At five, your child is right in the middle of kindergarten life: in most Swiss cantons they are now in their second kindergarten year, may already walk there on their own and are talking about "real school". Sleep for a 5-year-old child looks straightforward at first glance – the nap is usually a thing of the past and falling asleep more often happens without drama. Yet a lot changes this year: days get fuller, impressions more intense, and first class with fixed start times is on the horizon. This guide shows how much sleep is realistic at 5, how to tune your evenings to kindergarten and how to prepare the routine in good time for starting school.
The short answer: according to common recommendations, a 5-year-old needs 10 to 13 hours of sleep per 24 hours; most do well with 10.5 to 11.5 hours at night. If your child has to get up at 7 am, they should be asleep between 7.30 and 8 pm. Naps usually disappear at this age, but a quiet break in the afternoon remains valuable. What matters most for kindergarten life are fixed wake-up and bedtimes – at weekends too – and an evening that genuinely winds down after a full day. For the move into first class, it is usually enough to adjust the routine two to three weeks beforehand in 15-minute steps.
- Sleep needs at 5: 10–13 hours, usually 10.5–11.5 hours at night.
- Count back from wake-up time: with a 7 am alarm, lights out at around 7.30–8 pm.
- The nap is usually over – 20–30 minutes of quiet time in the afternoon still helps.
- Days with afternoon lessons or after-school care are more tiring: bedtime 15–30 minutes earlier.
- Before first class, shift the routine in 15-minute steps over two to three weeks.
Sleep at 5 years: how much does a child really need?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) gives 10 to 13 hours of sleep per 24 hours for children aged three to five. Because the nap has usually gone by five, almost all of that has to happen at night. In practice, most five-year-olds sleep between 10.5 and 11.5 hours – some children are fine with ten hours, others need twelve. Here is what that looks like day to day:
| Wake-up time | Lights out (11 h sleep) | Lights out (10.5 h sleep) | Evening routine starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.30 am | 7.30 pm | 8.00 pm | approx. 6.50 pm |
| 6.45 am | 7.45 pm | 8.15 pm | approx. 7.05 pm |
| 7.00 am | 8.00 pm | 8.30 pm | approx. 7.20 pm |
| 7.30 am | 8.30 pm | 9.00 pm | approx. 7.50 pm |
Whether sleep is sufficient shows less on the clock than in behaviour. Does your child usually wake up on kindergarten days on their own or with little help? Are they tired in the late afternoon but still approachable? Then the amount is probably right. Frequent meltdowns towards evening, real difficulty waking up or a child who sleeps two hours longer at weekends point more towards a deficit. The evidence on exact hours is less precise than the recommendations suggest – these are ranges, not thresholds. You will find an overview for all ages in our guide How much sleep does my child need?.
Kindergarten life in Switzerland – and what it means for sleep
Under HarmoS, children in most cantons start kindergarten at around four; at five they are in their second kindergarten year and therefore among the "big ones". Lessons usually run in block times, typically from about 8 am to 12 noon, plus one or two afternoons depending on the municipality. For a five-year-old, that is an intense programme: group rules, noise, friendships and arguments.
Then there is the walk to kindergarten. In the second year, many children walk it alone or with friends, a reflective vest over their jacket. That builds independence, but it also takes concentration and a fixed departure time. If you need to leave at 7.40 am, getting dressed, breakfast and packing the snack box realistically take 40 to 50 minutes.
For sleep, this means that the morning sets the pace. On days with afternoon lessons, lunch club or after-school care, many children are noticeably more exhausted in the evening – it is worth going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier. Small deviations, such as after a day at the grandparents' or an afternoon at drop-in childcare, are not a problem as long as wake-up time stays stable.
Naps at 5: usually over, but rest still matters
Most children give up their nap between the ages of three and five. At five, only a minority still sleep regularly during the day. Some children still nod off now and then on free afternoons – often after an outing or when they are coming down with something. That is fine, as long as it does not regularly push the end of the evening to 9.30 pm.
What many families underestimate is the value of quiet time without sleep. 20 to 30 minutes after lunch with an audiobook, a picture book or calm play in their own room helps children process the morning. The key is that this break is genuinely low in stimulation: a tablet or TV may seem calming, but they deliver new impressions instead of rest.
If your child does fall asleep one afternoon, wake them after about 45 minutes and ideally not after 3.30 pm. Our article Dropping the nap describes how to manage the transition well.
The evening routine for kindergarten children
At five, children can already do a lot themselves – and that is exactly what makes an evening routine effective at this age. 30 to 40 minutes is usually enough; what matters is the same order every evening. This sequence has proven itself:
- Dinner about 1.5 to 2 hours before sleep, afterwards water at most.
- Screens off at least one hour before bedtime.
- Lay out things for tomorrow: bag, snack box, reflective vest, clothes. This takes pressure off the morning and gives the child a sense of control.
- Wash, brush teeth, pyjamas – as much as possible on their own.
- Reading or storytelling, then a short chat about the day.
- Lights out with a fixed closing phrase.
The chat about the day is especially valuable at five. At kindergarten, children experience conflict, exclusion or pride, but often only manage to put it into words in the quiet moment at bedtime. Ask open questions such as "What was the funniest thing today?" or "Was there anything rubbish?", and simply listen. You will find more ideas in "Just one more story" – how rituals make bedtime lovelier.
Typical sleep issues at five
Ruminating at bedtime
Five-year-olds start thinking about big questions: does the teacher like me, what happens after death, what will school be like? This often shows up as "I can't sleep" half an hour after lights out. A fixed time for worries in the early evening helps more than long conversations in the dark.
Nightmares and night terrors
Nightmares are most common between three and six and mainly occur in the second half of the night. Night terrors, by contrast, usually come one to three hours after falling asleep; the child cannot be reached and remembers nothing in the morning. Overtiredness makes both more likely. More on this in Night terrors in children.
Bedwetting at night
At five, some children are not yet reliably dry at night – around 10 to 15 per cent, depending on the study. This is usually developmental and not a parenting issue. A waterproof mattress protector and a relaxed attitude help more than waking your child or restricting drinks. It is best to discuss whether an assessment makes sense at the next routine check-up.
Common mistakes with kindergarten children's sleep
Many sleep problems at this age arise not at night but in the daily routine – which is also where they are easiest to solve:
- Long lie-ins at weekends: more than an hour's difference from the weekday wake-up time shifts the internal clock – Monday becomes a mini jet lag.
- Planning the evening around activities: kids' gym until 6.30 pm, dinner at 7.15 pm – that leaves hardly any time to wind down.
- Mistaking overtiredness for energy: overtired five-year-olds often become wired rather than sleepy. Wild running around at 8 pm often means the right moment has already passed. Starting the routine earlier helps more than tiring them out further.
- Dinner as a negotiation: a child still at the table at 7.45 pm is rarely in bed by 8 pm.
- Ignoring the clock change: at the end of October the clocks go back. Adjusting times in 10- to 15-minute steps in the days before saves you a week of 5.30 am wake-ups.
Three-week plan: preparing sleep for first class
In the summer after the second kindergarten year comes first class. Depending on the municipality, lessons start a little earlier, there are more afternoons and the way to school is often longer. During the summer holidays many families let the routine slide. Here is a proven plan for the last three weeks of the holidays, based on a 6.45 am wake-up:
| When | Wake up | Lights out | Focus of the week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 weeks before | 7.45 am | 8.45 pm | Fixed dinner time, screens off one hour before sleep |
| 2 weeks before | 7.15 am | 8.15 pm | Practise the morning routine: dressing, breakfast, packing the snack |
| Final week | 6.45 am | 7.45 pm | Walk the route to school once at the real time, pack the school bag the night before |
Within each week you can shift by 15 minutes every two to three days rather than making one big jump. In the morning, daylight helps quickly and in the evening good blackout, because in August it is still light at 8 pm. Even so, expect more tiredness in the first weeks of school: many children then need an extra 15 to 30 minutes of sleep until the new routine settles in.
The sleep environment for a kindergarten child
At five, children have their own ideas about their room: kindergarten drawings go on the pinboard, the bag on its hook, favourite cuddly toys in bed. Children accept a room they helped to shape more readily as a place to sleep. For sleep itself, only a few points matter:
- Temperature: about 18 to 20 °C, towards the lower end at night in winter.
- Darkness: blackout curtains or blinds, especially in summer; a dim, warm night light is fine if your child wants one.
- Tidiness: toys in boxes in the evening, so the bed does not become a play zone.
- The bed: five-year-olds are on average about 105 to 115 cm tall and still grow by around 6 cm a year. A 90×200 cm bed lasts into the teenage years; more in our article Kids bed 90x200.
A bed in which a parent can also fit comfortably for the bedtime story makes the routine more relaxed. That is why many families deliberately choose 120×200 cm.
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Frequently asked questions about sleep for a 5-year-old child
How many hours should a 5-year-old child sleep?
The recommendation is 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours. Because the nap has usually gone, almost all of it happens at night; most children need 10.5 to 11.5 hours. What counts is whether your child wakes up well in the morning and is balanced during the day.
When should a kindergarten child go to bed?
Count back from wake-up time. With a 7 am alarm, lights out between 7.30 and 8 pm makes sense, and the evening routine starts 30 to 40 minutes earlier. On days with afternoon lessons, bedtime can be a little earlier.
Does a 5-year-old still need a nap?
Most do not. Quiet time of 20 to 30 minutes after lunch is still helpful, though. If your child occasionally falls asleep, wake them after about 45 minutes and ideally not after 3.30 pm.
My child is very irritable after kindergarten – are they getting too little sleep?
Possibly, but not necessarily. After a morning in a group, many children are simply exhausted and hungry; an afternoon snack and a quiet hour often help straight away. If the irritability persists and waking up is hard, try going to bed 20 to 30 minutes earlier for a week.
How do I prepare sleep for first class?
Two to three weeks before school starts, shift wake-up and bedtimes towards the school routine in steps of about 15 minutes. Daylight in the morning, good blackout in the evening and a fixed routine make the transition easier.
Is it normal for my 5-year-old to still wet the bed at night?
Yes, this is still the case for some five-year-olds and is usually developmental. A waterproof protector and a relaxed attitude help more than pressure. If your child had been dry for a long time and starts wetting again, or if there are other symptoms, talk to your paediatrician.
This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from a paediatrician. If problems persist, please consult your paediatrician.
