Baby sleep by age: wake windows, naps and total sleep
Wake windows, naps and total sleep from birth to 12 months – the averages I share with the families I work with. Use them as a starting point, never as a rulebook: every baby is different.
The numbers at a glance
@happy_nest_sa · happy-nest.co.za| Age | Nap duration | Wake window | Naps | Daytime sleep | Total in 24 hrs | Night sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth – 1 month | 00:15 – 4:00 | 00:15 – 1:00 | 4 – 8 | 6 – 8 hrs | 14 – 17 hrs | 6 – 10 hrs |
| 1 – 2 months | 00:30 – 2:00 | 00:50 – 1:20 | 4 – 5 | 4:30 – 6:30 | 14 – 17 hrs | 8 – 12 hrs |
| 2 – 3 months | 00:30 – 2:00 | 1:20 – 1:40 | 3 – 4 | 4:30 – 6:00 | 14 – 17 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 3 – 4 months | 00:30 – 2:00 | 1:30 – 1:45 | 3 – 4 | 4:00 – 5:00 | 14 – 16 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 4 – 5 months | 00:30 – 2:00 | 1:30 – 2:00 | 3 – 4 | 3:30 – 5:00 | 13 – 16 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 5 – 6 months | 00:40 – 2:00 | 1:45 – 2:15 | 3 (some 4) | 3:00 – 4:30 | 13 – 15 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 6 – 7 months | 01:00 – 2:00 | 2:15 – 3:00 | 3 (some 2) | 3:00 – 3:30 | 13 – 15 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 8 – 10 months | 01:00 – 2:00 | 3:00 – 4:00 | 2 | 2:30 – 3:00 | 12 – 15 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
| 10 – 12 months | 01:00 – 2:00 | 3:30 – 4:30 | 2 | 2:00 – 3:00 | 12 – 15 hrs | 9 – 12 hrs |
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different. Nap and wake-window figures are shown as hours:minutes.
Age by age
Around 3–4 months there's a flip in sleep stages – babies start entering sleep through deep sleep and waking between cycles. It's not a bug, it's a feature. Night wakings stay completely normal well past this point, and babies still need feeding at night up until age one.
Sleep: Birth – 1 month
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 1 – 2 months
He still can't tell day from night, so there's no use trying to build any kind of routine just yet. Here's what you can expect.
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 2 – 3 months
At this age, your baby only responds to physical needs – hunger, tiredness, needing to feel close to you. That's it, full stop.
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 3 – 4 months
Around 3–4 months, one of the biggest shifts in your baby's sleep takes place – the sleep stage flip. It's not a bug. It's a feature.
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 4 – 5 months
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 5 – 6 months
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 6 – 7 months
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 8 – 10 months
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Sleep: 10 – 12 months
The numbers on the right are the averages I share with the families I work with – a starting point for this age, not a rulebook. If your baby is nowhere near them, that doesn't mean something is wrong.
Want a hand working out what your baby needs right now?
These numbers are based on averages only and may not apply to every baby. Every child is different.
Need a hand with your baby's sleep?
Tell me your baby's age and what's happening. I'll come back to you with honest, gentle suggestions – no judgement.