Parents often wonder how much sleep their baby needs. For many sleep-deprived parents, it can seem like their baby isn’t getting nearly enough!
If you’ve spoken to parents who say their baby is sleeping through the night while you’re still getting up every couple of hours, you might feel deflated and like you’re doing something wrong. The truth is that sleep patterns and total sleep time vary a lot from one baby to the next. The following sleep guidelines for
newborns,
babies aged three to six months and
babies aged six to 12 months are only meant to be a guide.
How much sleep does your baby need each day?
| Age | Number of naps | Length of each nap | Total sleep |
|---|
| 0 to 3 months | Variable | 2 to 3 hours | 14 to 17 hours |
| 3 to 6 months | 2 to 3 | 2 to 3 hours | 12 to 15 hours |
| 6 to 12 months | 2 to 3 | 30 min to 2 hours | 11 to 14 hours |
(Department of Health and Aged Care 2021, Better Health Channel 2020-2, Raising Children Network 2021, Raising Children Network 2021-2)How much sleep does a newborn need?
Newborns can’t tell between day and night. They sleep when they’re tired, which is a lot! Newborn sleep cycles include active sleep (when they might move or groan) and quiet sleep (when they lie still and breathe evenly). Each sleep cycle lasts about 40 minutes and includes both active sleep and quiet sleep.
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Your newborn might grizzle or cry at the end of a sleep cycle and may need you to help them fall asleep again. Newborns can sleep for two to three hours at a time, but some babies sleep less, or for longer
(Raising Children Network 2021, Better Health Channel 2020).
During the day, your newborn may only be able to stay awake for an hour or two before they need a nap again. At this age, babies wake a lot during the night to
be fed and changed. Because their small tummies can only handle a small amount of milk at a time, it’s normal for them to want to be fed every few hours
(Raising Children Network 2021). Babies also really want to be close to their mother’s body, which has been their home for 9 months. You and your baby need to find a pattern that works for you both.
How much sleep does a baby need from three to six months?
Once your baby is about
three months old, they may well nap two to three times during the day and sleep for longer stretches at night. By the time they’re six months old, some babies sleep for up to six hours at night. But waking at least once in the night at this age is still entirely normal
(Raising Children Network, 2021-2).
You may want to begin a soothing
bedtime routine at this age. It may help your baby to settle quicker and sleep for longer
(Better Health Channel 2020-2).
How much sleep does a baby need from six months to one year old?
Between
six months and
12 months, your baby will likely have two to three shorter naps a day and sleep for even longer stretches at night. If you’re lucky, they may even start
sleeping through the night! Some babies do still wake a few times a night at this age and need an adult to help them get back to sleep
(Raising Children Network 2021-2).
At this stage, some babies who had started sleeping through, go back to night waking. They may even wake a few times a night.
Separation anxiety, teething and learning new skills such as
crawling can all disturb your baby’s sleep patterns. When these developmental milestones have passed, your baby’s sleep should go back to normal
(Raising Children Network 2021-2).
A consistent bedtime routine could help your baby settle and sleep for longer. Your child’s routine could include having a bath, brushing their teeth, reading a
book and cuddling with you before turning the lights off. Knowing what's coming every night can help your baby learn
healthy sleep habits (Better Health Channel 2020-2).
More baby and toddler sleep resources
Find out more about creating good sleep habits for your baby or toddler:
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