It’s one of the questions we get asked the most: Is My Baby Getting Enough Sleep? The answer depends in large
part on how old your baby is and the quality of their sleep… Is your baby having trouble falling asleep? Are
they sleeping for long stretches without waking?
To help you keep your baby’s sleep on track, this article will answer some of the most common questions parents
have about their baby’s sleep, including “Why is my baby taking short naps?” and “How many
hours of sleep does my baby need?”
IN THIS ARTICLE:
If you’re concerned that your baby isn’t getting enough sleep or maybe you think your baby is sleeping
too much, get the most comprehensive view of your baby’s sleep by tracking with the Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™. Take your free assessment today to
get started!
Is My Baby Sleeping Enough?
The amount of sleep a baby needs changes as they age, but it’s safe to say babies sleep (and need to sleep) a
lot more than adults.
Here’s a very brief rundown of how many hours a baby should get by age – keep in mind this is just an
example and every baby is unique. If you have fundamental concerns about the amount of sleep your baby is getting it
is always smart to consult your pediatrician.
Sleep Guidelines for Babies Newborn-2-Years-Old
Newborn (0-3 months):
|
Aim for about 14-17 hours over 24 hours, though some babies may sleep closer to 11,
others more like 19.
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4-11 Months:
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12-15 hours over 24 hours is a good, healthy sleep goal for babies this age.
As little as 10 or as many as 18 is normal, though.
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1-2 years:
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After your baby turns 1, they should ideally sleep 11-14 hours over the course of a
day.
As always, every baby is unique: your baby may sleep as little as 9 hours or as many as 16 –
that’s perfectly healthy.
|
Why Isn’t My Newborn Sleeping?
Another common question – “Is my newborn sleeping enough?” Considering how often newborns wake to
feed, it may seem like they never sleep. In fact, newborns sleep often but in small bursts.
Some only sleep for 45 minutes before waking up to eat again. Others are closer to 2 hours.
For convenience, here are some more specific numbers as it relates to newborns’ sleep and eating habits:
- For the first 4-5 weeks, newborns ideally sleep about 16-20 hours over 24 hours.
- Breastfed newborns typically eat every 2-3 hours.
- Formula-fed newborns typically eat every 3-4 hours.
What are Baby Wake Windows?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “wake window” is the period of
time your baby is awake between naps or sleeps.
Wake windows are a vital part of managing sleep because keeping your baby up past their age-appropriate wake window
can lead to overtiredness,
which throws off your baby’s entire sleep cycle.
That’s why sleep
training with an app like the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ is so helpful: its 1-click sleep tracking
tool automatically updates your baby’s sleep schedule and gives you a heads up when their wake window is
coming to an end so you can prepare them for sleep when their body is most biologically ready..
Average wake windows by age:
Birth to 3 months
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30 to 90 minutes
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3 to 6 months
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75 to 120 minutes
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6 to 8 months
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2 to 2.5 hours
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8 to 10 months
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2 to 3 hours
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10 to 16 months
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2/3/4-hour schedule
|
For more precise wake windows suited to your baby’s age, check out these month-by-month baby sleep schedules.
Why Do Wake Windows Get Longer?
When your baby is born, their sleep schedule is very disorganized, they are growing rapidly and need to get use to
life outside of the womb. All of that eating and ‘awake’ time takes its toll and as such, wake windows
are short and newborns need to eat and sleep often.
As their circadian rhythm matures (around 16-weeks) sleep starts to consolidate and become more organized. Your baby
is adjusting to life on the ‘outside’ and can be awake for longer periods of time.
As your baby ages, their sleeps consolidate more and more at night, which extends their wake windows and ultimately
reduces the number of naps they need.
While this is a natural process, the act of falling asleep is a learned skill and your baby needs the space and time
to practice it. Sleep training teaches your baby how to put themselves to sleep – a skill that guarantees
they’ll take the lead on their sleep. For more on how to teach your baby to fall asleep independently, download the Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™.
What are Signs My Baby Isn’t Sleeping Enough?
While every baby is different, there are some tell-tale signs your baby isn’t getting the rest they need:
Fussiness or Crankiness: If your baby is fussier or easily frustrated than usual, especially at bedtime or naptime,
they may not be getting enough sleep.
Frequent Night Wakings: Waking up over and over at night (and not for food) indicates your baby isn’t getting
enough rest.
Early Wakeups: While babies naturally wake up early, a baby who isn’t getting the right amount of sleep for
their age or who isn’t on a consistent sleep schedule may wake up earlier than usual.
Truncated Naps: Shorter naps are another symptom your baby need more rest.
Now, you may be thinking – “Why does a tired
baby taking shorter naps?” or “Why would a baby wake up at night if they’re not sleeping
well?” The answer: circadian rhythms.
What are Baby’s Circadian Rhythms?
Every human has a circadian rhythm, including babies. Circadian rhythms are the internal “clocks” that
regulate our sleep.
If your baby’s sleep schedule and circadian rhythm become misaligned, your baby can become overtired, which can
lead to frequent night wakings, shorter naps and early wake ups – all that fun stuff.
Why is My Baby Taking Short Naps?
In addition to overtiredness, truncated, or short, naps may be a sign that your baby is ready for a nap transition.
Nap transitions are when you drop a nap from your baby’s sleep schedule. For example, around 7-8 months, your
baby will transition from 3
to 2 naps. Nap transitions often happen on their own. Symptoms your baby is nearing or going through a nap
transition include:
- Shorter naps
- Waking up in the night
- Trouble falling asleep
- Resisting naps or bedtime
- Increased fussiness after a nap
- Your baby misses a nap and isn’t fussy
How Do I Calm My Baby Before Bed?
To calm your baby before bed, take them into their room, dim the lights, and speak in a low voice.
We also recommend creating a calming bedtime
routine before bed – a set of soothing, actions, such as reading a story, cuddling, and/or taking a
bath. The goal of bedtime routines is two-fold:
- The calm activities help put your baby in a relaxed mindset.
- The repetition of doing the routine every night will cue your baby that it’s time to go to bed.
Bedtime routines are a cornerstone in your sleep coaching journey. Learn how to set up your bedtime routine and get
started by downloading the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™. This innovative app can improve your baby’s
sleep in just 7-days.
Important Tip: Give your baby the space and time to learn how to fall asleep independently by
placing them down when drowsy, but awake. In other words, they’re very tired but still alert. The goal with
sleep coaching is to teach your baby to fall asleep independently. That means you cannot and should not rock them to
sleep, cuddle them to sleep, or feed them to sleep.
Why Do Babies Need So Much Sleep?
Babies need sleep because sleep is when they grow physically and mentally helping them to meet their developmental
milestones.
But sleeping well at night goes beyond being less fussy the next day: being a strong sleeper has long-term benefits,
including improved learning and reduced obesity.
What If My Baby Has Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety is an important part of your baby’s development. Yes, you read that correctly: separation
anxiety is a natural and essential part of your baby’s growth.
Babies get separation anxiety when they realize objects and people, like you, continue to exist even when out of
sight. This typically happens around 8 months and is often associated with the 8-month sleep
regression.
Before this point, objects and people, including you, were out of sight, out of mind; now your baby understands
you’ve gone somewhere else, and they wonder where. This creates a bit of separation anxiety.
If separation anxiety is interrupting your baby’s sleep, we suggest two things:
- Revisit or begin your sleep training journey: The routine and training can help “reset” – or
set - your baby’s sleep habits. (To start sleep training today, download the Smart Sleep Coach by
Pampers™. With a little input from you, it will customize a sleep training program works for you and your
unique little one.)
- Wait It Out: Babies have a natural ability to soothe themselves to sleep. If your baby wakes up night,
it’s best to wait a moment to see if they are able to get themselves back to sleep.
And for more on separation anxiety in babies, read our piece How to
Cope with Separation Anxiety in Babies.
Is My Baby Having a Sleep Regression?
Even with sleep training, your baby will periodically experience what are popularly known as “sleep
regressions,” but we like to call them “sleep progressions.” That’s because
“sleep regressions” coincide with major developmental milestones.
For example, your baby will experience their first sleep progression around 8 months, when they’re first
learning to crawl.
Here are the most common months for baby sleep regressions:
- 4 months
- 8 months
- 12 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
You can learn more about coping with sleep
regressions here.
How Do I Help My Baby Get Enough Sleep?
- Set the Scene: Your baby’s room should be dark, cool, and as quiet as possible. Read more about how to
optimize your baby’s room for sleep here.
- Calming Bedtime Routines: Yes, we’re repeating ourselves, but, again, bedtime routines are such a powerful
way to help your baby fall asleep faster both in the short and long term.
- Drowsy But Awake: It’s best to put your baby in their crib when they’re tired but still awake. This
will help them learn how to fall asleep independently.
- Maintain Sleep Schedules: Babies sleep best when kept on a consistent schedule – their nap and bedtimes
are all relatively the same each and every day, adjusted along the way as their wake windows extend.
- Reduce Screen Time: Studies show that smart phones and tablets emit a blue light that makes babies, and adults,
feel more awake. Help your baby sleep better by taking any screens away from them at least one hour before bed.
FAQs:
How can I tell if my baby is sleeping enough?
While newborns may not show signs they’re not sleeping enough – aim for at least 14 hours of sleep for
newborns – babies older than 4 months will be cranky or have disorganized sleep if they’re not getting
enough sleep. If your infant or toddler is very cranky or waking up randomly in the night, they’re probably
not getting enough sleep. Try an earlier bedtime, in addition sleep training can help you get your baby’s
sleep on track – and fast: people who use the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ see results in as a little
as a week.
What will happen if my infant doesn’t sleep enough?
Infants need sleep to grow physically and mentally. Without proper sleep in the short term, your baby may be cranky
and unpleasant, but continued lack of sleep can impact their emotional balance and potentially developmental
milestones. It’s important that your baby always gets the sleep they need for their age every day.
How long can a 1-month-old go without eating at night?
Newborns, 1-month-olds, and other very small babies need to eat often – some will wake up every hour to feed.
Generally, though, 1-month-old babies should feed every 2-4 hours, depending on whether they’re breastfed or
formula-fed. This pace will slow down around 4 months, when most babies have gained enough weight to sleep for
longer periods.
How many hours do new parents sleep?
Not enough – newborns require a lot of nurturing and attention in those first few weeks: there’s lot of
feedings and diapers and very little sleep because newborns wake often for – well, feedings and diapers. Rest
assured this is a brief period; your newborn’s sleep will settle into a more predictable rhythm soon. Until
then, though, follow our advice on how new
parents can cope with sleep deprivation.
Sources:
“Developing circadian rhythmicity in infants,” Pediatrics.
“Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: a systematic review of observational studies,” Sleep Medicine Review.
“On sleep and development: recent advances and future directions,” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child
Development.
Disclaimer:
How We Wrote This Article
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such
as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a
full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical
advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.