Sleep Needs by Age
How many hours should your child sleep? Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics consensus.
The numbers, briefly
These ranges come from the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2016 consensus statement (endorsed by the AAP and American Academy of Sleep Medicine). They describe total sleep over 24 hours, including naps. Most children do well inside the range; a regular kid at the edge of the range is usually fine.
Bedtime routines and nap transitions
Hitting the recommended range is easier when sleep is predictable. For infants and toddlers, a short nightly sequence (bath, feed or snack, low-light book, song) signals wind-down and typically runs 20 to 30 minutes. Keep the last step in the sleep environment so the child falls asleep where they will wake up. School-age kids benefit from the same idea in a lighter form: consistent bedtime, no screens in the last 30 to 60 minutes, and a stable wake time, including weekends.
Nap transitions are the other common pressure point. Most babies drop from three naps to two around 6 to 9 months, from two to one around 13 to 18 months, and from one nap to none somewhere between 3 and 5 years. Transitions are rarely clean. Expect two or three weeks of overtired evenings, shift bedtime earlier by 15 to 30 minutes during the adjustment, and treat a hard day as a data point, not a regression. If total 24-hour sleep holds inside the range, the transition is on track. Pair sleep with growth tracking using our Baby Percentile Calculator.
When to talk to a clinician
Snoring, choking during sleep, extreme daytime tiredness, or consistent sleep well outside the range (see the Due Date Calculator if you are still expecting and planning ahead). These are worth raising with your pediatrician.
Read more: Baby Sleep Regressions by Month (4, 6, 8, 12, 18).