Sleep Needs by Age

Truths about your baby/toddlers sleep:

  1. Sleep begets sleep.
  2. Too much daytime sleep will take away from night sleep.
  3. Over tired babies don’t sleep well.
  4. Under tired babies don’t sleep well.
  5. Babies will not just sleep when they are tired.
  6. Nap sleep is important.
  7. Night sleep is important.
  8. What works for your kiddo one month may not work for your baby next month.
  9. Newborns need to sleep A LOT.
  10. A consistent daytime schedule/routine (for those older babies) brings freedom.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “A lot of these statements contradict themselves” then you are absolutely correct.  Baby sleep can get pretty complicated! My hope is that this chart can give you some guidance and a starting point to work from.

Keep in mind, all babies are different and have different sleep needs. It’s important to gauge a baby’s readiness for sleep by both their sleepy cues and the clock. Some children may follow these guidelines perfectly, while some may slightly stray from them.  The one number I really want you to look at is the total number of sleep per day.  If your child is getting significantly less sleep (or more sleep) in a 24-hour period than listed, then I would dig further- and possibly make a trip to the pediatrician.

Need some help with improving your baby’s sleep?  That’s what I’m here for! Find help for transitioning your baby to one nap here and how to transition to NO nap (sigh) here. Need some 1:1 guidance instead (I GET IT)? Feel free to reach out.  It’s never too late to teach your baby (or big kid) healthy sleep habits!

Happy sleeping!

Leave a Comment

I accept the Privacy Policy