Even though newborns sleep more than they are awake, many of us have wondered “how much sleep does my baby need?” While of course each baby is different, there are some general guidelines for baby sleep that have helped me gauge the whole thing. Check out these guidelines for newborns to 6-month-olds, what you can expect and what I’ve experienced with my five babies.
Here’s a general guide on this:
- Newborn Baby: Sleeps at least 16 hours/day
- 3 to 4-Month-Old Baby: Sleeps approximately 15 hours/day including 3 or 4 naps
- 6-Month-Old Baby: Sleeps approximately 14 hours/day including 2 or 3 naps
How’s it been going with your baby and sleep? Please comment below and tell me your impressions, ideas and tips! Nothing sweeter – and easier on a new mom — than a sleeping baby!
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My baby slept really well until about 4-months-old, when we had to stop swaddling her because she began rolling over. At that point we had a rough period with sleep but did settle into a better pattern by the time she was 6-months-old.
Our baby was definitely very sleepy those first few weeks!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for your awesome website. Just wondering, with a 1 month old, should we actively be trying to keep baby awake after feeding for 1-5 to 2 hours before putting them down for a nap? Our baby just wants to sleep straight after eating!
Thanks
Hi Dave, thanks for your comment. Your baby might not be ready to be awake for that long quite yet — every baby is different. With my babies, though, I did try to not nurse them directly to sleep because that’s what worked for us. Over time their “wake times” increase and they can be awake longer between naps. How frequently is your baby eating? I do think you want to try to move in the direction of baby being awake more during the day and asleep more at night, and this will happen naturally over time. Good luck and keep me posted! Here’s my newborn schedule for reference: http://www.cloudmom.com/baby-feeding-and-sleeping-schedule-breastfeeding-newborn/
Thank you Melissa that is awesome. We’ve been applying your schedule religiously today (in Australia) and although he has needed some quite serious stimulation for the 1.5 hours after feeding, it’s been fantastic!! When that time is up he actually drops straight off to sleep until the next feeding. So far (day 1) it’s been great and I think we can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Up until we tried your schedule he would sleep, wake, drink an ounce, sleep for half an hour, drink a 1/2 ounce, sleep a bit more etc etc….arrghh it has been an exhausting month! Thanks so much. We’ve been watching all your movies since we found the site…so useful thank you
OMG — thank you for watching, please spread the word, I love Aussies!!! xoxo Melissa
my son doesn’t even eat in the am. do i have to pump if ge doesnt eat? also can i assume that he isnt hungry
He should be eating in the morning or yes, you should pump, can you give me a quick sense of his schedule? Thanks. M
Our 6 3/4 month old stays up really late for hours before going to sleep. She stays up later than my 2 yr old! What can we do? She sleeps in a bassinet, but will be getting a crib in a couple of days. I’m exhausted and so is my husband from staying up with her. Is it too late to teach her or maybe us how to get her sleeping regularly?
HI there KD. Does she nap late in the day? I think she shouldn’t be sleeping too much late in the day, just a quick cat nap if she’s tired. LMK what her schedule is more or less and I will try to help! xo Melissa