BABY
Sleep Schedule for Your Baby’s First Year
Many parents just expect sleep to get better with time...not so fast!
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
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BABY
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
All parents want their newborns to sleep well. However, many do not know—but want to know—the nitty gritty details: How long will my baby nap? What time should she go to sleep? How many hours of overnight sleep can I realistically expect? How does a baby's sleep schedule change over time?
Everyone knows that their newborn will not sleep a lot during the first weeks. But, the biggest new-parent misconception is that once the baby passes the first weeks, sleep gradually but consistently improves. Many expect sleep to just get better and better until the baby is sleeping an 8-hour stretch at 4 months. Not so fast! The reality, for many—if not most—babies, is a bit of a roller coaster alternating happy victories with frustrating regressions!
That said, below is a listing of what you might reasonably expect for your baby's sleep…along with descriptions of some of the common zigs and zags many newborns experience during the first year. (Please remember, each infant is unique and baby sleep schedules can vary widely.)
Here’s the thing with newborns: Their natural day-night circadian rhythms have yet to develop. Plus, their bellies are teeny, so they need to eat a lot, including during the night. In fact, breastfed newborns wake up to nurse about every two to three hours and formula-fed babies do so roughly every three to four hours.
Total Sleep for Newborns to 2-Month-Olds: These teeny babies sleep 14 to 18 hours a day. During the first two months, babies sleep in bits and pieces, waking throughout the day to feed. In the early weeks, you can expect your little one to fuss from hunger 10 to 12 times a day.
Wake Time for Newborns to 2-Month-Olds: Your baby’s day usually starts around 7am.
Napping for Newborns to 2-Month-Olds: Your wee sleepyhead will take lots of little naps—totaling up to eight hours a day. A newborn’s daytime wake/sleep cycle is 45 to 60 minutes of awake time, then one to two hours of napping. And for babies between 1 and 2 months old, that wake window opens a wee bit wider, landing between one and two hours.) During the second month, if your baby’s nap goes over an hour-and-a-half to two hours, it may be a good idea to wake them for a feeding. While waking a snoozing baby seems like a big no-no, know that long naps mean less eating during the day, making babies hungrier at night.
Bedtime for Newborns to 2-Month-Old: Babies this age often go down around 10pm.
Nighttime Sleep for Newborns to 2-Month-Olds: Your baby will drift on and off throughout the night, punctuated by occasional feedings. Remember, breastfed babies this age often wake to eat about every 2 to 3 hours and formula-fed babies wake about every 3 to 4 hours. This is 100% normal and to be expected!
By the time your baby reaches 4 months old, they will have finally sorted out their days and nights, making napping and night sleeps a bit easier. The womb-like trifecta of white noise, gentle rocking, and swaddling are still important…but one of these sleep-savers may need to stop soon. Once your baby shows signs of rolling, it’s no longer safe to swaddle them (however, you can continue to use SNOO’s special built-in swaddle which keeps babies on the back). And be warned about the possible 3-month sleep regression! It can suddenly appear, with your baby starting to wake up like a newborn—every few hours—and wanting to play or cuddle…but refusing to sleep alone.
Total Sleep for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Two- to 4-month-old babies are still sleeping a ton, usually around 12 to 16 hours of ZZZs a day.
Wake Time for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Your little one will most likely wake up a little earlier now. Most babies this age start their day around 6am.
Napping for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: When babies first emerge from newbornhood (between 2 and 4 months), they settle into two to three daily naps, totaling 4 to 6 hours of sleep.
Bedtime for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Lights out shifts a bit earlier, with most babies going down around 9pm.
Nighttime Sleep for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Babies are able to sleep a little longer now, but they still wake for a feeding or two. Longest unbroken sleep can range from around five hours to up to eight hours.
When your baby passes the four-month mark, they’ve finished what I call the fourth trimester. Many of your new-parent friends may still be desperate from exhaustion. So, if your little one is a great sleeper, don’t brag too much! All babies are different.
Total Sleep for 4- to 8-Month-Olds: Your growing baby often clocks 12 to 16 hours of sleep a day.
Wake Time for 4- to 8-Month-Olds: The day starts between 6 and 8am for babies between 4- and 8-months old, depending on your baby, of course!
Napping for 4- to 8-Month-Olds: Babies this age may still be eking out three naps a day or they may have settled into a comfortable two-nap schedule, totaling 3 to 5 hours of sleep a day.
Bedtime for 4- to 8-Month-Olds: Night-night often starts around 7 to 9pm.
Nighttime Sleep for 4- to 8-Month-Olds: Your baby may have unbroken sleep of 6 to 10 hours, which most anyone would call “sleeping through the night!”
Baby sleep is a little like a roller coaster with it’s ups and downs, thrills, and scaries. And right now, smack in the second half of your baby’s first year, a frightening dip might be fast approaching! (You can read more about the 8-month sleep regression here.) At this age, some little ones start developing separation anxiety and bedtime and others are so excited about their newly developing skills, that they find it more difficult to settle down.
Total Sleep for 8- to 12-Month-Olds: By the time your baby hits 8 months, they should be snoozing between 12 to 16 hours a day.
Wake Time for 8- to 12-Month-Olds: The day often starts around 6 to 7am for these tots.
Napping for 8- to 12-Month-Olds: Your little one will likely still be taking two naps a day. For some babies, those naps are brief (we’re talking 30 minutes), while other babies may nap for up to 2 hours at this age.
Bedtime for 8- to 12-Month-Olds: Baby's bedtime often falls somewhere between 7 and 9pm now.
Nighttime Sleep for 8- to 12-Month-Olds: Your baby's longest stretch is likely a glorious 7 to 10 hours a night! Wooo!
Happy birthday to your little one! You made it through an entire year—and many sleep cycles. You’re now entering a whole new stage of sleep—toddler sleep!
Total Sleep for 12-Month-Olds: At 1 year old, most babies sleep 12 to 16 hours in a full day’s cycle.
Wake Time for 12-Month-Olds: Rise and shine often occurs between 6 and 7am.
Napping for 12-Month-Olds: Your little one is likely still clocking two naps a day, totaling two to four hours. (FYI: Most babies drop the second nap between 12 and 24 months.)
Bedtime for 12-Month-Olds: Now your “big kid” will be hitting the hay between 7 and 9pm…early enough for the grownups to get some alone time!
Nighttime Sleep for 12-Month-Olds: The longest sleeping stretch for 12-month-olds usually averages 7 to 10 hours at night.
Every baby is different, so your little one’s schedule might vary slightly from the ones outlined above. However, if you’re armed with the right information and resources, you should be snoozing sweetly in no time!
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
