Published by Actually Sleeping · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD · Review policy · Updated 2026-11-10

What time should my baby or toddler go to bed? Bedtime calculator by age

Work backward from wake-up time. The AASM recommends 12–16 hours of sleep per 24 hours at 4–12 months, 11–14 hours at 1–2 years and 10–13 hours at 3–5 years, naps included, and makes no recommendation under 4 months. Subtract typical nap time to get night sleep, then subtract night sleep from wake-up time. The calculator does the math.

The calculator starts from research and works backward. The research part is the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommended total sleep per 24 hours for your child’s age. The rule-of-thumb part is how much of that sleep usually happens in naps. Night sleep is what is left, and bedtime is your wake-up time minus night sleep.

Keep in mind: a calculator gives an average. The hard part is getting your particular baby to follow it. That is what a custom plan and daily check-ins are for.

A bedtime on paper is the easy part. Many families already know roughly when their child should be asleep; the problem is that the child does not go to sleep then, or does not stay asleep. Actually Sleeping works on that part, with a plan written for your child and daily support while it settles.

The formula

Take the AASM range for the age: 12–16 hours at 4–12 months, 11–14 hours at 1–2 years, 10–13 hours at 3–5 years, naps included.
Subtract the middle of the typical nap total for the age (a rule of thumb). If your child no longer naps, subtract nothing.
The result is the night sleep that keeps the 24-hour total inside the AASM range.
Bedtime window = wake-up time minus that night sleep. The early end gives the most sleep; at the late end, total sleep only just reaches the AASM minimum.

Because the AASM ranges are 3–4 hours wide, the window is wide too. The last column of the table shows the narrower bedtime many families use in practice, which is a rule of thumb, not a research finding. That column describes time in bed, and children rarely sleep every minute of it, which is why it can start slightly earlier than the AASM-based window.

Under 4 months: no number

The AASM makes no recommendation for babies under 4 months, citing the wide range of normal variation and too little evidence linking sleep to health outcomes at that age. This page therefore shows no bedtime for that band. Newborn bedtimes are often late and drift earlier over the first few months.

The full table (napping child, 7 a.m. wake-up)

Age	AASM total per 24 h	Typical naps (rule of thumb)	Night sleep to stay in AASM range	AASM-based bedtime window	Typical bedtime in practice (rule of thumb)
Under 4 months	No AASM recommendation	Varies widely	–	No number	No set bedtime yet
4 months	12–16 h	3.5–4.5 h	8–12 h	7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
5 months	12–16 h	3–4 h	8.5–12.5 h	6:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
6 months	12–16 h	3–3.5 h	8.75–12.75 h	6:15 p.m.–10:15 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
7 months	12–16 h	2.5–3.5 h	9–13 h	6:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
8 months	12–16 h	2.5–3 h	9.25–13.25 h	5:45 p.m.–9:45 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
9–11 months	12–16 h	2–3 h	9.5–13.5 h	5:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
12–14 months	11–14 h	2–2.5 h	8.75–11.75 h	7:15 p.m.–10:15 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
15–23 months	11–14 h	1.5–3 h	8.75–11.75 h	7:15 p.m.–10:15 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
2 years	11–14 h	1–2 h	9.5–12.5 h	6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.	7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
3 years	10–13 h	1–2 h	8.5–11.5 h	7:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.	Not covered by our schedules

Night sleep is calculated with the middle of the nap range. For a different wake-up time, move every bedtime by the same amount: a 6:30 a.m. riser’s window is 30 minutes earlier.

Children who have stopped napping

With no nap, all of the AASM total has to come at night, so the window moves earlier. A 2020 meta-analysis found fewer than 2.5% of children stop napping before age 2 and 94% have stopped by age 5, so a child under 2 who refuses naps for a few days is more likely going through a nap transition than finished with naps. See nap transitions.

From a bedtime window to a child who sleeps in it

A calculator gives an average. The hard part is getting a particular child to follow it: to fall asleep at that time without a battle, and to stay asleep until morning. That depends on routine, naps, temperament and how the child falls asleep, which is why it needs a plan built for that child. Actually Sleeping provides one, written by Dr. Sam, with bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, daily 1:1 check-ins and naps coached until solid. It is not cry it out and not wait it out. Parents of toddlers describe the change in the over-12-months video reviews. See also the wake window calculator.

Book the free consultation to turn the bedtime window into a bedtime that works.

Want this fixed for your baby?

Actually Sleeping is 1:1 coaching: a sleep plan written for your baby by Dr. Sam, bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, and daily check-ins until it is working. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.

Book your free consultation → See what families say

Frequently asked

What time should a 1 year old go to bed?

The AASM recommends 11–14 hours of sleep per 24 hours at 1–2 years. With about 2–2.5 hours of naps and a 7 a.m. wake-up, that gives an AASM-based window of about 7:15 to 10:15 p.m. In practice many families use 7–8 p.m., a rule of thumb.

Is a 6:30 p.m. bedtime too early?

Not necessarily. For a baby 4–12 months who wakes around 6:30 a.m. and naps a typical amount, a 6:30 p.m. bedtime keeps total sleep within the AASM range of 12–16 hours. Use the calculator with your own wake-up time to check.

Why is there no bedtime for my newborn?

The AASM makes no sleep-hours recommendation under 4 months because normal sleep varies widely and there is too little evidence linking sleep to health at that age. Any number would be invented, so the calculator shows none.

My toddler dropped their nap. How does bedtime change?

Without a nap, all the AASM total has to come at night, so bedtime moves earlier. For ages 1–2 years and a 7 a.m. wake-up, 11–14 hours of night sleep means a bedtime between 5 and 8 p.m.; choose the earlier part during the transition.