Sleep Hours by Age Chart: How Much Sleep Do You Need?

How much sleep do you need at your age?

On the defaults — 35 years old, sleeping 6.5 hours a night — the recommended range is 7–9 hours, so 6.5 hours is 0.5 hours below the range. The recommended ranges come from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Sleep Foundation consensus: newborns (0–3 months) 14–17 hours, infants (4–11 months) 12–16 hours, toddlers (1–2 years) 11–14 hours, preschoolers (3–5 years) 10–13 hours, school-age children (6–12 years) 9–12 hours, teenagers (13–18 years) 8–10 hours, adults (18–64 years) 7–9 hours, older adults (65 years and over) 7–8 hours.

Five things about the chart are worth stating plainly. First, the bands are half-open on age: the boundary age belongs to the higher band — age 1 is already Toddler, age 3 is already Preschool, age 6 is already School-age, age 13 is already Teen, age 18 is already Adult, age 65 is already Older adult. Second, the verdict compares the hours you sleep to the band: below the low end is below by the gap, inside the band (both ends inclusive) is within range, above the high end is above by the gap. Third, the ranges are recommendations, not prescriptions — some people genuinely need a little more or less, and the range is where most healthy people land. Fourth, short sleep is linked to worse mood, memory and immune function the next day, which is why the gap to the range matters more than the raw number. And fifth, naps count toward the daily total for babies and toddlers, but for adults the night’s sleep is what the range measures; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: age 35 years, 6.5 hours of sleep a night.

Line 1 — the band. Age 35 falls in 18 to under 65, so the band is Adult (18–64 years) and the recommended range is 7–9 hours.

Line 2 — your sleep. You sleep 6.5 hours.

Line 3 — the verdict. 6.5 is below the low end of 7, so the verdict is 0.5 hours below the range.

Line 4 — the check. 7 − 6.5 = 0.5 hours, the gap to the range.

Table 1 — Sleep hours by age

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and National Sleep Foundation consensus ranges. Bands are half-open on age: the boundary age belongs to the higher band — age 1 is already Toddler, age 3 is already Preschool, age 6 is already School-age, age 13 is already Teen, age 18 is already Adult, age 65 is already Older adult.

Every branch, checked

Age 0.5, sleep 14 hours: Age 0.5 — Infant (4–11 months): recommended 12–16 hours; you sleep 14 hours — within range — A 6-month-old sleeping 14 hours is inside the 12–16 hour infant range.

Age 2, sleep 9 hours: Age 2 — Toddler (1–2 years): recommended 11–14 hours; you sleep 9 hours — 2 hours below the range — A 2-year-old sleeping 9 hours is 2 hours below the 11–14 hour toddler range.

Age 4, sleep 12 hours: Age 4 — Preschool (3–5 years): recommended 10–13 hours; you sleep 12 hours — within range — A 4-year-old sleeping 12 hours is inside the 10–13 hour preschool range.

Age 8, sleep 8 hours: Age 8 — School-age (6–12 years): recommended 9–12 hours; you sleep 8 hours — 1 hour below the range — An 8-year-old sleeping 8 hours is 1 hour below the 9–12 hour school-age range.

Age 15, sleep 11 hours: Age 15 — Teen (13–18 years): recommended 8–10 hours; you sleep 11 hours — 1 hour above the range — A 15-year-old sleeping 11 hours is 1 hour above the 8–10 hour teen range.

Age 70, sleep 6 hours: Age 70 — Older adult (65+ years): recommended 7–8 hours; you sleep 6 hours — 1 hour below the range — A 70-year-old sleeping 6 hours is 1 hour below the 7–8 hour older-adult range.

Age 0.1, sleep 16 hours: Age 0.1 — Newborn (0–3 months): recommended 14–17 hours; you sleep 16 hours — within range — A newborn of 0.1 years sleeping 16 hours is inside the 14–17 hour newborn range.

The reverses, worked backwards

Smallest age for the Toddler band: At the displayed 1 year the figures are Age 1 — Toddler (1–2 years): recommended 11–14 hours; you sleep 12 hours — within range. At 0.99 years, sleep 12 hours is still Infant (4–11 months), 12–16 hours, within range.

Smallest age for the Preschool band: At the displayed 3 years the figures are Age 3 — Preschool (3–5 years): recommended 10–13 hours; you sleep 11 hours — within range. At 2.99 years, sleep 11 hours is still Toddler (1–2 years), 11–14 hours, within range.

Smallest age for the School-age band: At the displayed 6 years the figures are Age 6 — School-age (6–12 years): recommended 9–12 hours; you sleep 10 hours — within range. At 5.99 years, sleep 10 hours is still Preschool (3–5 years), 10–13 hours, within range.

Smallest age for the Teen band: At the displayed 13 years the figures are Age 13 — Teen (13–18 years): recommended 8–10 hours; you sleep 9 hours — within range. At 12.99 years, sleep 9 hours is still School-age (6–12 years), 9–12 hours, within range.

Smallest age for the Adult band: At the displayed 18 years the figures are Age 18 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 8 hours — within range. At 17.99 years, sleep 8 hours is still Teen (13–18 years), 8–10 hours, within range.

Smallest age for the Older-adult band: At the displayed 65 years the figures are Age 65 — Older adult (65+ years): recommended 7–8 hours; you sleep 8 hours — within range. At 64.99 years, sleep 8 hours is still Adult (18–64 years), 7–9 hours, within range.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are age 35 years and 6.5 hours of sleep — Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 6.5 hours — 0.5 hours below the range. With Age 0.5, sleep 14 hours, Age 0.5 — Infant (4–11 months): recommended 12–16 hours; you sleep 14 hours — within range — A 6-month-old sleeping 14 hours is inside the 12–16 hour infant range. With Age 2, sleep 9 hours, Age 2 — Toddler (1–2 years): recommended 11–14 hours; you sleep 9 hours — 2 hours below the range — A 2-year-old sleeping 9 hours is 2 hours below the 11–14 hour toddler range. With Age 4, sleep 12 hours, Age 4 — Preschool (3–5 years): recommended 10–13 hours; you sleep 12 hours — within range — A 4-year-old sleeping 12 hours is inside the 10–13 hour preschool range. With Age 8, sleep 8 hours, Age 8 — School-age (6–12 years): recommended 9–12 hours; you sleep 8 hours — 1 hour below the range — An 8-year-old sleeping 8 hours is 1 hour below the 9–12 hour school-age range. With Age 15, sleep 11 hours, Age 15 — Teen (13–18 years): recommended 8–10 hours; you sleep 11 hours — 1 hour above the range — A 15-year-old sleeping 11 hours is 1 hour above the 8–10 hour teen range. With Age 70, sleep 6 hours, Age 70 — Older adult (65+ years): recommended 7–8 hours; you sleep 6 hours — 1 hour below the range — A 70-year-old sleeping 6 hours is 1 hour below the 7–8 hour older-adult range. With Age 0.1, sleep 16 hours, Age 0.1 — Newborn (0–3 months): recommended 14–17 hours; you sleep 16 hours — within range — A newborn of 0.1 years sleeping 16 hours is inside the 14–17 hour newborn range. With Age 0, sleep 15 hours, Age 0 — Newborn (0–3 months): recommended 14–17 hours; you sleep 15 hours — within range — A newborn sleeping 15 hours is inside the 14–17 hour newborn range. With Age 0.5, sleep 10 hours, Age 0.5 — Infant (4–11 months): recommended 12–16 hours; you sleep 10 hours — 2 hours below the range — A 6-month-old sleeping 10 hours is 2 hours below the 12–16 hour infant range. With Age 100, sleep 9 hours, Age 100 — Older adult (65+ years): recommended 7–8 hours; you sleep 9 hours — 1 hour above the range — A 100-year-old sleeping 9 hours is 1 hour above the 7–8 hour older-adult range. With Age −1, Input error — age must be 0 or above (the calculator shows an error, not a result) — A negative age is an input error — age must be 0 or above, and the calculator shows an error, not a result. With Age 35, sleep 0 hours, Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 0 hours — 7 hours below the range — Sleeping 0 hours at 35 is 7 hours below the 7–9 hour adult range. With Age 12.5, sleep 10 hours, Age 12.5 — School-age (6–12 years): recommended 9–12 hours; you sleep 10 hours — within range — At 12.5 years, sleep 10 hours is inside the 9–12 hour school-age range. With Age 17.9, sleep 7 hours, Age 17.9 — Teen (13–18 years): recommended 8–10 hours; you sleep 7 hours — 1 hour below the range — At 17.9 years, sleep 7 hours is 1 hour below the 8–10 hour teen range. With Age 35, sleep 7 hours, Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 7 hours — within range — Seven hours is the floor of the adult range — already within range. With Age 35, sleep 9 hours, Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 9 hours — within range — Nine hours is the ceiling of the adult range — already within range. With Age 35, sleep 6.9 hours, Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 6.9 hours — 0.1 hours below the range — At 6.9 hours the gap is just 0.1 hours below the range. With Age 35, sleep 9.1 hours, Age 35 — Adult (18–64 years): recommended 7–9 hours; you sleep 9.1 hours — 0.1 hours above the range — At 9.1 hours the gap is just 0.1 hours above the range.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The 35-year-old sleeping 6.5 hours: they learn they are 0.5 hours below the 7–9 hour adult range — and they check the 7-hour floor to see 7 hours is already within range.
• The parent of a 2-year-old sleeping 9 hours: they learn the toddler is 2 hours below the 11–14 hour range — and they check the 1-year boundary to see the band changes at age 1.
• The parent of a 15-year-old sleeping 11 hours: they learn the teenager is 1 hour above the 8–10 hour range — and they check the 13-year boundary to see the teen band starts at 13.
• The 70-year-old sleeping 6 hours: they learn they are 1 hour below the 7–8 hour older-adult range — and they check the 65-year boundary to see the older-adult band starts at 65.

Accuracy & limitations

The chart is first-principles: the age band is found from the half-open age bands, and the verdict compares the hours slept to the band, with the gap printed to one decimal place. What the chart cannot do is diagnose anything: the ranges are recommendations, not prescriptions — some people genuinely need a little more or less, and the range is where most healthy people land; the chart counts the hours you enter, not the quality of that sleep; naps count toward the daily total for babies and toddlers, but for adults the night’s sleep is what the range measures; and a single bad night says nothing about the pattern — the average over a week is the number that matters. This page is educational only, not medical advice — talk to a clinician about any sleep concern.

Frequently asked questions