# Bedtime calculator by age: when should my baby or toddler go to bed?

> Find a bedtime for ages 4 months to 3 years: we count back from wake-up time using AASM recommended sleep hours minus typical naps. Full table included.

Source: https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-bedtime-calculator/
Publisher: Actually Sleeping LLC · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD (PA pharmacist license RP1012588, NPI 1730650979)

Count back from the time your child wakes. The AASM advises 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, counting naps, and gives no recommendation for babies under 4 months. Take away typical nap time to find night sleep, then take night sleep away from the wake-up time. The calculator handles the arithmetic. 

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This calculator begins with the research and counts backward from there. The research piece is the total sleep per 24 hours that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends for your child’s age. The rule-of-thumb piece is how much of that sleep typically comes from naps. Whatever remains is night sleep, and subtracting night sleep from your wake-up time gives bedtime.   

The calculator needs JavaScript. The same numbers are in the table below. 

**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.  

Putting a bedtime on paper is simple. Plenty of families already have a rough idea of when their child ought to be asleep; the trouble is that the child doesn’t fall asleep at that time, or doesn’t stay asleep. That’s the part Actually Sleeping tackles, with a plan written for your child and daily support while it beds in. 

## How the math works  
1. Start with the AASM range for your child’s age: 12–16 hours at 4–12 months, 11–14 hours at 1–2 years, 10–13 hours at 3–5 years, counting naps. 
2. Take away the midpoint of the typical daily nap total for that age (a rule of thumb). For a child who has stopped napping, take away nothing. 
3. What’s left is the amount of night sleep that keeps the 24-hour total within the AASM range. 
4. Bedtime window = wake-up time minus that night sleep. The earliest bedtime delivers the most sleep; at the latest, total sleep barely meets the AASM minimum. 
 

The AASM ranges span 3–4 hours, so the resulting window is broad as well. In the table, the final column gives the tighter bedtime that many families actually use, a rule of thumb rather than a research finding. That column reflects time in bed, and children seldom sleep for every minute of it, so it may begin a little earlier than the AASM-based window. 

## No number for babies under 4 months 

The AASM gives no recommendation for babies younger than 4 months, pointing to how widely normal sleep varies and how little evidence connects sleep with health outcomes at that age. For that reason, this page shows no bedtime for that age band. Newborns often go to bed late, and bedtime tends to creep earlier during the first few months. 

## Complete table (child still napping, 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 uses the midpoint of the nap range. If your child wakes at another time, shift every bedtime by the same amount: for a 6:30 a.m. riser, the window comes 30 minutes earlier. 

## When a child no longer naps 

Without a nap, the full AASM total must come overnight, which pulls the window earlier. According to a 2020 meta-analysis, fewer than 2.5% of children give up napping before age 2, and 94% have given it up by age 5, so a child under 2 who resists naps for a few days is probably in a nap transition rather than done with naps. Read [nap transitions](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/nap-transitions-3-to-2-to-1/). 

## Turning a bedtime window into a child who actually sleeps 

Any calculator produces an average. What’s hard is getting one particular child to match it: falling asleep at that time without a fight, and sleeping through until morning. That hinges on routine, naps, temperament and the way the child falls asleep, so it calls for a plan designed around that child. Actually Sleeping provides exactly that, written by Dr. Sam, with bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, daily 1:1 check-ins and naps coached until they are solid. We don’t use cry it out, and we don’t use wait it out. Toddler parents describe the difference in the [over-12-months video reviews](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/12-months-plus/). You can also try the [wake window calculator](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/wake-window-calculator/). 

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

## More guides like this
- [Wake window calculator: naps and awake times by age](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/wake-window-calculator/)
- [Screen time before bed and toddler sleep: what to know](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/screen-time-and-toddler-sleep/)
- [Crib to toddler bed: when is the right time to switch?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/crib-to-toddler-bed-when/)
- [Baby and toddler sleep statistics: the research, figure by figure](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/baby-sleep-statistics/)
- [Not a good time for sleep training right now? Should you wait?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/worry-now-isnt-a-good-time/)
 

## Want your baby sleeping like this?

With Actually Sleeping you get 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, we coach you bootcamp-style before the first night, and we check in daily until it is working. We have coached 700+ families, collected 129 video reviews, and put our guarantee in writing: 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund.

[Book your free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) [Hear from families](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/) 

## Common questions 

### What bedtime suits a 1 year old?

For ages 1–2 years, the AASM advises 11–14 hours of sleep per 24 hours. Allowing roughly 2–2.5 hours of naps and a 7 a.m. wake-up, the AASM-based window runs from about 7:15 to 10:15 p.m. Many families actually use 7–8 p.m., which is a rule of thumb. 

### Is 6:30 p.m. too early for bedtime?

Not necessarily. A baby aged 4–12 months who wakes near 6:30 a.m. and naps a typical amount will still get total sleep inside the AASM range of 12–16 hours with a 6:30 p.m. bedtime. Check by entering your own wake-up time in the calculator. 

### Why doesn’t the calculator give my newborn a bedtime?

The AASM offers no sleep-hours recommendation for babies under 4 months, since normal sleep varies so much and evidence tying sleep to health at that age is too thin. Any figure would be made up, so the calculator doesn’t show one. 

### How does bedtime change once my toddler drops their nap?

With no nap, the entire AASM total must happen overnight, so bedtime shifts earlier. At 1–2 years with a 7 a.m. wake-up, 11–14 hours of night sleep puts bedtime between 5 and 8 p.m.; lean toward the earlier end during the transition.  

## References
1. [Paruthi S, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016 (full text).](https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/pediatricsleepdurationconsensus.pdf)
2. [Staton S, et al. Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0-12 years. Sleep Med Rev. 2020.](https://www.colorado.edu/lab/sleepdev/sites/default/files/attached-files/staton_2020.pdf)