Child Recommended Sleep Hours Calculator

Overview

The Child Recommended Sleep Hours Calculator uses the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) age-based guidelines to instantly show the recommended total sleep range (including naps) for your child's age group. Enter your child's morning wake-up time and nap duration, and it subtracts the nap from the total recommendation to work out how much nighttime sleep is still needed — then converts that into a recommended bedtime range. It supports five age groups from 4-month-old infants to 18-year-old teens, along with guidance on individual variation and sleep quality.

Formula

Recommended total sleep (AASM guideline, including naps)
4–12 months: 12–16h / 1–2 years: 11–14h / 3–5 years: 10–13h / 6–12 years: 9–12h / 13–18 years: 8–10h

Required nighttime sleep = Recommended total sleep − Nap duration
Recommended bedtime = Wake-up time − Required nighttime sleep (as a min–max range)

Example: age 1–2, wake-up 7:00 AM, 90-minute nap → 9.5–12.5 hours of nighttime sleep needed → bedtime range 6:30 PM–9:30 PM

How to Use

1. 1Select your child's age group (4–12 months, 1–2 years, 3–5 years, 6–12 years, or 13–18 years).
2. 2Enter the morning wake-up time.
3. 3Enter nap duration in minutes if your child naps, or leave it at 0.
4. 4Check the recommended total sleep range for the age group and the recommended bedtime range based on wake-up time.

Examples

Background

In 2016, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published age-based sleep duration recommendations jointly endorsed with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); Korea's Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) cites the same figures in its own guidance. These totals include naps, so children who nap longer need less sleep at night. The ranges are population-level averages, though — actual needs vary by child, so it's worth looking at daytime alertness, a consistent sleep-wake rhythm, and how often a child wakes during the night, not just the total number of hours.

Tips

• ✔Even if total sleep falls within the recommended range, check sleep quality if your child seems sleepy or sluggish during the day.
• ✔A longer nap reduces the nighttime sleep needed, but a nap that's too late in the day can delay bedtime instead.
• ✔A consistent sleep-wake schedule matters as much as the total number of hours.
• ✔If sleep problems persist, or you notice snoring or breathing pauses, consult a pediatrician.

FAQ