Age-by-Age Sleep Needs: What Every Parent Should Know
One of the most common questions parents ask is, “Is my child getting enough sleep?”
Sleep is essential for a child’s development, mood, and overall health, but understanding how much sleep they need at each age can feel overwhelming. Society doesn’t make it easier—many parents aren’t given clear, easy-to-understand information about how sleep needs evolve as children grow.
The stakes are high. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics (2019) found that only 50% of U.S. children aged 6–17 are getting enough sleep. For the other 50%, the consequences go beyond cranky mornings:
Deficiencies in curiosity, mental wellness, and stress tolerance
Increased impulsivity and difficulty focusing
And the brain imaging reveals something even more alarming: the brains of less-rested children actually look different from those of their well-rested peers. The area of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and inhibition control is smaller and continues to show differences even two years after the initial evaluation (source).
Let’s break down how much sleep your child needs at every age, so you can give them the best foundation for learning, emotional regulation, and thriving development.
Sleep Needs by Age
Infants (4–12 Months)
Total Sleep: 16.5 hours (younger babies) to 13.5 hours (12 month olds)* For Sleep Needs By Month
Breakdown: Long nighttime sleep stretches (with 0–2 feeds) and 4 naps-2 naps, gradually becoming more predictable as they grow. First stretch of the night develops first, 4-7 Hours of connected sleep (HELP Checklist for Early Intervention)
Tips:
Watch for sleepy cues and balance those with age appropriate awake times/wake windows
Move feeding away from bedtime routine
Use sleep sack and black out windows
Toddlers (1–3 Years)
Total Sleep: 14 hours dropping to 12 hours
Breakdown: 10–12 hours at night and 2-1 naps per day.
Tips:
Milk Cups/Nursing is at mealtime 3x day and not in bedtime routine
Gross motor/Language development can interrupt sleep
Last nap transition occurs 2 to 1 nap between 15-18 months even though may take 1 nap at daycare
Transition from bed to crib around 2.5-3.5 years. Have plan in place before
Stick to a predictable bedtime routine.
Be mindful of transitions (e.g., dropping naps) as they can temporarily disrupt sleep.
3 year olds often don’t need a nap every day, but can’t go 7 days without a nap
Preschoolers (4–6 Years)
Total Sleep: 13 hours (4 year olds) to 10 hours (6 year olds)
Breakdown: 10-12 hour Night sleep with naps transitioning to quiet time by age 5.
Tips:
Encourage early bedtimes to prevent overtiredness.
Use bedtime stories or calming activities to wind down.
Adjust wake-up times gradually to support their growing schedule needs.
Create a “Yes Space” for safe, independent exploration during quiet times.
Limit activities after school and daycare so bedtime can stay consistent
How to Tell if Your Child is Getting Enough Sleep
Wondering if your child’s sleep is on track? Look for these signs:
Wakes up Well-Rested Each Morning: Child wakes up naturally before alarm or morning wake time and is refreshed and ready for the day.
Night sleep is silent and uninterrupted, transitioning through sleep cycles easily for the amount of sleep recommended for their age
Bedtimes are smooth
Child shows sleepy cues at the end of the day
Child tolerates stress and transitions easily most of the time
Child doesn’t fall asleep in the car
Wondering if your child is overtired or in a constant state of tiredness? Look for these signs:
(I had to have a bit of fun with this because I love how parents describe their children to me in their consultations and emails. The emails I receive at 2:28am are always the best. What am I missing?)
Zoom Zoom Stage - Sudden burst of crazy energy
Oscar-worthy Performance Stage - tantrums over broken cracker to wild giggles over nothing in a matter of seconds
Why Not King Stage - every movement is questioned
Zombie Stare Stage - eyes glaze over mid bite in the high chair while holding spoon; slow mo to the max
I’M NOT TIRED! Stage - One more book, I need colder water, I need hotter water,...
Level 5 Velcro Stage - clinging to you if you were hanging from a skyscraper and screaming the minute you try to put them down next to you
Drunk Stage - stumbling, falling over in sitting, hard time crawling, running into walls, general lack of coordination…body is tired
Bedtime Philosopher Hour - rapid fire intelligent Q&A session that impress parents so much they forget they need to put an end to the delay tactic
Screaming Waker Upper - wakes from naps or in the morning, unhappy, hating the world, and loud
Wondering if your child is undertired when you start bedtime or naps? Short answer, it’s tricky. And I need more info. But in the mean time, look for this sign:
Not showing sleepy cues before bed (but also not showing overtired cues which is tricky)
I encourage you to make a note of when you see your child’s sleepy cues start
Test out delaying bedtime/nap 10-15 minutes and see if anything changes
Have more questions or thoughts, I would love to hear >>> on the newest feature on the website::: Leave me a voice memo, it’s quick and easy… just hit the link and record!
If sleep is off track for you or your child, thee good news is there is hope! Sleep can improve. And fast.
With the right plan your family can reclaim peaceful nights and productive days.
Resources for Better Sleep
Feeling stuck? I’ve created a Sleep Milestones Chart to guide you through each age and stage of your child’s sleep journey. It’s an easy-to-use tool to help you identify whether your child has reached their sleep milestone or not.
👉 [Download the Sleep Milestones Chart Here]
If you have more questions, I’ve got you covered, schedule a Free Sleep Audit to share what sleep looks like or lack of sleep looks like in your house so we can determine what kind of personalized support you need to solve your sleepless nights.
Final Thoughts
Understanding your child’s sleep needs is the first step. You have long since been told that good parents are just sleep deprived for 6 years, that’s just part of the gig.
Which is wrong. That kind of mentality is keeping you stuck, preventing your child from reaching their full potential, and keeping you in a state of exhaustion and loss of confidence in your parenting. And it’s keeping you and your child just trying to get through the day the best you can instead of with ease, feeling rested and able to find joy in your days.
Together we can tackle any sleep problem, create lasting routines that create rested mornings and therefore happier more rested moms and dads…
And happier families.
Will you join Sleep Happy in spreading the word that sleep is possible, it’s okay to ask for help, and sleep can improve fast with the right plan?
Share this blog with a friend that needs better sleep, and together we can change the world!
Ready to take action? Start with the Sleep Milestones Chart or reach out for tailored support today.
Wishing you rested nights and loving mornings,
Jessica
