How Much Sleep Does My Child Need? A Practical Guide by Age

How much sleep does my child need is one of the most common questions parents of primary school aged children ask — and the answer changes as children grow. Getting this right matters, because both too little sleep and a bedtime that’s too early cause problems.

Here is a clear, practical breakdown by age.

Sleep Needs by Age

Ages 5 to 6

Children aged 5 to 6 typically need 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night. For a child who wakes at 6:30am, that puts the ideal bedtime at around 7:30 to 8pm. For a child who wakes at 7am, bedtime of 8 to 9pm is appropriate.

At this age, most children are still in the transition out of napping and may be genuinely tired earlier in the evening.

Ages 7 to 9

Children aged 7 to 9 typically need 9 to 10 hours of sleep. For a child who wakes at 7am, a bedtime of 9 to 10pm works well. Many parents find their child’s natural settling time shifts later in this window.

This is also the age where overtiredness becomes a more common issue. Children this age are often running at full pace until late in the evening and then struggling to settle because they’ve gone past the tired window.

Ages 10 to 12

Children aged 10 to 12 typically need 8 to 9 hours of sleep. For a child who wakes at 7am, a bedtime of 10 to 11pm is the physiological target. Many parents are surprised by how late this is — but putting a 12-year-old to bed at 8:30pm is often fighting their biology.

This age group also begins experiencing a natural shift in circadian rhythm — the body clock naturally shifts toward later sleep and later waking during the preteen and teenage years. Fighting this with very early bedtimes often produces resistance rather than sleep.

Signs Your Child Is Getting Enough Sleep

A child who is getting adequate sleep will generally wake naturally or easily at their usual time, have energy and focus during the day, not be noticeably irritable in the late afternoon, and fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes of going to bed.

A child who is chronically under-slept will often be harder to wake in the morning, have difficulty concentrating at school, be emotionally reactive or irritable, and fall asleep very quickly when given the opportunity.

Signs the Bedtime Is Too Early

A child put to bed significantly before they’re tired will lie awake for a long time, resist the bedtime consistently, get out of bed repeatedly, or wake early feeling rested — because they’ve simply had enough sleep.

If your child consistently takes 45 minutes or more to fall asleep and doesn’t seem overtired going in, the bedtime is probably too early.

Practical Bedtime Calculator

Work backwards from your child’s wake time. Subtract the required sleep hours for their age. Add 15 to 20 minutes for the time it takes to fall asleep. The result is your target bedtime — not the time they need to be in bed, but the time the lights go out and sleep begins.

Your Action for This Week

Check your child’s current bedtime against the guidelines above. If it’s significantly earlier or later than the recommended range, adjust by 15 to 20 minutes and hold it consistently for a week before assessing.