Child sleep
How many hours of sleep does a child need at each age?
The sleep ranges by age, from 1 to 14 years, naps included, and the small signs that show they are not getting enough.
Wondering how many hours of sleep your child needs at their age? Here is the short answer: between 1 and 3 years, most children need around 11 to 14 hours a day, naps included. Between 3 and 5 years, more like 10 to 13 hours. From 6 to 9 years, around 9 to 12 hours. And from 10 to 14 years, about 9 to 11 hours. These are ranges, not rules set in stone.
You have probably noticed that the more a child grows, the less they sleep. That is normal. A toddler spends a large part of their day asleep. A pre-teen, on the other hand, gets through the whole day on one night of sleep. Between the two, everything changes little by little, and often without anyone really noticing.
In this guide, we give you a simple table by age band, covering the night and the nap. We also explain why your child can fall outside the range without it being a problem, up to what age the nap stays useful, how to spot that they are short on sleep, and what to do to help them get back to their quota. We finish with the cases where it is better to talk to a doctor.
The table of sleep hours by age
Here are the benchmarks given by most child sleep specialists. The total includes the night and the naps. Take them as a compass, not as a stopwatch.
You will see that the range is wide. That is on purpose: two children of the same age can have very different needs, and both are doing perfectly well.
- 1 to 3 years: around 11 to 14 h a day. A night of roughly 10 to 12 h, plus 1 to 2 h of napping in the afternoon.
- 3 to 5 years: around 10 to 13 h a day. A night of roughly 10 to 12 h, and the nap gets shorter, then disappears for many children.
- 6 to 9 years: around 9 to 12 h a day, almost all of it at night. The nap is not really there any more, apart from a tired patch.
- 10 to 14 years: around 9 to 11 h a day, all at night. At this age, getting enough sleep becomes a real challenge with school and screens.
The trend is easy to remember: the more the child grows, the less they sleep, and the nap slowly fades away in favour of one long night.
Why these hours are only benchmarks
These figures are averages. Your child is unique, and their sleep need belongs to them. Some children are short sleepers: they sleep a little less than the range and still wake up on great form. Others are long sleepers: they need a good hour more than their friends to feel well.
The best judge is not the table, it is your child. If they fall asleep without a fight, sleep right through or nearly, and wake up in a good mood and ready for the day, then they are getting what they need, even if the total is a little below or above the average.
The other way round, a child who sleeps right inside the range but is grumpy, struggles to get up and drags all morning may be short on sleep, or short on good quality sleep. What you see in the morning tells you more than the number of hours.
Naps: until what age?
A nap is real sleep and it counts towards the daily total. For little ones it is precious: it prevents the build up of tiredness that often makes falling asleep in the evening harder.
In general, the single afternoon nap holds on until around 3 years. After that, many children drop it between 3 and 5 years, each at their own pace. There is no official age: some let the nap go early, others still need it in Year 1.
A good sign that the nap is getting too long or too late: the child is no longer sleepy in the evening and bedtime goes off the rails. In that case, shorten the nap a little, or move it earlier in the afternoon, rather than dropping it all at once.
- An early nap slot If bedtime is becoming difficult, try to finish the nap before 3 pm. That is often enough to bring back a gentler drift off to sleep.
The signs that they are short on sleep
A lack of sleep in a child does not always look like tiredness. A tired child may instead get worked up, turn grumpy or struggle to settle. It can be misleading.
Look at the whole day instead. Several of these signs coming back often are a good reason to adjust their sleep a little.
- They are very hard to wake in the morning and take a long time to get going.
- They are grumpy, cry over nothing or get worked up quickly during the day.
- They struggle to concentrate, at school or during quiet play.
- They fall asleep at odd moments: in the car, at the table, in front of a cartoon.
- They move a lot at night, wake up often, or wake well before their usual time without being able to get back to sleep.
Many parents tell us that a child who is better set up for sleeping moves less at night and wakes up on better form. Every child is different, but the morning often gives the best clue.
How to help them get their quota
Good news: you can do a lot to help a child sleep better with a few simple habits. Nothing complicated, just regularity and a reassuring framework.
The idea is not to add rules, but to make sleep easier for their body. Here is what works for most families.
- Regular timings Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, weekends included. The body likes landmarks. A steady rhythm makes falling asleep quicker.
- A small evening ritual Always the same steps in the same order: bath, pyjamas, story, cuddle, soft light. This little routine tells the body that night is coming.
- A calm, cool bedroom A dark, quiet room that is not too warm helps them fall asleep and stay asleep. A small night light is enough if your child needs a little light.
- Screens away from bedtime Tablet and TV go off at least an hour before bed. Screen light and the excitement of playing delay falling asleep.
- A good bed setup A comfortable bed and a pillow at the right height for their neck count too. Often it is not the child who sleeps badly, nor their bed, it is their adult pillow, too big and too soft for their small head.
A pillow that is too high or too soft tips the head all night long. A pillow designed for children holds the head at the right height as they grow, and many parents notice a calmer night.
Choosing the right pillow height for their age
One detail many parents forget: the height of the pillow should follow the age of the child. The neck of a 4 year old does not have the same needs as the neck of a 12 year old. A pillow that is too big breaks the alignment of the neck and gets in the way at night.
At Hushly Kids, the pillow comes in three sizes according to age, so that the head is always well supported, neither too high nor too low.
Important: before 1 year, a baby sleeps flat, on their back, with no pillow and no cushion. Nothing is added to their cot. For a toddler, speak to your paediatrician first.
- 1 to 3 years: a dip of 2 to 4 cm, size 50 × 30 cm.
- 3 to 8 years: a dip of 4 to 6 cm, size 50 × 30 cm.
- 8 to 14 years: a dip of 6 to 9 cm, size 54 × 32 cm.
Is your child right between two sizes? Choose according to their build, and you have 30 nights to try it out calmly at home.
When should you worry or see a doctor?
Most small sleep worries settle with time, a good rhythm and a little patience. But some signs are worth the opinion of a doctor or a paediatrician, without making a drama of it.
Talk to a health professional if your child snores loudly and all the time, if they seem to stop breathing for a moment during their sleep, if they complain of real pain, or if a serious sleep problem sets in and lasts despite your efforts.
In the same way, if your child seems permanently exhausted during the day even though they sleep enough, medical advice can help make things clearer. You know your child better than anyone: if something really worries you, the doctor is the right person to talk to.
Worth remembering
- 1 to 3 years: around 11 to 14 h a day; 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 h; 6 to 9 years: 9 to 12 h; 10 to 14 years: 9 to 11 h, naps included.
- The more the child grows, the less they sleep, and the nap most often disappears between 3 and 5 years.
- The ranges are benchmarks: a child who is on good form when they wake up is getting what they need, even a little outside them.
- A child who is hard to wake, grumpy or not very focused may be short on sleep.
- A regular rhythm, an evening ritual, a calm bedroom and a good bed setup help a lot; in the case of loud, constant snoring or pauses in breathing, see a doctor.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of sleep for a 3 year old?
Around 3 years, most children need about 11 to 13 hours a day, naps included. The afternoon nap often starts to get shorter at this age. The best benchmark is still how your child is when they wake up.
How many hours of sleep for a child aged 6 to 9?
Between 6 and 9 years, count around 9 to 12 hours of sleep a day, almost all of it at night. The nap is generally no longer there. If your child is grumpy and hard to wake, they may be a little short on sleep.
At what age does a child stop napping?
There is no fixed age. Many children stop napping between 3 and 5 years, each at their own pace. If the nap stops the child falling asleep in the evening, shorten it or move it earlier rather than dropping it all at once.
How can you tell whether your child sleeps enough?
Look above all at the morning and the day. A child who wakes up in a good mood, on form, without dragging or falling asleep anywhere, is getting what they need. The other way round, a child who is hard to wake, grumpy and not very focused is most likely short on sleep.
Does a baby under one year need a pillow?
No. Before 1 year, a baby sleeps flat, on their back, with no pillow and no cushion in their cot. A suitable pillow is introduced only later, as the child grows. For a toddler, ask your paediatrician for advice first.
Fancy a calmer night for your child?
A pillow at the right height for their age holds their head well all night. Three sizes according to age, and 30 nights to try it at home.
See the pillow