Baby Sleep Schedule by Age: From Newborn to 12 Months

One of the most common questions new parents ask is: “Is my baby sleeping enough?” Sleep needs change dramatically in the first year of life. This guide breaks down exactly how much sleep your baby needs at every age — and what a realistic daily schedule looks like.

Total Sleep Needs by Age

Newborn Sleep (0–4 Weeks)

Newborns do not know the difference between day and night. Their stomachs are tiny (the size of a marble at birth), which means they wake every 1.5–3 hours to feed around the clock. This is completely normal and biologically necessary.

What to expect: 14–17 hours of total sleep broken into short stretches. No predictable pattern yet.

What helps: Keep daytime environments bright and noisy; keep night feeds quiet and dim. This helps your baby start to learn the difference between day and night by weeks 6–8.

1–3 Months: First Signs of a Pattern

Around 6–8 weeks, most babies start showing their first predictable sleepy cues: rubbing eyes, yawning, staring blankly. This is your window to put them down drowsy.

Sample schedule (10-week-old):

• 7:00am — Wake and feed
• 8:30am — Nap 1 (45–90 min)
• 10:00am — Wake, feed, awake time
• 11:30am — Nap 2
• 1:00pm — Wake, feed
• 2:30pm — Nap 3
• 4:00pm — Wake, feed
• 5:30pm — Short nap (catnap, 30–45 min)
• 7:00pm — Begin bedtime routine: bath, feed, dim lights
• 7:30–8:00pm — Bed
• Night feeds: 1–3 times depending on baby

3–6 Months: The Golden Window

This is often when sleep starts improving noticeably. Many babies begin sleeping 4–6 hour stretches. You can start introducing a more consistent bedtime routine.

Key tip: Aim for a consistent bedtime between 6:30–8:00pm. Babies this age often do best going to sleep early — an overtired baby takes longer to settle and wakes more at night.

6–9 Months: Sleep Regression Alert

The 6-month sleep regression is real. Just when you thought sleep was improving, many babies start waking again. This coincides with a developmental leap — your baby is learning to sit, starting solids, and becoming more socially aware.

This is temporary. Most regressions last 2–6 weeks. Stay consistent with your routine and it will pass.

9–12 Months: Moving to 2 Naps

By 9 months most babies are ready to drop to 2 naps a day (morning and afternoon). Night sleep typically consolidates to a longer stretch — often 8–10 hours.

Sample schedule (10-month-old):

• 7:00am — Wake
• 9:30am — Morning nap (45–90 min)
• 12:00pm — Lunch
• 1:00pm — Afternoon nap (1–2 hours)
• 3:00pm — Wake, play, snack
• 5:30pm — Dinner
• 6:30pm — Bath, book, feed
• 7:00–7:30pm — Bed

The #1 Rule of Baby Sleep

Every baby is different. These schedules are guides, not rules. Watch your baby’s cues — tired signs like eye-rubbing, yawning, and fussiness are more reliable than the clock. A baby who goes down before they’re overtired will sleep better than one put down at the “right time” on the clock but past their window.

If your baby is consistently fighting sleep, waking frequently, or seems exhausted but won’t nap, check whether they’re awake too long between naps (wake windows). At 6 months, most babies can only handle 2–2.5 hours of wakefulness before they need to sleep again.

Related reading: Sleep Training Methods: Which One Is Right for Your Baby?