How long do babies sleep?

Babies sleep, a lot.

Every baby is different. And not all sleep the same amount of time or have the same sleeping pattern.

But I thought I would share how often and how long my baby slept for different ages.

One thing to note is that the moment you thing you have a “pattern” or “schedule” it is likely to change the next day….which kinda sucks…but the more you accept that, the better off you’ll be.

0-3 months

The “Better Health Channel” indicates that “newborns generally sleep 12 to 16 hours in a 24-hour period and do not know the difference between day and night.”.

We found that to be the case for us, but we were much more closer to the 12 hour mark (and some days even 10-12 hours).

Little Dylan liked to be awake and had made us work hard to put him to sleep.

He also slept in short bursts, anywhere between 30mins to 1.5 hours. These short naps are called “sleep cycles” and its normal for babies to nap for around 20 to 50 minutes.

To read more about the typical sleep behaviour visit the Better Health Cannel here.

3-6 months

At 3 to 6 months, babies typically need around 14 to 15 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. This includes both nighttime sleep and daytime naps.

Generally, this is how sleep might look at this age:

• Nighttime sleep: Babies might sleep for a longer stretch of around 6 to 8 hours at night, though they may still wake up once or twice for a feeding or comfort.

• Daytime naps: They usually take 2 to 3 naps during the day, totaling 3 to 4 hours of daytime sleep.

By this age, many babies are starting to consolidate their nighttime sleep, meaning they may begin to sleep longer stretches at night without needing to wake up as frequently to feed.

However, every baby is different, and some might still need night feedings or may not sleep through the night consistently until later on.

Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can also help encourage better sleep patterns.

6-9 months

At 6 to 9 months, babies typically need around 14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, though the exact amount can vary slightly from baby to baby. This usually includes:

• Nighttime sleep: About 10 to 12 hours of sleep at night, although some babies may still wake up once or twice during the night for feedings, comfort, or a diaper change. By this stage, many babies are able to sleep for longer stretches without needing to wake up as often.

• Daytime naps: Usually, babies take 2 naps a day, totaling around 3 to 4 hours of sleep. The naps often start to become more consistent in length, with each nap lasting about 1 to 2 hours.

Around this age, babies may also begin to develop a more consistent sleep routine, and they might start to sleep more soundly during the night. Sleep patterns can vary, though, with some babies still needing nighttime feedings while others may sleep through the night without waking.

It's also important to note that around 6 months, babies may go through developmental milestones (like teething, learning to sit up, or crawling) that can sometimes temporarily disrupt their sleep patterns.

Dylan definitely started to develop more of a pattern / sleep schedule from 6 months. He was consistently having 2-3 naps per day lasting 30mins to 2 hours (overall sleeping 1-3 hours during the day); and waking up once per night for a feed usually at 2-3am. Bedtime was somewhere between 5-7pm.