Child Sleep Calculator
Recommended sleep range, verdict, and weekly hours from age group and actual sleep.
What it does
Children need far more sleep than adults, and the totals include every nap: 12 to 16 hours for older infants, stepping down to 8 to 10 for teens. Regular schedules protect those totals better than any single early night.
The tool above takes the age group with actual daily sleep. It returns the recommended range with a verdict and the weekly total beside them.
The default of a 4 to 11 month infant sleeping 13 hours sits inside 12 to 16: inside the range, or 84 to 112 hours a week. A teen at 6 hours falls below the 8 to 10 band.
The ranges follow sleep medicine academy guidelines endorsed by pediatric guidance with safe sleep policy matching the surrounding advice. Both count naps inside 24 hour totals and stress regular routines.
How to use
- Pick the age group that fits the child.
- Add up all sleep in 24 hours including naps.
- Enter that total as actual sleep.
- Read the range first for the target.
- Read the verdict before changing bedtime.
Formula
- range
- Daily total including every nap.
- weekly
- Range times seven for the week view.
- routine
- Same bedtime daily, the other half of the battle.
Individual needs vary inside and near each band; behavior and daytime alertness confirm the numbers. Newborns split totals across many short stretches around the clock.
Worked example
Example: infant sleeping 13 hours
Defaults: 4 to 11 months, actual 13 hours.
- Band: 4 to 11 months reads 12 to 16 hours.
- Compare: 13 sits inside 12 to 16.
- Weekly: 12 x 7 = 84 to 16 x 7 = 112 h/week.
- Routine check: same bedtime daily protects it.
- Tool shows the range, Inside the range, 84 to 112 h/week.
Reference table
| Age | Daily range | Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 months | 14 to 17 hours | 98 to 119 h/week |
| 4 to 11 months | 12 to 16 hours | 84 to 112 h/week |
| 1 to 2 years | 11 to 14 hours | 77 to 98 h/week |
| 3 to 5 years | 10 to 13 hours | 70 to 91 h/week |
| 6 to 12 years | 9 to 12 hours | 63 to 84 h/week |
| 13 to 18 years | 8 to 10 hours | 56 to 70 h/week |
Limits
- Guidelines, not prescriptions; individuals vary.
- Illness and growth spurts shift needs temporarily.
- Screens, caffeine, and late sports steal totals.
- Snoring and apnea need a pediatrician, not arithmetic.
Common mistakes
- Counting nights only and forgetting naps.
- Weekend catch up masking weekday debt.
- Screens in bedrooms past bedtime.
- Moving bedtimes nightly instead of holding one.
- Starting solids early to chase sleep through the night.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Teen sleeping 6 hours?
Below the 8 to 10 range: move bedtime earlier.
Newborn at 16 hours?
Inside 14 to 17: normal newborn totals.
Toddler 1 to 2 years target?
11 to 14 hours a day including the nap.
Questions
How much should a baby sleep?
4 to 11 months: 12 to 16 hours a day including naps.
Do naps count?
Yes. Every range here is a 24 hour total with naps inside.
How much sleep do teens need?
8 to 10 hours: more than adults, not less.
Is my child sleeping enough?
Compare totals to the band, then watch daytime alertness and mood.
What if above the range?
Usually fine with good days behind it; flag persistent excess sleepiness.
When to call the pediatrician?
Snoring, gasping, or daytime sleepiness despite in range totals.
Sources
- AAP HealthyChildren: How many hours does your child need (AASM guidelines)
- AAP: How to keep your sleeping baby safe (policy explained)