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Australian Kids Sleep Calculator
Enter your child's age and your desired wake-up time to get a recommended bedtime and total sleep hours, based on Australian sleep health guidelines.
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Recommended sleep for your child
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Sleep Guidelines by Age
Age group
Total sleep needed
Night sleep
Naps
0–3 months
14–17 hours
8–9 hrs (with wakes)
Multiple naps, 3–5 hrs total
4–11 months
12–15 hours
10–12 hrs
2–3 naps, 1–2 hrs each
1–2 years
11–14 hours
10–12 hrs
1–2 naps, up to 1.5 hrs
3–5 years
10–13 hours
10–12 hrs
Optional nap (ages 3–4)
6–12 years
9–11 hours
9–11 hrs
Not typically needed
13–17 years
8–10 hours
8–10 hrs
Not typically needed
Based on recommendations from the Australian Sleep Health Foundation and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 2016 consensus guidelines, as widely referenced in Australian paediatric health advice.
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Healthy Sleep Habits
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Consistent wake time
A fixed morning wake time — even on weekends — anchors the body clock and makes bedtime easier every night.
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Screens off 1 hour before bed
Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin. Australian guidelines recommend no screens in the hour before sleep.
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Cool, dark room
A room temperature of 18–20°C and block-out curtains help children fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
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Predictable bedtime routine
A 20–30 minute wind-down routine (bath, pyjamas, story, lights out) signals to the brain that sleep is coming.
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Morning light exposure
Natural light in the morning sets the circadian clock. Opening curtains and getting outside soon after waking makes bedtime easier.
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Watch for overtiredness
Overtired children often fight sleep harder. Catching the first signs of tiredness (eye rubbing, clumsiness) and moving bedtime earlier prevents a second wind.
Australian children's sleep recommendations are based on international consensus guidelines reviewed by the Australian Sleep Health Foundation. Sleep needs vary by age: infants need 12–17 hours split across day and night, while teenagers need 8–10 hours overnight. This calculator works backward from your child's desired wake time to give you a target bedtime window. For infants under 12 months, total sleep is split across multiple periods day and night — the bedtime concept applies mainly to the night sleep block. Consistent bedtimes and wake times are consistently the most effective tool for improving children's sleep. Last updated May 2026.
For children aged 3–5 years, Australian sleep guidelines recommend 10–13 hours of total sleep per 24 hours. For a 5-year-old waking at 7:00 am, this means a bedtime between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm, with 7:00–7:30 pm being a common sweet spot. Some 3–4 year olds still benefit from a short afternoon nap (30–60 minutes) which would reduce night sleep by a similar amount.
Many 3-year-olds still benefit from an afternoon nap of 30–60 minutes. The transition away from napping happens somewhere between ages 3 and 5 and varies between children. If your child can fall asleep at naptime and wakes refreshed, they still need it. The main sign a child is ready to drop their nap is consistently taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night when they've napped that day.
Bedtime resistance is most often a sign that the bedtime is too late (the child is overtired and past their sleep window) or the bedtime routine is too short or inconsistent. Try moving bedtime 15–20 minutes earlier for a week and introducing a predictable 20–30 minute wind-down routine — bath, pyjamas, story, lights out, same order every night. Consistency is the most evidence-based tool for resolving bedtime battles.
Yes — teenagers aged 13–17 need 8–10 hours of sleep, and many are significantly sleep-deprived. A biological shift during puberty causes the melatonin release to happen later in the evening, making it hard for teens to fall asleep before 10–11 pm. Combined with early school starts, this creates chronic sleep debt. Protecting sleep time and limiting screens in the evening are the most effective interventions.
The recommended ranges are based on what most children need for optimal health, behaviour, and development. Some children naturally need slightly less. Signs that a child is getting enough sleep include: waking up without help at their usual time, being in a good mood for most of the day, and not falling asleep during the day when it's not sleep time. If you're concerned about your child's sleep, speak with your GP or a paediatric sleep specialist.