🌙 Feeding & Sleep

Baby Sleep Schedule by Age

How much sleep does your baby need, and when? Find total sleep, nap counts and wake windows for every age from newborn to 3, then build a sample schedule around your baby’s wake-up time.

Baby sleep chart by age

Babies 4–12 months old need 12–16 hours of sleep per 24 hours, including naps. Toddlers 1–2 years need 11–14 hours. Newborns sleep about 14–17 hours, in short stretches around the clock.

AgeTotal sleep / 24 hNapsWake windowsNight sleep
0–1 month14–17 hours4–7+35 min – 1 hWakes every 2–3 hours to feed
1–2 months14–17 hours4–61 h – 1 h 30 min8–9 hours with 2–3 feeds
3–4 months12–16 hours3–41 h 15 min – 2 h10–11 hours, often 1–2 feeds
5–6 months12–16 hours32 h – 2 h 30 min10–12 hours
7–9 months12–16 hours2–32 h 30 min – 3 h 30 min11–12 hours
10–12 months12–16 hours23 h – 4 h11–12 hours
13–18 months11–14 hours1–24 h – 5 h 30 min11–12 hours
19–24 months11–14 hours15 h – 6 h11–12 hours
2–3 years11–14 hours0–15 h 30 min – 7 h10–12 hours

Total sleep ranges follow the American Academy of Sleep Medicine consensus endorsed by the AAP (4 months and older) and the National Sleep Foundation (newborns). Wake windows and nap counts are typical ranges, not medical rules — every baby is a little different.

Sample baby sleep schedules

These examples start with a 7:00 a.m. wake-up. Shift every time by the same amount if your baby wakes earlier or later.

Newborn (0–1 month)

4–7+ naps · 14–17 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 7:45 AM Nap 1 — about 45 min
  • 8:30 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 9:15 AM Nap 2 — about 45 min
  • 10:00 AM Wake from nap 2
  • 10:45 AM Nap 3 — about 45 min
  • 11:30 AM Wake from nap 3
  • 12:20 PM Nap 4 — about 45 min
  • 1:05 PM Wake from nap 4
  • 2:00 PM Nap 5 — about 45 min
  • 2:45 PM Wake from nap 5
  • 3:45 PM Bedtime — Wakes every 2–3 hours to feed

2-month-old

4–6 naps · 14–17 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 8:10 AM Nap 1 — about 50 min
  • 9:00 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 10:10 AM Nap 2 — about 50 min
  • 11:00 AM Wake from nap 2
  • 12:15 PM Nap 3 — about 50 min
  • 1:05 PM Wake from nap 3
  • 2:25 PM Nap 4 — about 50 min
  • 3:15 PM Wake from nap 4
  • 4:35 PM Nap 5 — about 50 min
  • 5:25 PM Wake from nap 5
  • 6:55 PM Bedtime — 8–9 hours with 2–3 feeds

4-month-old

3–4 naps · 12–16 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 8:30 AM Nap 1 — about 60 min
  • 9:30 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 11:05 AM Nap 2 — about 60 min
  • 12:05 PM Wake from nap 2
  • 1:45 PM Nap 3 — about 60 min
  • 2:45 PM Wake from nap 3
  • 4:30 PM Nap 4 — about 60 min
  • 5:30 PM Wake from nap 4
  • 7:30 PM Bedtime — 10–11 hours, often 1–2 feeds

6-month-old

3 naps · 12–16 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 9:00 AM Nap 1 — about 75 min
  • 10:15 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 12:30 PM Nap 2 — about 75 min
  • 1:45 PM Wake from nap 2
  • 4:15 PM Nap 3 — about 75 min
  • 5:30 PM Wake from nap 3
  • 8:00 PM Bedtime — 10–12 hours

9-month-old

2–3 naps · 12–16 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 9:40 AM Nap 1 — about 80 min
  • 11:00 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 2:20 PM Nap 2 — about 80 min
  • 3:40 PM Wake from nap 2
  • 7:10 PM Bedtime — 11–12 hours

12-month-old

2 naps · 12–16 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 10:10 AM Nap 1 — about 90 min
  • 11:40 AM Wake from nap 1
  • 3:30 PM Nap 2 — about 90 min
  • 5:00 PM Wake from nap 2
  • 9:00 PM Bedtime — 11–12 hours

18-month-old

1–2 naps · 11–14 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 11:15 AM Nap 1 — about 120 min
  • 1:15 PM Wake from nap 1
  • 6:45 PM Bedtime — 11–12 hours

2-year-old

0–1 naps · 11–14 h sleep
  • 7:00 AM Wake up for the day
  • 12:40 PM Nap 1 — about 105 min
  • 2:25 PM Wake from nap 1
  • 9:25 PM Bedtime — 10–12 hours

Safe sleep: the AAP’s ABCs

Every schedule should follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep recommendations, which lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS):

  • Alone: baby sleeps in their own space, ideally in your room for at least the first 6 months, but not in your bed.
  • Back: always place your baby on their back for naps and at night until age 1.
  • Crib: a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet — no pillows, blankets, bumpers or soft toys. Inclined sleepers are not safe.
  • Keep the room at a comfortable temperature, avoid overdressing, offer a pacifier at sleep time, and keep baby away from smoke.

Tips for better baby sleep

  1. Watch the wake window. An overtired baby fights sleep harder. Use our wake windows calculator to time naps.
  2. Build a short bedtime routine — bath, feed, book, song — and do it in the same order each night from about 6–8 weeks.
  3. Put baby down drowsy but awake sometimes, so they learn to fall asleep in the crib.
  4. Get daylight in the morning and keep nights dark and boring to set the body clock.
  5. Expect setbacks around developmental leaps, illness, teething and travel.

Not sure of your baby’s exact age in weeks? Use the baby age calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much sleep does a baby need?

Newborns sleep about 14–17 hours a day. From 4 to 12 months, the AAP-endorsed recommendation is 12–16 hours per 24 hours including naps; from 1 to 2 years, 11–14 hours; and from 3 to 5 years, 10–13 hours.

When do babies start sleeping through the night?

It varies widely. Many babies can sleep a 6–8 hour stretch by 4–6 months, but night waking is still normal through the first year, especially for breastfed babies. Ask your pediatrician before dropping night feeds.

What time should my baby go to bed?

Newborns don’t have a set bedtime yet. From about 3–4 months, a bedtime between roughly 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. suits most babies, timed by the last wake window of the day rather than the clock alone.

How many naps does my baby need?

Typical nap counts are 4–6 naps for newborns, 3–4 at 3–4 months, 3 at 5–6 months, 2 from about 7–12 months, and 1 from around 13–18 months. Most children stop napping between 3 and 5 years.

Is it safe for my baby to sleep on their side or tummy?

No. The AAP recommends placing babies on their back for every sleep until age 1, on a firm, flat surface with no pillows, blankets, bumpers or toys. Once a baby can roll both ways on their own, you don’t need to turn them back.

What is the 4-month sleep regression?

Around 3–4 months, many babies start waking more often as their sleep cycles mature into more adult-like patterns. It’s a normal developmental change; a consistent routine and shorter wake windows usually help it pass within a few weeks.

Sources

  1. Paruthi S et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: AASM consensus statement (endorsed by the AAP). J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(6):785–6
  2. Hirshkowitz M et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations. Sleep Health 2015;1(1):40–3
  3. AAP — Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment
  4. AAP / HealthyChildren.org — Getting your baby to sleep

Written by: CalcMyBaby Editorial Team · Last updated:

This tool gives estimates for information only. It does not replace advice from your doctor, midwife or pediatrician. Read our medical disclaimer.