Bedtime by age
What time should an 8 year old go to bed?
Between 7:30 and 9:00 pm for most 8-year-olds who wake up around 6:30. Eight-year-olds need 9 to 12 hours, and about 10 is a good target on school nights.
Their lights out
Lights out between 7:30 and 9:00 pm.
Tonight, counted back
An hour and a half out leaves room for a bath without rushing.
Or screens off, on a night without a bath.
What's different at eight
- Sleep
- 9 to 12 hours
- Naps
- None
- Routine
- About 30 minutes
- Sports, sleepovers and later practices arrive at eight. Plan the late nights on purpose, one or two a week, and hold the rest.
- Phones and tablets charge outside the bedroom. It's a much easier rule to set at eight than at twelve.
- They can run the whole routine on their own now. The part worth keeping is the goodnight.
- Getting nine hours and still tired? Move lights out 15 minutes earlier for a week before trying anything else.
By wake-up time
The same sleep, counted back from four common wake-ups. Lean early on a day they woke up tired.
| Up at | Lights out |
|---|---|
| 6:00 | 7:00–8:30 pm |
| 6:30 | 7:30–9:00 pm |
| 7:00 | 8:00–9:30 pm |
| 7:30 | 8:30–10:00 pm |
Sleep hours are the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's recommended ranges, which the American Academy of Pediatrics endorses. Every kid is a little different. If you're worried about how your child sleeps, ask their pediatrician. For any age and wake-up time, use the bedtime calculator.
Knowing lights out is the easy part. Nightlight plans the two hours before it: a dinner that fits the energy you have left, then every step, timed back from 8:15.
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