How Much Sleep Does a Baby Need?
Babies need between 12 and 17 hours of total sleep per day during their first year. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Sleep Foundation, the exact amount varies by age, and how that sleep is distributed across naps and nighttime changes significantly every few months.
Understanding your baby's sleep needs at each stage helps you set realistic expectations and build routines that work. Below is a complete age-by-age breakdown based on pediatric sleep research.
Newborn Sleep Schedule (0-8 Weeks)
Newborns sleep 16-17 hours per day, but in short bursts of 2-4 hours. They have no established circadian rhythm yet — their internal clock won't begin developing until around 6-8 weeks.
- Total sleep: 16-17 hours
- Naps: No set pattern — sleep happens in 45-minute to 3-hour stretches around the clock
- Wake windows: 35-60 minutes (barely enough time for a feeding and diaper change)
- Night sleep: 8-9 hours total, broken into multiple segments with feedings every 2-3 hours
- Bedtime: Flexible — newborns don't have a set bedtime yet
At this stage, focus on feeding on demand and sleeping when baby sleeps. A 2010 study published in the journal Sleep Medicine found that newborn sleep is roughly 50% REM (active sleep), which is essential for brain development. Don't expect a pattern — it will come.
2-3 Month Sleep Schedule
Around 8-12 weeks, you'll notice the first hints of a pattern forming. Your baby's circadian rhythm is beginning to develop, helped by exposure to natural daylight.
- Total sleep: 14-17 hours
- Naps: 4-5 naps per day, totaling 4-5 hours
- Wake windows: 60-90 minutes
- Night sleep: 9-11 hours with 2-3 night feedings
- Bedtime: 7:30-9:00 PM (still somewhat flexible)
This is when introducing a simple bedtime routine can be helpful. Even a short sequence — dim lights, feeding, swaddle, white noise — begins building a sleep association.
4-5 Month Sleep Schedule
The 4-month mark brings a permanent change in sleep architecture. Your baby's sleep cycles shift from newborn-style to adult-style, cycling through light sleep, deep sleep, and REM in approximately 45-minute intervals. This is why the 4-month sleep regression happens — and why it's actually a progression.
- Total sleep: 14-15 hours
- Naps: 3-4 naps per day, totaling 3-4 hours
- Wake windows: 1.5-2.5 hours
- Night sleep: 10-12 hours with 1-2 night feedings
- Bedtime: 7:00-8:00 PM
By 4-5 months, most babies are physiologically capable of sleeping a 6-8 hour stretch at night. This doesn't mean all babies will — but the foundation is there.
6-8 Month Sleep Schedule
This is often called the "sweet spot" of infant sleep. Many babies consolidate to 2 naps, nighttime sleep lengthens, and routines become more predictable.
- Total sleep: 13-15 hours
- Naps: 2-3 naps per day, totaling 2.5-3.5 hours
- Wake windows: 2-3 hours
- Night sleep: 10-12 hours with 0-1 night feedings
- Bedtime: 6:30-7:30 PM
At 6 months, the introduction of solid foods can also support longer nighttime sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting solids around 6 months, which gradually supplements the caloric needs previously met entirely by milk feeds.
9-12 Month Sleep Schedule
By now, most babies are on a solid 2-nap schedule. Separation anxiety can cause temporary sleep disruptions around 8-10 months, but the overall trend is toward longer, more consolidated sleep.
- Total sleep: 13-14 hours
- Naps: 2 naps per day, totaling 2-3 hours
- Wake windows: 3-4 hours
- Night sleep: 11-12 hours, often without night feedings
- Bedtime: 6:30-7:30 PM
Many babies in this age range can sleep 10-12 hours straight at night. If your baby is still waking frequently, it may be worth evaluating sleep associations — habits like being rocked or fed to sleep that they need replicated to return to sleep between cycles.
12-18 Month Sleep Schedule
The biggest change here is the transition from 2 naps to 1, which typically happens between 13-18 months. This is one of the trickiest nap transitions because the timing varies widely.
- Total sleep: 12-14 hours
- Naps: 1-2 naps (transitioning to 1), totaling 2-3 hours
- Wake windows: 3.5-5.5 hours
- Night sleep: 11-12 hours
- Bedtime: 6:30-7:30 PM (may need to be earlier during the 2-to-1 transition)
Signs your toddler is ready for 1 nap: consistently fighting or skipping the morning nap for 2+ weeks, taking a long time to fall asleep for naps, or bedtime is becoming a battle.
18-24 Month Sleep Schedule
By 18-24 months, most toddlers are settled on 1 nap per day, typically after lunch.
- Total sleep: 12-14 hours
- Naps: 1 nap per day, about 1.5-2.5 hours
- Wake windows: 5-6 hours before and after the nap
- Night sleep: 11-12 hours
- Bedtime: 7:00-8:00 PM
The 18-month sleep regression — driven by separation anxiety, language development, and emerging independence — can temporarily disrupt this schedule. Consistency is your best tool through it.
Tips for Getting the Schedule Right
Follow wake windows, not the clock. A rigid by-the-clock schedule doesn't account for short naps, late wake-ups, or off days. Wake windows adjust naturally to what actually happened, not what was planned.
The first wake window should be the shortest. After a long night of sleep, your baby's sleep pressure is at its lowest. A shorter first wake window prevents the rest of the day from going off track.
Use a sleep tracking app to find patterns. It's difficult to spot patterns when you're sleep-deprived. Tools like SleepSpot track your baby's sleep automatically and use the SweetSpot prediction feature to tell you the optimal time for the next nap based on your baby's actual data — not generic charts.
Protect the last nap of the day. If the last nap gets skipped or cut short, move bedtime earlier by 30-60 minutes. An overtired baby fights sleep harder and sleeps worse — it's counterintuitive but well-documented.
Expect regressions. Sleep regressions at 4 months, 6 months, 8-10 months, 12 months, and 18 months are normal developmental phases. They're temporary. Maintaining your routine through them leads to faster recovery.
“Babies need between 12 and 17 hours of total sleep per day in their first year, but how that sleep is distributed changes dramatically every few months.”
— Dr. Sarah Chen