psychology. She qualified as a clinical psychologist from Oxford University in 2005 and worked in the National Health Service for many years before moving fully into her leadership and writing roles.
In 2019 Lucy launched They Are The Future, a support website for parents of school-aged children. Through TATF Lucy is passionate about giving practical, manageable strategies to parents and children who may otherwise struggle to find the support they need.
Lucy lives with her family, rescue cats and dog, and also fosters cats through a local animal welfare charity. She loves singing in a vocal harmony group and spending time in nature.
