Sleep needs change dramatically with age. Here are the official numbers from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and CDC — plus what they mean in practice.
| Age | Recommended | Sleep cycles |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0–3 mo) | 14–17 hours | cycles immature |
| Infant (4–11 mo) | 12–15 hours | 4-stage cycles emerge |
| Toddler (1–2) | 11–14 hours | consult pediatrician |
| Preschool (3–5) | 10–13 hours | 7–8 |
| School age (6–12) | 9–12 hours | 6–7 |
| Teen (13–17) | 8–10 hours | 6–7 |
| Young adult (18–25) | 7–9 hours | 5–6 |
| Adult (26–64) | 7–9 hours | 5–6 |
| Older adult (65+) | 7–8 hours | 5 |
Sources: CDC, AASM, Sleep Foundation.
Babies and toddlers
Sleep is when the brain wires itself. Babies make ~250,000 new neural connections per minute during sleep. Plan timing with the baby sleep calculator or wake windows calculator.
School-age and teens
Teen circadian rhythms naturally shift 2 hours later at puberty. Combined with early school start times, most U.S. teens are chronically sleep-deprived. The AAP recommends middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 AM.
Adults
The "I only need 5 hours" claim is almost always wrong. Only about 1% of the population carries the genetic variant (DEC2) that allows true short sleep. Everyone else is just adapted to feeling bad. Use our adult sleep calculator.
Older adults
Older adults need about the same sleep as younger adults — they just struggle to get it. Sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented. Strategies that help: bright morning light, daily exercise, and limited daytime napping (under 30 min).