How much sleep does your baby need? When will your child sleep through the night? How many naps are normal now? Check out our age-by-age sleep guide.
Here’s a ballpark estimate for how much your baby or child should be sleeping, but remember that all kids are different, and some may need a little more or less than others.
Newborn-4 monthsTotal Sleep: 16-18 hoursNighttime Sleep: 8-9 hoursNaps: 7-9 hours (3-5 naps)
4-12 monthsTotal Sleep: 12-16 hoursNighttime Sleep: 9-10 hoursNaps: 4-5 hours (2-3 naps)
1-2 yearsTotal Sleep: 11-14 hoursNighttime Sleep: 11 hoursNaps: 2-3 hours (2 naps)
3-5 yearsTotal Sleep: 10-13 hoursNighttime Sleep: [10-11] 10-13 hoursNaps: 0-1 hours (naps usually stop by age 5)
6-12 yearsTotal Sleep: 9-12 hoursNighttime Sleep: 10-11 hoursNaps: n/a
Newborn-2 Month Sleep Tips
Newborns sleep in 2- to 4-hour intervals, waking up to eat. Babies this age tend to stir and look restless during sleep. Because of reflexes, they can’t control, it’s common to see them twitch their arms and legs, smile and make sucking noises. Newborns aren’t born knowing how to soothe themselves to sleep, so you may need to help, with tricks like using a pacifier, swaddling, rocking and breastfeeding. Remember, there’s no such thing as spoiling a newborn, so it’s OK to cuddle baby to help her doze off.
2-4 Month Sleep Tips
Babies, this age may sleep for six-hour stretches at night, and settle into more of a set nap schedule now.
To get baby on a good sleep routine, make sure to play and expose her to lots of sunlight during the day and avoid over-stimulating her when it’s dark out.
Starting a pre-bedtime sleep routine — like bath, feeding, story time — can help ready baby to sleep through the night for long stretches.
4-6 Month Sleep Tips
Babies, this age will start to quit nighttime feedings and are usually ready to sleep through the night now, anywhere from six- to 12-hour stretches.
Research shows about 60 percent of babies sleep through by 6 months, up to 80 percent do so by 9 months.
Remember, all babies wake up sometimes during the night, but those who “sleep through” have learned how to nod off on their own.
For more on sleep-training your baby, read this
6-12 Month Sleep Tips
Some babies stop sleeping through the night now because of separation anxiety. Your baby knows you’re around even when she can’t see you and may get upset when she wakes up.
It’s OK to go in and check on your crying baby, but keep visits short and try (as hard as it is) not to pick her up or feed her. Try rubbing her back, singing a soothing lullaby and ducking out after a few minutes.