Sleep by age
How much sleep do you need?
Sleep needs change across a lifetime. Pick your age group to see the recommended range — then use the calculator to land it at a clean sleep cycle.
Recommended sleep by age
Based on the National Sleep Foundation's consensus recommendations. Children's totals include naps.
| Age group | Recommended |
|---|
- "Sleep need" vs "time in bed"
- Recommendations are actual sleep, not time in bed. If you take 15 minutes to fall asleep, add that to your schedule.
- The 6-hour illusion
- Many adults feel fine on 6 hours but perform measurably worse — the brain adapts its sense of tiredness, not its actual impairment.
Common questions
How much sleep do I need by age?
Newborns 14–17h, infants 12–15h, toddlers 11–14h, preschoolers 10–13h, school-age 9–11h, teens 8–10h, adults 7–9h, older adults 7–8h.
Is 6 hours enough for an adult?
For most adults, no. The recommendation is 7–9 hours. People who routinely sleep 6 hours score worse on cognitive tests even when they feel adapted.
Do older adults need less sleep?
Only slightly — about 7–8 hours. They sleep lighter and wake more, but still need a similar total; chronic short sleep raises health risks at any age.
References & method · 参考来源与方法
Ranges follow the National Sleep Foundation consensus recommendations (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015). This tool is for general use and is not medically reviewed; consult a professional for sleep concerns. Sources: National Sleep Foundation (NSF); American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM); CDC — sleep.
Now turn hours into a bedtime
Knowing your target hours is step one. The calculator turns it into a specific bedtime aligned to 90-minute sleep cycles.
Sleep calculator → Nap calculator →