Bedtime calculator
What time should your child go to bed? Pick their age and usual wake-up time, and we’ll work back through age-appropriate sleep needs to a recommended bedtime window.
Aim for lights out between 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM.
A good target is around 7:45 PM — start the wind-down (bath, pyjamas, story) about 15 minutes before.
Preschoolers (3–5 years): 10–13 hours of sleep per day including naps. Naps: 0–1 nap (fading). See the full sleep-needs chart
How it works
We start from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s consensus sleep recommendations for each age (endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics), subtract typical daytime naps to get a night-sleep range, and count back from your child’s wake-up time. The result is a lights-out window; the suggested time is its midpoint. General guidance, not medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What time should a 5-year-old go to bed?
Most 5-year-olds need 10–13 hours of sleep a day. For a 7:00 AM wake-up that means lights out between about 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM — most families land around 7:30–8:00 PM.
How long before bed should the wind-down start?
Allow about 15–30 minutes of calm wind-down — bath, pyjamas, and a story — before the lights-out time the calculator suggests.
Does the recommended window include time to fall asleep?
The window is the lights-out time. Most children take around 15 minutes to fall asleep, so start the routine a little earlier.
Why does the calculator show a window rather than one exact time?
Sleep needs are a range, not a single number. The window spans the recommended night-sleep range for your child’s age; the suggested time is simply its midpoint.
Is this medical advice?
No — it is general guidance based on sleep medicine consensus recommendations, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Talk to your paediatrician about your child’s individual needs.
Want the detail behind the numbers? See the full sleep needs by age chart, or plan daytime sleep with the nap schedule calculator.