Sleep Duration Chart by Age: Newborns to Seniors Guide

Author: National Sleep Foundation
Published: 2015/02/02 - Updated: 2026/01/17
Publication Type: Instructive / Helpful
Category Topic: Calculators - Charts - Related Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This information presents scientifically validated sleep duration guidelines developed by the National Sleep Foundation in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary expert panel representing 12 major medical and scientific organizations. The recommendations are authoritative because they stem from a rigorous systematic review of global scientific literature examining relationships between sleep duration and health outcomes, marking the first time any professional organization has established age-specific sleep guidelines through such thorough evidence-based analysis. The detailed chart proves particularly valuable for parents of children with developmental disabilities, caregivers of seniors, and individuals managing health conditions that affect sleep quality, as it provides clear target ranges while acknowledging individual variation in sleep needs across nine distinct age categories from newborns to older adults over 65 - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), along with a multi-disciplinary expert panel, issued its new recommendations for appropriate sleep durations.

The report recommends wider appropriate sleep ranges for most age groups. The results are published in Sleep Health: The Official Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. The National Sleep Foundation convened experts from sleep, anatomy and physiology, as well as pediatrics, neurology, gerontology and gynecology to reach a consensus from the broadest range of scientific disciplines.

Main Content

The panel revised the recommended sleep ranges for all six children and teen age groups. A summary of the new recommendations includes: (See Full Chart Below)

Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previous 12-18)
Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previous 14-15)
Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previous 12-14)
Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previous 11-13)
School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previous 10-11)
Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previous 8.5 - 9.5)
Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
Adults (26-64): Did not change, remains 7-9 hours
Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

Recommended Sleep Duration Times
Age	Recommended	Appropriate	Not Recommended
Newborns 0-3 mths	14 - 17 hrs	11 - 13 hrs 18 - 19 hrs	Less than 11 hrs More than 19 hrs
Infants 4-11 mths	12 - 15 hrs	10 - 11 hrs 16 - 18 hrs	Less than 10 hrs More than 18 hrs
Toddlers 1-2 yrs	11 - 14 hrs	9 - 10 hrs 15 - 16 hrs	Less than 9 hrs More than 16 hrs
Preschoolers 3-5 yrs	10 - 13 hrs	8 - 9 hrs 14 hrs	Less than 8 hrs More than 14 hrs
Children 6-13 yrs	9 - 11 hrs	7 - 8 hrs 12 hrs	Less than 7 hrs More than 12 hrs
Teens 14-17 yrs	8 - 10 hrs	7 hrs 11 hrs	Less than 7 hrs More than 11 hrs
Youth 18-25 yrs	7 - 9 hrs	6 hrs 10 - 11 hrs	Less than 6 hrs More than 11 hrs
Adults 26-64 yrs	7 - 9 hrs	6 hrs 10 hrs	Less than 6 hrs More than 10 hrs
Seniors 65 yrs	7 - 8 hrs	5 - 6 hrs 9 hrs	Less than 5 hrs More than 9 hrs

"This is the first time that any professional organization has developed age-specific recommended sleep durations based on a rigorous, systematic review of the world scientific literature relating sleep duration to health, performance and safety," said Charles A. Czeisler, PhD, MD, chairman of the board of the National Sleep Foundation, chief of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine at the Harvard Medical School.

"The National Sleep Foundation is providing these scientifically grounded guidelines on the amount of sleep we need each night to improve the sleep health of the millions of individuals and parents who rely on us for this information."

A new range, "may be appropriate," has been added to acknowledge the individual variability in appropriate sleep durations. The recommendations now define times as either;

(a) recommended
(b) may be appropriate for some individuals
(c) not recommended

"The National Sleep Foundation Sleep Duration Recommendations will help individuals make sleep schedules that are within a healthy range. They also serve as a useful starting point for individuals to discuss their sleep with their health care providers," said David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation.

The recommendations are the result of multiple rounds of consensus voting after a comprehensive review of published scientific studies on sleep and health. The expert panel included six sleep experts and experts from the following stakeholder organizations:

American Association of Anatomists
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Chest Physicians
American Geriatrics Society
American Neurological Association
American Physiological Society
American Psychiatric Association
American Thoracic Society
Gerontological Society of America
Human Anatomy and Physiology Society
Society for Research in Human Development
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

"The NSF has committed to regularly reviewing and providing scientifically rigorous recommendations," says Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, Chair of the National Sleep Foundation Scientific Advisory Council. "The public can be confident that these recommendations represent the best guidance for sleep duration and health."

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: Understanding proper sleep duration remains one of the most overlooked yet crucial aspects of maintaining health throughout the lifespan. While these evidence-based guidelines offer a solid foundation, they represent starting points rather than rigid prescriptions - individual circumstances, medical conditions, medications, and personal physiology all influence actual sleep requirements. For people managing disabilities or chronic health conditions, discussing these recommendations with healthcare providers can help tailor sleep goals to specific needs, potentially improving everything from cognitive function and emotional regulation to pain management and physical recovery. Quality sleep isn't a luxury; it's a biological necessity that deserves the same attention we give to nutrition and exercise in our overall health strategies - Disabled World (DW).

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by National Sleep Foundation and published on 2015/02/02, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.