What Time Should You Go to Bed?

The amount of sleep you need each night changes over the course of your life. Therefore, your age can help you figure out what time you should go to bed in order to feel refreshed and able to function optimally during the day.

The National Sleep Foundation says most adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep, or an average of eight hours. However, not everyone necessarily needs to put in these hours during the same window of time.

This article looks at how much sleep you need and what your target bedtime should be at every age. It also discusses some common problems that keep people from getting to bed on time and falling asleep easily, as well as strategies for how to unwind before bedtime.

How Much Sleep to Get By Age

The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following:

• Newborns (0 to 3 months): Should average 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day, including naps
• Infants (4 to 11 months): Should average 12 to 15 hours of sleep per day, including naps
• Toddlers (12 to 35 months): Should average 11 to 14 hours, including naps
• Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): Should average 10 to 13 hours per day
• School-age children (6 to 13 years): Should average nine to 11 hours per day
• Teenagers (14 to 17 years): Should average eight to 10 hours per day
• Younger adults (18 to 25 years old): Should average seven to nine hours per day
• Adults (26 to 64): Should average seven to nine hours per day
• Older adults (age 65 and over): Should average seven to eight hours per day

Things to Consider: How Much Sleep You Need

To decide what your bedtime should be, it’s important to think about how much sleep it takes to leave you feeling refreshed. That’s called your sleep need.

Some experts calculate your sleep need according to your age. Your genes, environment, and health conditions can also affect how much sleep you need.

Some people are short sleepers or long sleepers. A short sleeper may be just fine with less than seven hours of sleep. Long sleepers need more than nine hours to feel well-rested.

Children need more sleep than adults to feel adequately rested. For young adults and people recovering from sleep debt, sleeping more than nine hours a night might be helpful.

Sleep deprivation, or not getting enough sleep, is associated with depression, heart disease, obesity, weight gain, and other health issues.

Another thing to take into account is circadian rhythms. This is also referred to as the “sleep-wake cycle,” as it affects sleep patterns.

The idea is that we all have an internal, or “master” clock that controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. Exposure to light during the day causes this master clock to generate alertness. At night, it promotes the production of melatonin, which helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.

That’s why it is ideal to go to sleep when it’s dark out and wake up when it’s light. Jet lag and night shift work can disrupt circadian rhythms.

When to Go to Bed Based on Wake-Up Time

To set a target bedtime, decide when you need to wake up. Then count backward to find out the number of hours of sleep you need.

For instance, if the desired wake-up time is between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.:

• Infants may be put to bed when sleepy, between about 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.
• Toddlers may be put to bed between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
• Preschool children may be put to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.

If your school or work schedule requires you to be up between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m., these are the suggested bedtimes:

• School-age children should go to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.
• Teens should try to go to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m.
• Adults should try to go to sleep between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Despite age and sleep need, having a consistent wake time, even on the weekends, is important for better sleep.

Tips for Getting Enough Sleep

You can make it easier to go to bed and fall asleep on time. Here are some strategies that may help.

A Good Sleep Environment

Your bedroom can help you fall asleep and sleep more soundly. For most people, it’s a good idea to start with a quiet, cool, and dark room. You should also consider whether your mattress and bedding are hurting or helping your quest for a steady bedtime.

If your workspace is in your bedroom, try to minimize any visual stressors. For example, you may want to put your laptop away so it is out of sight.

A Nighttime Routine

Consistent bedtime routines and relaxation techniques can also be helpful. A night routine prepares your mind and body for sleep, helping you unwind before you rest.

Reading, listening to soft music, stretching, or taking a bath can all help you relax. It is best to avoid overstimulating activities before bed, like watching television or exercising.

Cell phones and electronics should be avoided as much as possible. The artificial light from the screen can shift your sleep timing and make it harder to fall asleep.

Good Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep hygiene starts during the day. Try to avoid daytime naps. They reduce your overall sleep debt, but they also reduce the drive to go to sleep.

Spending time outdoors, in sunlight, may also be helpful. Studies show outside light exposure during the day can prevent a delay in falling asleep. Of course, there’s such a thing as too much daylight exposure. This is especially true in Arctic regions where it’s light at night during summer.

It’s a good idea to limit caffeine and alcohol, both of which can disrupt sleep.

Once you’re in bed, limit brain-stimulating activities as much as possible. You want to associate your bed with sleep, not wakefulness. You’re trying to train your body that bed means sleep.

Why Can’t I Wake Up When I Need to?

It is normal not to meet your target bedtime or not to fall right to sleep from time to time. If trouble falling asleep becomes a pattern, you could be dealing with insomnia.

Insomnia in Children

Children who have a hard time falling asleep may be experiencing behavioral insomnia. There are two types of behavioral insomnia—sleep-onset and limit-setting. Some children may have both types.

Sleep-Onset Insomnia in Children

Sleep-onset insomnia usually means a child has become dependent on certain soothing routines or objects and “needs” them to fall asleep. They may also need these routines if they wake in the middle of the night.

One way to help your child with sleep-onset insomnia is to build your child’s ability to self-soothe. Some experts recommend letting your child “cry it out.” This method involves gradually increasing the intervals when you go in to comfort your child. For example, parents can comfort a crying child every five minutes, then gradually extend the period to ten minutes, then fifteen, and so on.

It’s important to note that experts don’t agree about the best way to help a child fall asleep independently. Some evidence shows that when children “cry it out,” the stress hormone cortisol goes up and stays up in their bodies for days afterward. Some parents also find this technique too stressful.

A 2012 study showed that by the age of six, there were no differences in sleep measures between children whose parents let them “cry it out” and those who didn’t.

Limit-Setting Insomnia in Children

Limit-setting insomnia most commonly happens when a caregiver doesn’t set consistent bedtime rules and keep a regular bedtime. The problem can get worse if the child begins to oppose or fight against bedtime routines.

Resetting boundaries is the best way to help limit-setting insomnia. It can be a good idea to follow strategies like these:

• Set and keep a consistent bedtime.
• Patiently say no to unreasonable demands before sleep.
• Schedule a quiet activity 20 to 30 minutes before sleep.
  

Insomnia in Adults

For adults, insomnia can be due to genetics. It can also be related to sleep disorders like sleep apnea or psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Insomnia can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, poor attention and concentration, and low energy and motivation.

The term painsomnia has been applied to an inability to get a good sleep due to a painful underlying health condition such as arthritis or a chronic condition like fibromyalgia.

The good news is that there are several ways to treat insomnia in adults. Medications can be useful as a temporary solution. If you want to avoid medications, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is often an effective option.

Summary

Just as your dietary needs change at different ages, your need for sleep changes throughout your life. The need for sleep is greatest for babies and young children. Teens need extra sleep, too. Most adults need seven to nine hours daily.

If you’re not getting the recommended amount of sleep for your age, you may want to build a better set of sleep habits to make it easier to meet a target bedtime. Short-term sleep aids might help, but if you think you have insomnia, talk to a healthcare provider. It’s important for your overall health.

If you want to know more about optimal bedtimes for you, consult a board-certified sleep medicine physician. The problem may be an underlying health condition, not your routines.