Know When It's Time For Bed: Here's How Much Sleep Kids and Babies Need by Age

Updated on June 26, 2018 at 3:55 PM

Nobody likes a cranky kid — whether they're a baby or an 18-year-old — and though there are plenty of factors that can contribute to a bad mood, not enough sleep is more times than not the main culprit. At each age, parents face challenges when it comes to putting their child to bed at an appropriate time, making sure their child is napping enough or not too much so that they sleep through the night, and ensuring that they're getting their homework and extracurriculars in before it gets to be too late at night.

Not only is it a relief for you to get your kids to bed at a regular time every night so you can hopefully get some me time in or get to bed early yourself, but how much sleep your child is getting on the whole affects more than just their (and your) mood — sleep is one of the most important factors contributing to a child's healthy development. "Babies, children, and teens need significantly more sleep than adults to support their rapid mental and physical development," says the National Sleep Foundation. "Most parents know that growing kids need good sleep, but many don't know just how many hours kids require and what the impact can be of missing as little as 30 to 60 minutes of sleep time."

Additionally, a study conducted at Queensland University of Technology in Australia found that children who are able to soothe themselves back to sleep by the time they are 5 years old tend to have an easier time adjusting to school compared to kids with issues sleeping, and that one-third of kids have sleep problems that led to emotional and behavioral issues in the classroom, including a greater risk of developing attention deficit disorder.

To help aid you through whichever season of parenting you're in, read through for the National Sleep Foundation's guidelines for how much sleep babies and kids need in order to be fully rested, as well as ways to ensure they're getting enough (and if you're concerned that your child isn't getting enough sleep, consult your pediatrician to ensure there isn't an underlying sleep disorder or another medical condition at play).

Newborns (0-3 Months)

How much sleep they need: 14 to 17 hours, including naps.

In this stage of life, it may seem weird to worry about how much sleep a human being who literally lives to sleep, eat, and poop is getting, but during this time, it's important to try from the jump to sleep-train your baby. Whether you try cry it out, a dreamy bedtime routine, or controlled crying, getting a baby to be able to soothe themselves to sleep from an early age ensures they'll have a fighting chance at being able to fall asleep easily at their bedtime and won't cause the both of you too lose valuable zzz's.

Infants (4-11 Months)

How much sleep they need: 12 to 15 hours, including naps.

Once a baby hits the 3-month mark, they already should prove to be a bit more alert throughout the day, taking distinct naps and sleeping through the night (the dream). That said, they still need quite a bit of shut-eye over a 24-hour period and could be sleeping up to 18 hours.

Toddlers (1-2 Years)

How much sleep they need: 11 to 14 hours, including naps.

Now that your child is sleeping in their own room full-time, sleeping can get a little trickier. If you find yourself losing the toddler bedtime routine battle, establishing a consistent routine — and not giving up when it doesn't stick right away — will help you to avoid overtiredness and a lack of sleep for all parties.

Preschoolers (3-5 Years)

How much sleep they need: 10 to 13 hours, including naps, if applicable.

Once your toddler is attending some kind of nursery school, preschool, or daycare regularly, getting them into a routine with sleep becomes more important than ever. Many kids in this age range are still taking daily naps, so ensuring that their naps and night's sleep are at least 10 hours total (and that their naps fit well into the day so as not to ruin their nightly sleep or daytime activities) is important for their development. And if you can't get your toddler — who is now in a big kid bed they can likely get into and out of themselves — to sleep without waking through the night, Dr. Harvey Karp has a great tip to help train them to sleep and self-soothe better.

School-Age Kids (6-13 Years)

How much sleep they need: nine to 11 hours per night.

With a solid school schedule at play, getting this age group to sleep at around the same time every night is the best thing you can add to their routines. Now that they'll be coming home with homework and participating in more activities after a day at school, it's vital to get them to sleep each night with enough time for at least nine hours of sleep before waking them up to start the dreaded morning routine before they catch the bus.

Teens (14-18 Years)

How much sleep they need: eight to 10 hours per night.

Although your teen is likely much more independent when it comes to bedtime and their nightly routine, ensuring that your child gets to bed with enough time to get a solid eight-hour night of sleep or more is a battle worth fighting. Busy kids who have piles of homework and tons of extracurriculars need adequate rest to be able to function through long school days and sports games.