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Wellbeing and habits

Sleep schedule

The set times a person goes to bed and gets up each day, planned so they get the hours of sleep recommended for their age.

What It Means

A sleep schedule is the times someone goes to bed and wakes up, kept about the same from one day to the next. CDC advises keeping bedtime and wake-up time about the same every day, days off included, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) advises the same wake-up time even on weekends and vacations. How much time the schedule should leave for sleep depends on age: CDC lists 9 to 12 hours for children 6 to 12 and 7 or more hours for adults 18 to 60.

Try It: Find a Bedtime From a Wake-Up Time

Pick an age and a wake-up time. You'll see the hours CDC recommends and, from age 6 up, the window for lights out.

CDC recommended sleep

9 to 12 hours

Lights out

between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm

Counted from the moment of falling asleep.

How People Say It

  • "We need to get her back on a sleep schedule before school starts."
  • "My sleep schedule is a mess this week."
  • "Lights out at 8:30 on school nights."

The Breakdown

Recommended hours by age, per CDC

AgeHours of sleep
NewbornNewbornA baby in the first 28 days of life, the stage doctors also call the neonatal period. See more, 0 to 3 months14 to 17
Infant, 4 to 12 months12 to 16, naps included
ToddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more, 1 to 2 years11 to 14, naps included
Preschool, 3 to 5 years1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more to 13, naps included
School age, 6 to 12 years9 to 12
Teen, 13 to 17 years8 to 10
Adult, 18 to 60 years7 or more
Adult, 61 to 64 years7 to 9
Adult, 65 and older7 to 8

Worked example. A 9-year-old needs to be up at 7:00 am for school. CDC's range for that age is 9 to 12 hours, so counting back from 7:00 am puts lights out between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm. A parent in the same house who also wakes at 7:00 am needs at least 7 hours, which means being asleep by 12:00 am.

What the result means. The later time in the window is the latest bedtime that still meets the low end of the range. It counts from the moment of falling asleep, so if drifting off usually takes you a while, move lights out a little earlier. Keep the same times on weekends too, as CDC and AASM advise.

Good to Know

CDC's table draws on recommendations from AASM and the National Sleep Foundation. For children from 4 months to 5 years, the ranges count naps as well as night sleep, so a bedtime alone won't show whether a young child is getting enough; your pediatrician can help set a schedule for a baby or toddler. AASM gives the same ranges for those ages and puts teens aged 13 to 18 at 8 to 10 hours.

FAQ

How much sleep does a baby need?

CDC lists 14 to 17 hours for newborns up to 3 months and 12 to 16 hours, naps included, for babies 4 to 12 months. Ask your baby's pediatrician about naps and bedtime at each stage.

Should my sleep schedule be the same on weekends?

Yes. CDC advises keeping bedtime and wake-up time about the same every day, days off included, and AASM advises the same wake-up time even on weekends and vacations.

How much sleep does a teenager need?

CDC lists 8 to 10 hours for teens 13 to 17. AASM recommends 8 to 10 hours on a regular basis for ages 13 to 18.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar in a Household Space

Add each person's bedtime to the Calendar in your Household Space so everyone can see when lights go out.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Sleep hygiene

    The everyday habits and bedroom setup that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, like a steady wake-up time and a quiet, cool room.

  • Nap schedule

    The usual pattern of a baby's or toddler's daytime naps: how many, roughly when and for how long, which shifts as the child grows.

  • Bedtime routine

    The same short series of calm steps a child goes through each night before sleep, such as brushing teeth, reading a book and lights out at a set time.

  • Sleep debt

    The running total of sleep you've missed, counted night by night as the hours you need minus the hours you actually slept.

  • Circadian rhythm

    The body's roughly 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes, such as sleepiness at night, kept in time by a clock in the brain that follows light.

  • Wind-down routine

    A set of calm, screen-free activities in the last part of the evening that helps you shift from being awake to falling asleep.

Wellbeing and habits

Sources

CDC, "About Sleep" (recommended hours of sleep by age); American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Education, "Healthy Sleep Habits"; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Education, "Healthy Sleep"; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, "Start the school year strong with healthy sleep habits"; CDC NIOSH, "Improve Sleep: Tips to Improve Your Sleep When Times Are Tough"

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