School-night bedtime chart by age and wake-up time
Want the full range for one age? The sleep need by age tool shows the US, UK, Canadian and Australian figures side by side.
Lights-out by age and wake-up time
The chart below gives the latest lights-out for every age from 5 to 17 and four wake-up times, and shows the two ages where the US, Canada and Australia disagree.
Pick your child's age and the time they get up on school days. The chart below does the same sum for every age from 5 to 17 and four wake-up times: the bottom of the recommended range, counted back from the alarm, plus 15 minutes to fall asleep.
Your child's lights-out
Lull School-night bedtimes · instacalc.co
School-night bedtime chart, ages 5 to 17
Latest lights-out on a school night, by age and wake-up time
| Age | Up at 6:00 AM | Up at 6:30 AM | Up at 7:00 AM | Up at 7:30 AM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7:45 PM US 8:45 PM Canada, Australia | 8:15 PM US 9:15 PM Canada, Australia | 8:45 PM US 9:45 PM Canada, Australia | 9:15 PM US 10:15 PM Canada, Australia |
| 6 to 12 | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:15 PM |
| 13 | 9:45 PM US 8:45 PM Canada, Australia | 10:15 PM US 9:15 PM Canada, Australia | 10:45 PM US 9:45 PM Canada, Australia | 11:15 PM US 10:15 PM Canada, Australia |
| 14 to 17 | 9:45 PM | 10:15 PM | 10:45 PM | 11:15 PM |
At 5, the US time uses the CDC's preschool range, which counts naps; at 13, the CDC already uses its teen range. Each time adds 15 minutes to fall asleep.
How each time is worked out
Each bedtime is the wake-up time, minus the fewest hours in the range for that age, minus 15 minutes to fall asleep. The CDC gives 9–12 h for ages 6–12 years and 8–10 h for ages 13–17 years; Canada and Australia give 9–11 h for ages 5–13 years and 8–10 h for ages 14–17 years. The bottom of each range gives the latest lights-out that still reaches it. An earlier lights-out gives more sleep inside the range, which is why the chart says “latest”.
The 15 minutes are our rule, the same allowance the sleep need by age tool uses for its bedtime window, so the two always agree. A child who takes longer to drop off needs an earlier lights-out than the chart shows.
Where the US, Canada and Australia differ
For most of these ages the three bodies start at the same number of hours, so one time fits all three. Two ages differ. At 13, the CDC already counts a teenager, with a range of 8–10 h, while Canada and Australia still count a child, at 9–11 h. For a 7:00 AM alarm that moves lights-out from 10:45 PM to 9:45 PM.
At 5, the CDC's figure is its preschool range, 10–13 h including naps, while Canada and Australia give 9–11 h a night with no naps counted. A five-year-old who no longer naps is closer to the Canadian and Australian figure, a lights-out of 9:45 PM for 7:00 AM; the CDC's 8:45 PM assumes the whole range is night sleep.
The NHS in the UK says “children need 9 to 13 hours” (source), without age bands, so the chart has no UK column. Its range starts at the same 9 hours as the school-age rows.
School nights and weekends
The chart is for school nights, when the alarm is fixed. For the weekend, the AAP's HealthyChildren.org advises: “try to keep weekend wake-ups within an hour or so of the usual time” (source). A later bedtime on Friday is then fine. The same page warns that a child who sleeps in too long can shift their sleep timing within a few days and be drowsy when woken on school days. It also notes that by the middle-school years weekend bedtimes can be later, and that lights can go out at different times for different children in a family, depending on how much sleep each one needs.
Teenagers already get a later time. The CDC's range for teens starts 1 hour lower than for younger children, so for the same 7:00 AM alarm, lights-out at ages 14 to 17 is 10:45 PM, against 9:45 PM for ages 6 to 12. If that still feels too early for an older child, look at the wake-up time: each column in the chart starts half an hour later than the one before, and so does lights-out.
From lights-out to a routine
Lights-out is where the evening ends, so the rest of it can be counted back from there. Our bedtime routine chart starts from the time in this chart and works back to when the routine begins and when screens go off, using the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance. It prints with your child's times filled in.
Children vary within a range
These are recommendations for groups of healthy children, and children vary a lot within a range. The chart uses the fewest hours in each range and our 15 minutes to fall asleep; it cannot know how your child sleeps, naps or wakes in the night. It gives no advice for children under 5.
Ask the child's doctor if your child often struggles to fall asleep, snores, or is sleepy in the day even with enough hours. This guide is general information, not medical advice: read our disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What time should a 9-year-old go to bed for school?
For a 7:00 AM alarm, lights out by 9:45 PM reaches the bottom of the CDC's 9–12 h with 15 minutes to fall asleep. Canada and Australia give the same lights-out for this age.
What time should a teenager go to bed on a school night?
For ages 14 to 17 and a 7:00 AM alarm, lights out by 10:45 PM. All three bodies start the teenage range at 8 hours.
Why does age 13 have two times?
The CDC counts 13 as a teenager, with a lower range, while Canada and Australia still count 13 as a child. The chart shows both.
What does the NHS recommend for children?
The NHS gives one range for children without age bands, starting at 9 hours, so the chart has no UK column. Its lower figure matches the school-age rows.
Our wake-up time isn't in the chart. What do I use?
The calculator at the top of this page works out lights-out for any wake-up time, and the sleep need by age tool gives the full bedtime window for each country.
Sources
- CDC — About Sleep (recommended hours by age)2024 · read on
- Canada: Public Health Agency of Canada — Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep (PASS) Indicators: key findings2026 · read on
- Australia: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing — 24-hour movement guidelines: children and young people (5 to 17 years)2026 · read on
- NHS (UK) — Insomnia: how much sleep you need2024 · read on
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) — Bedtime Routines for School-Aged Children2013 · read on