Babies sleep a lot, but not the way adults do. A newborn typically sleeps 14 to 17 hours in a 24-hour period, broken into short stretches of two to four hours around the clock. By 12 months, that total drops to about 12 to 16 hours, with most of the sleep happening at night and the rest spread across one or two naps. Here’s what to expect at each stage.
Sleep Totals by Age
In the first few weeks, newborns don’t distinguish between day and night. They sleep in bursts dictated almost entirely by hunger, waking every two to four hours to feed. Total sleep during this period runs between 14 and 17 hours, though some healthy newborns sleep a bit more or less.
Between 4 and 6 months, babies begin consolidating sleep into longer nighttime stretches. Total sleep settles around 12 to 16 hours, with two to three daytime naps making up a few of those hours. Most babies start sleeping six to eight hours at a stretch by about 3 months old, though plenty take longer to reach that milestone.
From 7 to 12 months, the overall need stays in the 12 to 16 hour range, but daytime sleep typically shrinks to two naps. By the time a child is 12 to 24 months old, total sleep drops slightly to 11 to 14 hours, and most toddlers transition to a single daytime nap.
Why Babies Wake So Often
Infant sleep cycles are fundamentally different from adult ones. Newborns spend roughly 50% of their sleep time in REM, the light, brain-active stage of sleep. Adults, by comparison, spend only about 20 to 25%. Because babies cycle through REM so frequently, they surface to near-wakefulness many more times per night. Waking once or twice is common at any age in the first year, and some babies wake as often as six times a night, which is still within the normal range.
This isn’t a flaw in your baby’s sleep. REM sleep plays an important role in brain development, and the frequent cycling is part of how a young brain grows and processes new information.
When Nighttime Sleep Gets Longer
Around 3 months, many babies begin sleeping six to eight continuous hours at night. This shift happens as their internal body clock matures and they start producing melatonin on a more predictable schedule. Before that point, newborns lack a functioning circadian rhythm, which is why they seem indifferent to whether it’s noon or midnight.
Even after a baby has been sleeping through the night reliably, a return to frequent waking around 6 months is common. This can feel like a setback, but it’s a normal part of development rather than a sign that something has gone wrong.
Sleep Regressions and What Triggers Them
Sleep regressions are periods when a baby who had been sleeping well suddenly starts waking more often or fighting sleep. Most babies experience at least one regression in their first year, but these aren’t tied to a strict age schedule. They tend to be linked to what a baby is going through at the time.
- Growth spurts can increase hunger, prompting extra nighttime feedings.
- New milestones like rolling over, crawling, or pulling up often keep babies wired. They may want to practice their new skills instead of sleeping.
- Illness or teething can disrupt sleep with discomfort.
- Routine changes such as travel, starting daycare, or a new caregiver can be stimulating or stressful enough to affect sleep.
- Separation anxiety, which typically peaks between 6 and 12 months, can make a baby resist being put down alone.
Regressions are temporary. They usually resolve within two to four weeks as the baby adjusts to whatever developmental change triggered them.
Breastfed vs. Formula-Fed Sleep Patterns
A common assumption is that formula-fed babies sleep longer, but the research is more nuanced. Breastfed infants do tend to wake more often at night because breast milk digests faster, leading to more frequent feedings. However, total sleep time across 24 hours doesn’t differ significantly between breastfed and formula-fed babies. The sleep is just distributed differently.
One interesting finding: although breastfeeding involves more wake-ups, each feeding session tends to be shorter than preparing and giving a bottle, which can partially offset the disruption for nursing parents.
Signs Your Baby Needs Sleep Now
Catching early tiredness cues matters because overtired babies are harder to settle. When a baby gets too tired, their body releases a surge of cortisol and adrenaline, the same stress hormones that keep adults wired after a long day. This hormonal rush can make an exhausted baby seem wired, fussy, or inconsolable rather than drowsy.
Early signs to watch for include eye rubbing, droopy eyelids, yawning, and turning away from stimulation. Some babies pull at their ears or get a glazed, unfocused look. If you notice these cues, putting your baby down for a nap right away gives you the best chance of a smooth transition to sleep. Once a baby crosses into overtiredness, you’ll often see louder, more frantic crying, and some babies even start sweating from the cortisol spike.
Safe Sleep Basics
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing babies on their backs to sleep, every time, on a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet. The sleep space should be free of loose blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and crib bumpers. Babies should sleep in their own space, not on a couch, armchair, or in a swing or car seat (unless actively riding in a car). Sharing a room with your baby for at least the first six months reduces risk, but sharing a bed does not carry the same safety profile.