General daily guidance

10–13 hourspreschoolers, ages 3–5, including naps9–12 hoursschool-age children, ages 6–12

Use the full range when planning. A bedtime that provides only the minimum on paper may leave too little room for settling, night waking, or an earlier-than-expected morning.

Start with the required wake-up time

For school days, the practical calculation starts with the time the child must actually wake—not the time the bus arrives or class begins. Count back enough time for the age-appropriate sleep range, then allow for the bedtime routine and expected time to fall asleep.

For example, a school-age child who must wake at 6:30 AM needs a sleep opportunity that is long enough to fit within the 9–12-hour range. A cycle calculator can organize possible clock times, but the duration displayed beside the result is more important than landing on a particular number of estimated cycles.

Planning tool

Calculate from the morning backward

Open the bedtime mode, enter the required wake-up time, and compare the longer results first.

Open Bedtime Calculator

Preschool sleep may still include naps

The CDC’s 10–13-hour guidance for ages 3–5 includes naps. As naps change, nighttime sleep may need to shift. A child who no longer naps may need an earlier bedtime to preserve the same daily total.

Consistency helps make the schedule usable

A repeatable bedtime and wake time can make it easier to protect enough sleep. A routine does not need to be elaborate. It should create a clear transition from daytime activity to sleep.

  • Keep the sequence predictable and calm.
  • Build in enough time for washing, pajamas, reading, and other routine steps.
  • Limit bright light and highly stimulating activity near bedtime.
  • Keep morning wake times reasonably consistent when family schedules allow.
  • Recalculate when school, activities, naps, or transportation times change.

Watch the child, not only the clock

Sleep duration is one part of sleep health. Difficulty waking, frequent daytime tiredness, behavior changes, falling asleep unintentionally, repeated night waking, or a schedule that requires constant catch-up sleep can signal that the current plan is not working.

In 2024 national survey data, most children ages 2–17 had a regular bedtime, but daytime tiredness became more common in older age groups. Those data do not diagnose any individual child; they reinforce the value of noticing both the schedule and daytime functioning.

When to seek pediatric guidance

Contact a healthcare professional about loud habitual snoring, pauses or difficulty breathing during sleep, persistent insomnia, unusual movements, extreme daytime sleepiness, or other ongoing concerns. A bedtime calculator cannot evaluate sleep disorders or determine whether a child’s sleep is restorative.

Sources

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Sleep
  2. National Center for Health Statistics: Sleep Routines and Tiredness Among Children Ages 2–17
  3. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: What Makes You Sleep?

Editorial status: Sources checked July 22, 2026. This page has not been labeled as medically reviewed.