Reference charts
Average Sleep Duration by Age
How much sleep people need changes across the lifespan. The table below is the National Sleep Foundation's recommended range for each age group. It is a consensus from a panel review, not an average measured in one population, and individuals still vary.
Updated . Educational reference, not medical advice.
Short answer
Recommended sleep duration falls with age: newborns need 14 to 17 hours a day, school-age children 9 to 11, teenagers 8 to 10, and most adults 7 to 9 hours, with older adults usually advised 7 to 8. Those ranges come from the National Sleep Foundation consensus (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015). The CDC and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine publish closely related tables; adults should get at least 7 hours regularly (Watson et al., 2015).
Recommended sleep duration by age
| Age group | Age | Recommended (hours/day) | May be appropriate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborns | 0–3 months | 14–17 | 11–13 or 18–19 |
| Infants | 4–11 months | 12–15 | 10–11 or 16–18 |
| Toddlers | 1–2 years | 11–14 | 9–10 or 15–16 |
| Preschoolers | 3–5 years | 10–13 | 8–9 or 14 |
| School-age children | 6–13 years | 9–11 | 7–8 or 12 |
| Teenagers | 14–17 years | 8–10 | 7 or 11 |
| Young adults | 18–25 years | 7–9 | 6 or 10–11 |
| Adults | 26–64 years | 7–9 | 6 or 10 |
| Older adults | 65+ years | 7–8 | 5–6 or 9 |
Source: Hirshkowitz et al., Sleep Health 2015 (National Sleep Foundation); CDC About Sleep (2024); Watson et al., Sleep 2015 (AASM/SRS); Paruthi et al., J Clin Sleep Med 2016 (AASM pediatric).
CDC recommended hours of sleep by age
The CDC's public table combines National Sleep Foundation guidance for older adults with American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommendations for children and teens, and the AASM/SRS adult consensus of 7 or more hours. Infant and school-age bands differ slightly from the NSF table above (for example, CDC lists school age as 6 to 12 years needing 9 to 12 hours).
| Age group | Age | Sleep recommended daily |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0–3 months | 14–17 hours |
| Infant | 4–12 months | 12–16 hours (including naps) |
| Toddler | 1–2 years | 11–14 hours (including naps) |
| Preschool | 3–5 years | 10–13 hours (including naps) |
| School age | 6–12 years | 9–12 hours |
| Teen | 13–17 years | 8–10 hours |
| Adult | 18–60 years | 7 or more hours |
| Adult | 61–64 years | 7–9 hours |
| Adult | 65 years and older | 7–8 hours |
Source: CDC, About Sleep (updated May 15, 2024), citing NSF, AASM pediatric and AASM/SRS adult recommendations.
How to read this chart
The National Sleep Foundation convened an expert panel and used a modified RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to set recommended hours, plus a wider "may be appropriate" band for each age (Hirshkowitz et al., Sleep Health 2015). Recommended means most healthy people in that age group need that much sleep; the wider band covers people who do well with a little less or more.
These figures are recommendations, not measured averages from wearables. Population surveys often find many adults sleep under 7 hours, which is below the recommended floor. For what heart rate usually does overnight, see sleeping heart rate by age and gender. For how wearables split the night into stages, see the sleep stages chart.
Adults: at least 7 hours
A joint American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society statement advises that adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health (Watson et al., 2015). Sleeping less than 7 hours is linked with higher risks of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and depression; needing much more than 9 hours regularly can also mark health problems in some adults. The NSF table still lists 7 to 9 hours as the recommended band for ages 18 to 64.
Children and teens
For children and adolescents, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 9 to 12 hours for ages 6 to 12 and 8 to 10 hours for ages 13 to 18, within a 24-hour day (Paruthi et al., 2016). Those ranges align with the CDC table above. Younger children usually need naps as well as night sleep; the hours include naps where the sources say so. Wearable sleep staging on research datasets is covered in the wearable sleep staging datasets guide and related sleep staging leaderboards.
Recommendation vs what a tracker reports
A sleep tracker reports how long you slept (or how long you were still), not how much sleep you need. Stage percentages and total sleep time from wrist devices are useful for trends, but they disagree with lab polysomnography on individual nights; see how wearables stage sleep and PPG wearable accuracy during sleep. Use the tables here as the health-agency reference, and talk to a clinician about ongoing short sleep, loud snoring, gasping or daytime sleepiness.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average sleep duration by age?
Expert recommendations, not a single measured average, are the usual reference. The National Sleep Foundation advises about 14 to 17 hours for newborns, 12 to 15 for infants, 11 to 14 for toddlers, 10 to 13 for preschoolers, 9 to 11 for school-age children, 8 to 10 for teenagers, 7 to 9 for adults under 65, and 7 to 8 for older adults (Hirshkowitz et al., 2015).
How many hours of sleep do adults need?
Most healthy adults need 7 to 9 hours. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society say adults should regularly get 7 or more hours (Watson et al., 2015). The CDC lists 7 or more hours for ages 18 to 60, 7 to 9 for ages 61 to 64, and 7 to 8 for ages 65 and older.
How much sleep do teenagers need?
Teenagers need about 8 to 10 hours per day according to the National Sleep Foundation (ages 14 to 17) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (ages 13 to 18). Many teens sleep less than that on school nights.
How much sleep do older adults need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 8 hours for adults 65 and older, with 5 to 6 or 9 hours sometimes appropriate. The CDC uses the same 7 to 8 hour band for ages 65 and older.
Is sleeping 6 hours enough for adults?
Six hours is below the recommended floor for most adults. It falls in the NSF "may be appropriate" band for some adults, but the AASM/SRS consensus is that adults should regularly get 7 or more hours for optimal health. Persistent short sleep is worth discussing with a clinician.
References
- Hirshkowitz M, et al. National Sleep Foundation's updated sleep duration recommendations: final report. Sleep Health. 2015;1(4):233-243. doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2015.10.004
- Watson NF, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4716
- 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;12(6):785-786. doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.5866
- CDC. About Sleep (recommended hours by age). Updated May 15, 2024. www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/