How much sleep do kids need? A guide by age, with a bedtime routine that works
How much sleep do kids need? Hours by age for 3 to 12, how sleep helps learning and mood, signs of too little sleep, and a calm bedtime routine.
Guides for parents · Health · · 9 min read
Key takeaways
- Kids aged 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day, naps included. Kids aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours.[1]
- Getting enough sleep most nights is linked with better attention, behavior, learning, memory and mood.[1]
- In a small trial, kids aged 7 to 11 who slept about half an hour more were calmer and less restless at school.[2]
- Kids with a regular bedtime routine fall asleep faster, wake less at night and sleep longer. A big survey that included Filipino families found this.[3]
- Loud snoring most nights, or pauses in breathing, is worth raising with your pediatrician.[4]
Kids aged 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day, naps included. Kids aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours. A group of sleep experts set these ranges in 2016. The American Academy of Pediatrics backs them.[1]
The World Health Organization (WHO) gives the same 10 to 13 hours for kids aged 3 and 4. It also says to keep sleep and wake-up times regular.[5]
Hours of sleep a child needs in 24 hours
Ages 3 to 510 to 13 hours · Naps count toward the total.
Ages 6 to 129 to 12 hours
Ages 13 to 188 to 10 hours · For older brothers and sisters.
Sleep hours by age
These are ranges, not exact targets. Some kids do fine at the low end. Others need the high end. A better question is this: does your child wake up fairly easily and get through the day without falling apart?
Between ages 3 and 5, kids slowly stop napping and sleep only at night. So some 3- to 5-year-olds nap and some do not.[6] Both are normal.
To set a bedtime, count back from wake-up time. Say your 7-year-old must be up at 5:30 for the school service. For 9 hours of sleep, they need to be asleep by 8:30 at night. For 10 hours, they need to be asleep by 7:30.
Being asleep is not the same as being in bed. Most kids need some time to drift off. So start the bedtime routine earlier than the time you want them asleep.
Too much sleep can be a sign of something too. The expert panel said that often sleeping far more than the range may be linked with health problems.[1] If your child sleeps long hours and still seems worn out, ask your pediatrician.
How sleep helps memory, attention and mood at school
Good sleep goes with better days at school. The expert panel found that kids who get enough sleep most nights tend to have better attention, behavior, learning, memory and mood. Kids who often sleep too little tend to have more trouble with attention, behavior and learning.[1]
But the links are small. One big review pooled 86 studies of 35,936 healthy kids aged 5 to 12. Longer sleep went with slightly better schoolwork and planning skills. Shorter sleep went with slightly more behavior problems.[7]
Another review looked at sleepiness, sleep quality and hours of sleep. All three were linked with school results, but only a little. Feeling sleepy during the day had the strongest link.[8] Sleep is one piece of how a child does at school, not the whole story.
Mood is where many parents notice it first. In a 2012 trial, 34 kids aged 7 to 11 went to bed either earlier or later than usual for a week. Kids who ended up sleeping about 27 minutes more were calmer and less restless at school. Kids who lost about 54 minutes got worse.[2] Their teachers did not know which group each child was in.
What sleep does for memory
Sleep seems to help kids keep what they learned. In one 2013 study, preschoolers remembered more of a morning lesson when they napped after it. Kids who stayed awake remembered less. Sleeping that night did not make up for the missed nap.[6] The nap helped most in kids who usually napped.
Another 2013 lab study compared kids and adults. Both practiced a pattern of finger moves without being told there was a pattern. After a night of sleep, kids were better than adults at spotting the hidden pattern. This was linked to their deep sleep.[9]
Signs your child is not getting enough sleep
Tired kids do not always look sleepy. In the 2012 trial, losing less than an hour of sleep showed up as mood swings and restless behavior at school.[2] Watch for these signs.
- Hard to wake on school days, and much later wake-ups on weekends.
- Falling asleep in the car, on the jeepney or in front of the TV in the early evening.
- Short temper, tears or meltdowns over small things, mostly late in the day.
- Trouble focusing, or a teacher saying your child seems tired or restless in class.
- For preschoolers: skipping naps and falling apart by dinner.
Some signs need a doctor, not a new routine. The American Academy of Pediatrics says all kids should be checked for snoring. Regular snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea. That is a breathing problem during sleep that a doctor can check.[4]
A calm bedtime routine that works
Do the same few steps in the same order every night. A 2015 survey asked mothers about 10,085 kids aged 0 to 5 in 13 countries and regions, including the Philippines. Kids with a regular bedtime routine went to bed earlier, fell asleep faster, woke less at night and slept longer.[3]
The more nights a week families kept the routine, the better kids slept. This held in Asian and Western families alike.[3] A survey shows a link, not proof. But the pattern was clear.
A calm bedtime routine
Step 2: Wash up and brush teeth.
A bath or wash-up, then teeth and pajamas. The same order every night tells your child that sleep is coming.
Step 3: Dim the lights.
Use a lamp instead of the bright ceiling light in the last hour. Light before bed lowers the body's sleep signal (melatonin) in young kids.[11]
Step 4: Read a book or two.
One or two books and a short chat about the day. Set the number before you start.
Step 5: Lights out in a cool room.
Keep the room quiet, calm and cool.[10] Then say good night.
85.4%
Small swaps for better sleep
Instead of
Screens right up to bedtime.
Try
Devices off at least 30 minutes before bed, as the CDC suggests.[10]
Instead of
The bright ceiling light in the last hour.
Try
A small lamp, and a dark bedroom at night.[11]
Instead of
Iced tea, cola or coffee drinks in the afternoon.
Try
Water. The CDC says to skip caffeine in the afternoon and evening.[10]
Instead of
A late bedtime on weekends.
Try
Keep bedtime and wake-up time close to school nights.[10]
Instead of
Calling out "Time for bed!" again and again.
Try
A picture chart of the routine your child can follow on their own.
Watch for hidden caffeine. For kids it is often in iced tea, cola, coffee drinks and chocolate drinks. Check the labels.
Bedtime tips by age
Ages 3 to 5
Count naps toward the 10 to 13 hours.[1] Naps help memory in kids who still nap, so there is no rush to drop them.[6] If a late nap pushes bedtime too late, move it earlier or make it shorter first.
Ages 6 to 8
Count back 9 to 12 hours from the school wake-up time to set bedtime.[1] Keep the routine short and the same each night. Two books, not "just one more" five times.
Ages 9 to 12
Finish homework and screens before the routine, not in bed. Let your child run the routine, like picking the book or the bath time. Lights out stays the same.
Making it work in a Filipino home
Most sleep advice assumes a cool, quiet room for one child and dinner at 6. Many homes in the Philippines look different, and that is fine. The goal stays the same: a regular time, a calm wind-down, and a room as cool and dark as you can make it.
- Hot nights. A cool room helps sleep.[10] With no air conditioning, run the electric fan before bed. Use light cotton pajamas, a thin sheet, and a lukewarm bath or wipe-down.
- Shared rooms and beds. If siblings, cousins or a lola share the room, give the youngest the earliest bedtime. Keep the rest of the house's light and noise outside the door. A curtain or a sheet over a window or doorway blocks a lot of light.
- Late family dinners. If dinner is at 8, do the bath and pajamas first. Then eat, brush teeth and read a short story. A light snack earlier can help a small child wait.
- Early school starts and long trips. The only place to find more sleep is an earlier bedtime. Count back 9 to 12 hours from wake-up for school-age kids, and protect that bedtime.[1]
- Family gatherings and fiestas. Late nights happen. One late night is fine. Get back to the usual times the next night.
If you use Tala, every session ends with an "All done! Time to go play" screen. You set a daily limit of 15, 30 or 45 minutes. So it is easy to finish lessons well before the wind-down starts. You can read more on our safety page.
Questions parents ask
How many hours of sleep does a 5-year-old need?
Children aged 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours of sleep in every 24 hours, and naps count toward that total.
How much sleep does a 10-year-old need?
Children aged 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night. Count back from the time they need to wake up for school to find a bedtime.
What time should a child go to bed?
There is no single right time. Work backward from your child's wake-up time so they get enough hours for their age, and keep bedtime about the same every night.
Should a 4-year-old still nap?
Many 4-year-olds still nap and some do not. If your child naps and sleeps well at night, there is no need to stop. If a late nap pushes bedtime too late, try an earlier or shorter nap first.
Is snoring in children normal?
Occasional snoring, for example during a cold, is common. Loud snoring most nights, gasping or pauses in breathing are worth raising with your pediatrician.
Sources
- [1]Paruthi, S., Brooks, L. J., D'Ambrosio, C., Hall, W. A., Kotagal, S., Lloyd, R. M., Malow, B. A., Maski, K., Nichols, C., Quan, S. F., Rosen, C. L., Troester, M. M., & Wise, M. S. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: A consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866 · Guideline
- [2]Gruber, R., Cassoff, J., Frenette, S., Wiebe, S., & Carrier, J. (2012). Impact of sleep extension and restriction on children's emotional lability and impulsivity. Pediatrics. doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0564 · Randomized trial
- [3]Mindell, J. A., Li, A. M., Sadeh, A., Kwon, R., & Goh, D. Y. T. (2015). Bedtime routines for young children: A dose-dependent association with sleep outcomes. Sleep. doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4662 · Study
- [4]Marcus, C. L., Brooks, L. J., Draper, K. A., Gozal, D., Halbower, A. C., Jones, J., Schechter, M. S., Sheldon, S. H., Spruyt, K., Ward, S. D., Lehmann, C., & Shiffman, R. N. (2012). Diagnosis and management of childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guideline). doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-1671 · Guideline
- [5]World Health Organization (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. World Health Organization. www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550536 · Guideline
- [6]Kurdziel, L., Duclos, K., & Spencer, R. M. C. (2013). Sleep spindles in midday naps enhance learning in preschool children. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1306418110 · Study
- [7]Astill, R. G., Van der Heijden, K. B., Van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Van Someren, E. J. W. (2012). Sleep, cognition, and behavioral problems in school-age children: A century of research meta-analyzed. Psychological Bulletin. doi.org/10.1037/a0028204 · Meta-analysis
- [8]Dewald, J. F., Meijer, A. M., Oort, F. J., Kerkhof, G. A., & Bögels, S. M. (2010). The influence of sleep quality, sleep duration and sleepiness on school performance in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2009.10.004 · Meta-analysis
- [9]Wilhelm, I., Rose, M., Imhof, K. I., Rasch, B., Büchel, C., & Born, J. (2013). The sleeping child outplays the adult's capacity to convert implicit into explicit knowledge. Nature Neuroscience. doi.org/10.1038/nn.3343 · Study
- [10]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024). About sleep. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html · Guideline
- [11]Hartstein, L. E., Diniz Behn, C., Akacem, L. D., Stack, N., Wright, K. P., & LeBourgeois, M. K. (2022). High sensitivity of melatonin suppression response to evening light in preschool-aged children. Journal of Pineal Research. doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12780 · Study
This guide is general information for parents, not medical or professional advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the report page.
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