---
title: "What Time Should a Baby Go to Bed? Bedtime by Age"
description: "Is there a right bedtime for babies? Average bedtimes by age, how to work out your family's, how to move it earlier gradually, and what the studies say."
canonical: https://buppi.baby/en/blog/what-time-should-baby-go-to-bed/
last-updated: 2026-11-05
---

# What Time Should a Baby Go to Bed? Bedtime by Age

> Is there a right bedtime for babies? Average bedtimes by age, how to work out your family's, how to move it earlier gradually, and what the studies say.
>
> Canonical: https://buppi.baby/en/blog/what-time-should-baby-go-to-bed/

No clock time has been shown to be best for a baby's bedtime. In a large Finnish study, babies went to bed on average between 8:39 and 9:46 p.m., depending on age. In another, with families from 17 countries and regions, the average ran from 7:27 p.m. in New Zealand to 10:17 p.m. in Hong Kong.

So the more useful question is a different one: what time does your baby need to go to sleep, in your home, to get the sleep they need? You can answer it with the time they wake, the total sleep for their age and the last nap.

## What time babies go to bed, by age

The numbers in the table come from Finnish parents, who reported the bedtimes of healthy babies. The night sleep column helps with the calculation in the next section. The last column shows the sample routines from our month-by-month guides, which are suggestions and tend to be earlier than the study average.

| Age | Average bedtime in the study | Average night sleep | Example in our guides |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 months | 9:46 p.m. | 9.1 hours | 7:30 to 9 p.m. |
| 6 months | 8:54 p.m. | 9.9 hours | 7 to 7:30 p.m. |
| 8 months | 8:53 p.m. | 9.9 hours | 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. |
| 12 months | 8:39 p.m. | 10.2 hours | 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. |
| 18 months | 8:41 p.m. | 10.2 hours | no example |
| 24 months | 8:54 p.m. | 10 hours | no example |

The variation is large. At 6 months, the average came with a deviation of 1 hour either way, and some babies went to bed anywhere from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. An average is also not a recommendation: it shows what families did in that country, without saying what is best.

Newborns fall outside this calculation. In the first weeks, sleep is spread across day and night, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that sleep cycles only become regular around 4 months. Until then, follow sleep cues and the [wake windows for their age](/en/blog/wake-windows-by-age/) rather than the clock.

## How to work out your family's bedtime

Work backward:

1. **Note the time your baby usually wakes.** If the household needs to be up at 6:30 a.m. for work or daycare, start there.
2. **Count back the hours of night sleep.** From 6 months, about 10 hours is the study average. It is only a starting point, because some babies need more and others less. A baby who wakes at 6:30 a.m. would go to sleep around 8:30 p.m., or earlier if they usually sleep longer than that. If your baby spends a good while awake overnight, factor that in and go a little earlier.
3. **Check the daily total.** The American Academy of Sleep Medicine consensus recommends 12 to 16 hours in 24 hours from 4 to 12 months, and 11 to 14 hours from 1 to 2 years, including naps. See [how long babies sleep by age](/en/blog/how-long-should-baby-sleep-by-age/).
4. **Look at the last nap.** If it ends late, your baby won't be sleepy at the planned time. If it ends very early, some babies arrive exhausted at night. [Wake windows](/en/blog/wake-windows-by-age/) help estimate this gap, and the [nap guide](/en/blog/baby-naps-by-age/) shows how naps change.

Then watch for a few days. A baby who falls asleep within a few minutes, wakes without much crying and is in a good mood in the morning is probably on a good schedule, whatever it is.

## What studies say about early or late bedtimes

Little in babies, and almost all of it by association. In the study of 29,287 children up to age 3, countries with later bedtimes also had less total sleep and more parents who thought their child had a sleep problem. That doesn't prove the bedtime causes the result, because the countries differ in many other ways, such as the custom of sleeping in the same room, and the authors call for more studies.

Routine has more direct data. In a survey of 10,085 children aged 0 to 5, the more nights a week a family kept a bedtime routine, the better the results: earlier bedtimes, less time to fall asleep, fewer wakings and more sleep. This is also an association, with data reported by mothers, but it appeared in both groups of countries analyzed. In practice, it helps to have a [short routine](/en/blog/how-to-build-a-sleep-routine/), with the same steps, at a similar time.

We found no study showing that going to bed at 7 p.m. is better than at 9 p.m. for a baby, if total sleep is the same.

## How to move bedtime earlier

If your baby is going to bed too late for the household's schedule, change it gradually. These are practical tips, with no study comparing the steps:

- **Move it about 15 minutes every few days.** Jumping from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m. usually means an awake baby in the crib.
- **Change the morning too.** Waking your baby a little earlier and opening the curtains helps their body keep up. Watch how they respond.
- **Move the last nap earlier if it runs late,** so they are sleepy at the new time, without reducing total daily sleep.
- **Keep the evening calm:** low light and less stimulation close to bedtime.

There is also a reverse path, tested with babies aged 6 to 16 months who took a long time to fall asleep. In a clinical trial with 43 babies, the bedtime fading group put babies down later, close to when they already fell asleep, and the time to fall asleep dropped. Once the delay is resolved, bedtime can be moved earlier. If that sounds like your case, talk to your pediatrician.

If your baby only falls asleep in your arms, the clock may not be the problem at all. See [how to transfer to the crib](/en/blog/baby-only-sleeps-when-held/). And if your worry is the middle of the night, check [how many times babies wake at night](/en/blog/baby-waking-up-a-lot-at-night/).

## When bedtime is late because the family gets home late

Many families only see each other at night, and that time counts too. If your baby goes to bed later but also wakes later and gets the sleep their age needs, there is no reason to change. The difficulty tends to appear when daycare or work forces an early wake-up and night sleep ends up short. In that case, check that the daily total is within what is expected, and try putting your time together before the routine, with calmer activities. If nights stay short and your baby seems tired, talk to your pediatrician.

At any bedtime, safe sleep is the same: on the back, in their own crib or bassinet, on a firm, flat mattress with no loose objects. If your baby falls asleep in a stroller or sling, the AAP advises moving them to a firm, flat surface as soon as possible. In the car, they stay in the car seat for the trip. Don't give tea to make a baby sleep. Any medicine or supplement only with guidance from your pediatrician.

## When to talk to your pediatrician

> **Talk to your pediatrician if your baby:**
>
> - sleeps much less than expected for their age and seems tired or irritable during the day
> - takes a very long time to fall asleep almost every night, even with a routine
> - snores often, pauses in breathing or breathes with effort while asleep
> - seems very sleepy during the day or hard to wake
> - isn't gaining weight or feeds poorly
>
> **Seek care immediately** if your baby is very limp, hard to wake, having trouble breathing, has bluish skin, or has a fever and is under 3 months old.

Logging when your baby sleeps and wakes for a week, along with naps, helps you find the schedule that works for your family and gives you concrete data for the appointment.

## FAQ

### What is the best bedtime for a baby?

We found no study pointing to an ideal clock time for babies. A simple calculation helps: start from the time your baby usually wakes and count back about 10 hours, the average night sleep from 6 months in a large Finnish study. If your baby wakes at 7 a.m., that gives around 9 p.m., or earlier if they sleep longer at night. It is an estimate from an average, and every baby has their own needs.

### Do babies need to go to bed at 7 or 8 p.m.?

Not necessarily. Going to bed between 7 and 8 p.m. works well for many families and appears in the sample routines in our guides, but there is no proof it is better than a later bedtime. In a comparison between countries, the average ranged from 7:27 p.m. in New Zealand to 10:17 p.m. in Hong Kong. What matters is that your baby gets the expected total sleep and has a consistent routine.

### At what age do babies start having a bedtime?

In the first months, sleep has no predictable schedule yet, and it is best to follow sleep cues. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that sleep cycles become more regular around 4 months. From then on, a routine at the same time usually gets easier to keep.

### My baby goes to bed very late. Is that bad?

On its own, there is no way to say. Look at the whole picture: if your baby gets the expected total for their age, wakes well and is content during the day, the bedtime may simply be your family's. If they wake early because of the household's schedule and sleep ends up short, or if they get very irritable at night, try moving it earlier gradually. If in doubt, talk to your pediatrician.

### How do I move my baby's bedtime earlier?

Move it gradually, about 15 minutes every few days, without skipping steps in the routine. Adjust wake-up time and the last nap too, because a nap very close to night delays sleep. This step-by-step is a practical tip and has not been tested in a specific study.