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Sleep2 min

How much sleep does a child actually need?

Your child is finally in bed. But is 8 pm late for a six-year-old? And how much sleep does a four, eight or twelve-year-old really need?

Short answer

There is no perfect bedtime for every child. What matters more is how much your child sleeps in 24 hours, how steady the rhythm is and how the day goes.

How many hours for each age

Sleep experts work with a range for each age, and paediatricians use the same numbers.

Sleep per 24 hours
AgeSleep
1–2 years11–14 hours, with naps
3–5 years10–13 hours, with naps
6–12 years9–12 hours
13–18 years8–10 hours

A range, then, not a target to the minute. One child does fine at the lower end, another needs a bit more. Both fit within the advice.

Which bedtime fits?

Count back from the moment your child has to get up. Does your seven-year-old get up at 7 am? With 9 to 12 hours of sleep, you end up with a bedtime between 7 pm and 10 pm. Quite a range, right? So the clock alone does not say much.

Look at your child instead

  • Do they usually wake up reasonably rested?
  • Does the day go well, without them being noticeably tired or irritable?
  • Do they usually fall asleep easily around bedtime?

The same every evening

Paediatricians recommend a regular, calm evening routine at around the same time every night. The same steps in the same order give children something to hold on to, and make going to bed easier.

Try tonight

  1. 1Choose a few fixed steps. For example: tidy up, wash, brush teeth, story, bed.
  2. 2Start slowing down half an hour before your child usually falls asleep.
  3. 3Want an earlier bedtime? Move it 5 to 10 minutes a week, not all at once.

And screens?

Switch screens off about half an hour to an hour before bed: the light makes falling asleep harder. And the tablet? It can sleep outside the bedroom.

It is not about that one video, but about the habit.

Does your child keep getting out of bed?

Take them back calmly, with as few words as possible, and do it every time. It can take a few evenings before it sticks.

When is it wise to ask for help?

Sometimes it is more than a tricky bedtime. Call your child's doctor or health visitor if:

  • your child snores often and you also notice pauses in breathing or laboured breathing during sleep;
  • your child sleeps poorly and is very tired during the day, or struggles to pay attention;
  • you are worried that your child sleeps too little or too much.

Does your child stop breathing for more than 20 seconds during sleep, or does their skin turn pale, blue or grey? Call 112 or your local emergency number straight away.

In short

  • Does your child sleep roughly within the range for their age?
  • Is there a fairly steady rhythm?
  • Does the day go well?

If so, it does not matter that the neighbours put their children to bed half an hour earlier.

Sleep tight ♡

By Cozy Cott editorial teamUpdated September 25, 2026

Sources (4)

  1. American Academy of Sleep Medicine

    Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement (Paruthi et al., J Clin Sleep Med)

    Published June 14, 2016Checked by Cozy Cott on September 25, 2026

  2. NHS

    Sleep and young children

    Updated March 31, 2023Checked by Cozy Cott on September 25, 2026

  3. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)

    Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?

    Updated August 7, 2026Checked by Cozy Cott on September 25, 2026

  4. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)

    Sleep Apnea in Children: Detection & Treatment

    Updated April 24, 2024Checked by Cozy Cott on September 25, 2026