How much sleep does a 5-year-old need? 10–13 hours — and about 1 in 3 young kids get less
How much sleep does a 5-year-old need? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 10–13 hours in 24 hours for children ages 3–5, naps included, and 9–12 hours for ages 6–12. Each year the National Survey of Children's Health asks US parents how much their child sleeps. Here is the share of children whose parents reported the recommended amount, 2022–2024 — the years that can be compared directly.
Share of children who sleep the recommended hours for their age, % (parent report). Shaded band: 95% confidence interval. Source: Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data query 2022–2024, indicator 6.25: adequate amount of sleep, age 4 months–17 years. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, supported by HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Bureau · Survey data: HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau, collected by the U.S. Census Bureau (public, U.S. Government); query results courtesy of CAHMI, childhealthdata.org. Chart: Raising Stoics — free to embed with credit.
What the data shows
- How much sleep children need (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics), per 24 hours: 4–12 months 12–16 hours, 1–2 years 11–14, 3–5 years 10–13 (naps included), 6–12 years 9–12, teens 8–10.
- In 2024, 66% of US children ages 4 months to 5 years got the recommended amount, according to their parents — so about a third, roughly 7 million young children, got less.
- For children ages 6–11, the share was slightly lower: 63.3% in 2024, below the estimate for the younger group each year from 2022 through 2024. The two groups are asked slightly different questions (most weeknights vs. an average day including naps), so the comparison is approximate.
- From 2022 through 2024, the estimates barely changed: 65.5–66.0% for children under 6 and 62.6–63.3% for children ages 6–11, with uncertainty shown by the 95% confidence intervals.
What it means for parents
A tired 5-year-old may not look sleepy. Instead, they may seem wound up, tearful, or irritable, which can be mistaken for a behavior problem. A CDC analysis of 2016–2018 data from the same survey (ages 4 months–17 years) found short sleep was less common among children with a regular bedtime (27.5%) than among those without one (38.6%) — an association, not proof that the bedtime caused the difference. A bedtime that stays the same most nights, a short wind-down without screens, and counting back 10–13 hours from wake-up time are practical places to start.
How much sleep does a 5-year-old need, compared with other ages?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommendations, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, give a range for each age, per 24 hours:
Babies 4–12 months: 12–16 hours, including naps. Toddlers 1–2 years: 11–14 hours, including naps. Preschoolers 3–5 years: 10–13 hours, including naps. School-age children 6–12 years: 9–12 hours. Teenagers 13–18 years: 8–10 hours.
The ranges are wide on purpose. Children genuinely differ, and a 5-year-old who sleeps ten and a half hours and wakes up cheerful may be getting exactly what they need. The ranges are most useful for noticing when a child regularly sleeps well outside them.
For a typical 5-year-old who needs to be up at seven, 10–13 hours means falling asleep between about 6 and 9 p.m. if they no longer nap; many families aim for the middle of that range. Counting back from wake-up time is the simplest way to set a bedtime.
Signs your child isn't getting enough sleep
Tired young children often don't look sleepy. They look wound up.
Possible signs: more meltdowns than usual, especially in the late afternoon; being "hyper" or silly near bedtime; trouble concentrating or following instructions; falling asleep in the car on short trips; being very hard to wake in the morning; needing to be woken every day rather than waking on their own; and sleeping in much later on weekends.
Because tiredness shows up as behavior, it's easily mistaken for defiance or a behavior problem. If a child's hardest moments cluster at the end of the day, sleep is one of the first things worth looking at.
Some signs are worth mentioning to a pediatrician: loud snoring most nights, pauses in breathing during sleep, very restless sleep, or ongoing tiredness despite enough hours in bed. These can be signs of a sleep problem, such as sleep apnea, that can often be treated.
How to improve kids' sleep: a consistent bedtime routine
One well-supported approach for young children is a consistent, calm bedtime routine at roughly the same time every night.
Keep it short and predictable — about 20 to 30 minutes, in the same order: bath, pajamas, teeth, two books, a song or a short chat, lights out. A picture chart on the wall lets a child follow the steps themselves.
Dim the lights and turn off screens at least an hour before bed. Bright light and stimulating content can both delay sleep.
Make the bedroom a place for sleep: cool, dark, quiet, and without devices.
Aim for the same wake-up time every day, weekends included, give or take half an hour. A steady wake-up time helps keep the body clock on schedule.
Get daylight and movement during the day. Children who spend time outside and run around tend to fall asleep more easily.
And keep the last part of the evening warm and unhurried. A child who feels rushed or anxious at bedtime may resist going to sleep. A few minutes of calm attention can make the rest of bedtime go more smoothly.
Does a 5-year-old still need a nap?
Many children stop napping between ages 3 and 5, and by age 5, most no longer nap regularly. Some still benefit from a nap or a quiet rest occasionally, especially after a busy morning or a bad night.
Signs a child may have outgrown naps: they take a long time to fall asleep at bedtime on nap days, or a nap pushes bedtime much later. Signs they may still need one: they're very tired and emotional by late afternoon without it.
A good compromise for many 5-year-olds is "quiet time" instead of a nap — half an hour or so on a bed or couch with books or quiet toys. Children who need sleep may drift off; those who don't still get a rest.
If your child has dropped their nap, an earlier bedtime for a few weeks may help them adjust.
Show the data as a table
| Year | 4 months-5 years | 6-11 years |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 65.7% (64.3–67.1) | 62.6% (61–64.1) |
| 2023 | 65.5% (63.9–66.9) | 62.8% (61.2–64.3) |
| 2024 | 66% (64.4–67.6) | 63.3% (61.8–64.8) |
Source and method
Source: Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data query 2022–2024, indicator 6.25: adequate amount of sleep, age 4 months–17 years. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, supported by HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. License: Survey data: HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau, collected by the U.S. Census Bureau (public, U.S. Government); query results courtesy of CAHMI, childhealthdata.org.
Survey question: Parents report how many hours their child slept in the past week — on an average day, counting naps, for children 0–5, and on most weeknights for ages 6–17. Answers are compared with the age-appropriate recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Percentages and 95% confidence intervals as published in the Data Resource Center's NSCH query (indicator 6.25), not recalculated. The chart shows 2022–2024 only: the Data Resource Center notes that its archived 2016–2021 estimates are not comparable with 2022 and later because of weighting and imputation changes; the archived 2018–2021 estimates are in a separate CSV for reference. (In 2016–2017 the question also differed: all ages were asked about an average weeknight, and younger children's naps weren't counted.) The survey groups children as 4 months–5 years, 6–11, and 12–17; there is no separate 3–5 figure. Sleep recommendations: Paruthi et al. (2016), Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, doi:10.5664/jcsm.5866. Regular bedtime figures: Wheaton & Claussen (2021), CDC MMWR 70:1315–1321, NSCH 2016–2018.
Download the data (CSV) Archived 2018–2021 estimates, not comparable (CSV)
FAQ
How much sleep do kids need?
It depends on age. Per 24 hours, recommended amounts are 11–14 hours for toddlers (1–2 years) and 10–13 hours for preschoolers (3–5), both including naps; 9–12 hours for children 6–12, and 8–10 hours for teenagers. These are ranges from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
What time should a 5-year-old go to bed?
Work backward from wake-up time. A 5-year-old needs about 10–13 hours of sleep, so a child who wakes at 7 a.m. would need to fall asleep between about 6 and 9 p.m. to get 10–13 hours without a nap Start the bedtime routine 20–30 minutes before that. Consistency matters too: regular bedtimes are linked with longer sleep in survey data.
How can I improve my kid's sleep?
Keep a short, consistent bedtime routine, a regular wake-up time every day, and a cool, dark bedroom without screens. Turn off devices at least an hour before bed, get daylight and exercise during the day, and avoid a late, heavy dinner. If your child snores loudly, has pauses in breathing during sleep or is tired despite enough hours, talk to your pediatrician.
Is 9 hours of sleep enough for a 5-year-old?
Usually not. For 5-year-olds, the recommended range for ages 3–5 is 10–13 hours in 24 hours, including naps. Some children need less than others, so watch how your child is doing: if they wake easily, stay cheerful, and cope well with the day, they may be fine. If late afternoons are full of meltdowns, try an earlier bedtime.
Why does my 5-year-old wake up at night?
Common reasons include bad dreams, fear of the dark or being alone, needing to use the bathroom, being too hot or cold, or a change in routine. Some children are used to having a parent nearby as they fall asleep, so they may look for that when they wake up. Keep night wakings calm, brief, and boring, and look at the bedtime routine. Frequent waking with snoring or breathing pauses is worth mentioning to your pediatrician.
The course's app has a short evening check-in — your child picks how the day felt, and the app ends by itself: a calm step before bed, not another show.