What Time Should My Baby Go to Bed? Bedtime by Age

By Paola Mendoza, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant (CPSM) · Last updated September 2026

Quick answer: Most babies and toddlers between 4 and 36 months do best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m., counted back from the end of the last nap rather than set by the clock alone. A later bedtime does not produce a later wake-up; it usually brings more night wakings and an earlier morning.

What time should my baby go to bed by age?

Use this as a starting point, then adjust to your baby's naps.

Age	Bedtime	Time after last nap
4 to 5 months	6:30 to 7:30 p.m.	1.5 to 2.5 hours
6 to 8 months	6:30 to 7:30 p.m.	2.5 to 3.25 hours
9 to 12 months	6:30 to 7:30 p.m.	3.25 to 4 hours
13 to 18 months	7:00 to 8:00 p.m.	4 to 5.5 hours
18 to 36 months	7:00 to 8:00 p.m.	5 to 5.5 hours

Want a bedtime and schedule built for your family?

The Restful Nights Plan gives you a custom schedule and bedtime script, a live call to walk through it, and 14 days of daily messaging with me.

See the Restful Nights Plan

Does a later bedtime mean my baby will sleep in?

No. It's the most intuitive idea in baby sleep and it's backwards. An overtired baby produces more cortisol, which makes it harder to fall asleep, causes more night wakings and reliably brings an earlier wake-up. If your baby is up at 5 a.m., the answer is usually an earlier bedtime. More in why toddlers wake at 5 AM.

How do I know if bedtime is too late?

Your baby fights bedtime hard, gets a second wind, wakes often in the first half of the night, or is up before 6 a.m.

How do I know if bedtime is too early?

Your baby takes more than 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep while calm and content, or has a long wakeful stretch in the middle of the night. If your baby wakes 45 minutes after bedtime, timing is often the reason.

What if I work and get home late?

If you get home at 6:30, the answer isn't pushing bedtime to 8:30. It's usually moving connection time to the morning and protecting a slightly earlier bedtime, or building the routine so you're in it together. There's a version of this that works for your actual life, and finding it is part of what a plan is for.

Bedtime FAQ

Is 8 p.m. too late for a baby's bedtime?

For most babies under 12 months, 8 p.m. is on the late side. Toddlers on one nap can often handle 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Is 6 p.m. too early for bedtime?

Not after short naps or a skipped nap. An early bedtime for a few days is one of the best tools for an overtired baby.

How long after the last nap should bedtime be?

About 2.5 to 3.25 hours at 6 to 8 months, 3.25 to 4 hours at 9 to 12 months, and 5 to 5.5 hours for toddlers on one nap.

Should bedtime be the same every night?

Keep it within about 30 minutes, adjusting earlier on days with short naps.

Keep reading: How to Build a Bedtime Routine That Actually Works

Free guide: 5 Sleep Mistakes Most Parents Make

The five I fix most often, and what to do instead.

Send me the guide

Bedtime still a battle?

Let's look at your baby's day and your family's evenings together and find a bedtime that works for real life, before you spend a dollar.

Book a Free Discovery Call