Your Baby's Sleep

Newborn sleep (0–3 months) 

Newborn sleep is beautifully messy, highly variable from day to day and night to night, unpredictable, and all completely biologically normal. 

What to expect: 

Total sleep: 14–17 hours over a 24-hour period 

Wake durations (wake windows): 45–90 minutes 

Some newborns may occasionally, or regularly, stay awake for longer or shorter stretches than these averages. Some babies have wake durations and nap timings that are like clockwork, while others are highly variable from day to day. Both are normal. 

Naps: Notoriously short and unpredictable. Catnapping is normal and okay. Longer naps are also fine if they happen naturally. Remember, every baby is different. Some will follow a more regular sleep rhythm, while others won’t. 

Night waking: Frequent and protective (see below) 

Newborns have small stomachs, so they wake often to feed. This supports milk supply and healthy weight gain. They also wake to check that a caregiver is close by, which is a built-in safety mechanism. Night waking in newborns is also protective against SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy). 

Where should newborns sleep? 

Newborns prefer to sleep close to, or on, a caregiver. This is due to their sensory proximity awareness. Their brains are wired to check if their safe person is near. 

They may: 

• Wake when you move away 
• Sleep better on or near you 
• Struggle to sleep alone 

This is not a bad habit. It’s biology. You can support this need while gradually increasing options for flexibility as they grow. 

Safe sleep options include: 

• Contact naps 
• Baby carrier (following TICKS Guidelines) 
• Pram naps 
• A safe place on the floor 
• Bassinet or cot 
• Co-sleeper 
• Safe bedsharing setup (when done correctly) 

Sleep is sleep, regardless of how it is happening. If it is safe, and works for you, it’s the right choice. 

Day vs night sleep 

Newborns don’t know day from night. They’re not born with a circadian rhythm. This begins to mature around 2–3 months of age. 

Common parent experiences of newborn sleep: 

• Contact naps – baby sleeps longer on you than off you 
• Cat naps 
• Night waking every 2–4 hours 
• Late bedtime (8–11 pm, or later) 
• Stretches of baby being awake overnight, until their circadian rhythm kicks in 

Parent tips: 

• Expose your baby to natural daylight during the day 
• Keep overnight interactions calm, quiet, and dimly lit 
• Expect late bedtimes (8–11 pm) 
• Take shifts with a co-parent, trusted family member, or friend so the primary caregiver can get longer stretches of rest 

Example of a sleep shift: 

The primary caregiver feeds the baby at 9 pm, then goes to bed. The secondary caregiver supports the baby with whatever they need until midnight, when the baby needs another feed and is brought back to the primary caregiver. The secondary caregiver then goes to bed and sleeps until 7 am, when they take over care so the primary caregiver can get another chunk of uninterrupted sleep. 

Sleep between 3–6 months (including the 4-month sleep progression) 

What to expect: 

Total sleep: 14–15 hours in 24 hours 

Wake windows: 1.5–3 hours 

Naps: Usually 4 per day 

Night waking: Still normal and expected 

The 4-month progression  Between 3–5 months, your baby’s sleep cycles mature, and their total sleep needs over a 24-hour period may decrease. At the same time, your baby is developing at a rapid pace - learning motor skills like lifting their head, rolling, bringing their hands to the midline, cooing, smiling, reaching for things they want, and communicating more. All of these changes can impact sleep. 

The catch? Not all babies experience disrupted sleep at this stage. It’s easy to feel anxious as a parent about the so-called "regressions," but if your baby doesn’t go through a noticeable sleep disruption at this age, there’s no need to worry. 

Instead of stressing in advance, it’s better to understand what to look for (see below) and how to respond if changes occur. 

If your baby experiences changes to sleep around the 4-month mark due to the developmental shifts mentioned above, you may notice: 

• Shorter naps 
• Increased night waking 
• Difficulty resettling between sleep cycles 

This is not a regression, and they’re not going “backwards.” It’s a permanent developmental change in their sleep architecture. Your baby is beginning to spend significantly less time in the deeper stages of sleep than they did before, and they need time to adjust to sleep feeling different. 

Your baby is not broken. They are developing. 

Parent tip for this age bracket: 

If your baby is going through sleep changes, try taking shifts overnight with a co-parent or a trusted family member or friend. This helps ensure you get at least one reliable stretch of sleep each night—even if it’s just 8 pm to midnight. 

Also, assess your baby’s overall sleep. Has their total day sleep decreased? Are you still using nap and bedtime timings that worked a couple of months ago? If so, it might be time to adjust. Your baby may need slightly longer wake periods between naps to build enough sleep pressure - and to naturally reduce the amount of sleep they need across a 24-hour period. 

Myth busting 

• Babies cannot get “stuck” in the 4-month regression. 
• They don’t lose the ability to self-settle, and you won’t be stuck with a “bad sleeper” just because you supported them during this time. 
• As long as there are no red flags, and sleep pressure is balanced throughout the day (not too much or too little day sleep), then any changes that might happen at this age and stage will pass.

Sleep between 6–12 months 

What to expect: 

Total sleep: 13–15 hours 

Naps: Usually 2–3 per day 

Wake windows: 2–4.5 hours 

Night waking: Still normal 

What impacts sleep: 

• Crawling, standing, walking 
• Separation anxiety (peaks at 9 and 12 months) 
• Teething 
• Introduction of solid foods 
• Sensory and emotional development 

Sleep can change daily. Some days naps will be long, some short. Some nights will be easy, others exhausting. It’s all normal. 

It’s also common for sleep between 8–10 months to feel more wakeful and confusing than any time before. This is a period of huge development, and every baby is on their own unique timeline. 

Some of the things that may be happening in this age bracket include: 

• A peak in separation anxiety 
• Learning to crawl and pull to stand 
• Cruising 
• Rapid development in communication cues 
• Pincer grasp 
• Object permanence 
• Babbling and first words 
• More regular facial expressions and body gestures 
• Increased emotional awareness 

And that’s just to name a few! 

Sleep between 12–18 months 

What to expect: 

Total sleep: 12–14 hours 

Naps: 1–2 per day

Wake windows: 3.5–5 hours 

Night waking: Still common 

Developmental influences: 

• Walking, climbing, running 
• Emotional development 
• Language leaps 
• Separation anxiety flares at 12 and 18 months 

Sleep disruptions during this time are developmentally normal. They don’t need to be “fixed,” but keep an eye out for whether sleep disruptions are caused by development or if your baby’s overall sleep needs have reduced across the 24-hour period and they simply need a little less sleep than before. 

Around 12 months of age there can be a sleep progression. This often looks like nap refusals or disrupted overnight sleep, and it can seem as though your baby is ready to drop a nap. While some babies do drop to one nap around this time (every baby is different), more often it’s a hefty developmental surge and their brains are simply too busy to sleep. 

If your baby is around 12 months old, refusing their first nap, and waking more overnight - you are not alone. It’s okay to adjust things temporarily: 

• Try pushing the first nap later in the day to reduce nap refusal 
• Cap the second nap 
• Push bedtime a little later 
• Experiment with some one-nap days 

More often than not, the second nap returns after a few weeks. If you’re in that in-between stage, it’s okay to take the pressure off and follow 

Sleep between 18–36 months 

What to expect: 

Total sleep: 11–14 hours in 24 hours 

Nap: 0–1 nap per day

Wake windows: 5+ hours

Many toddlers will drop their nap between 2.5–3 years, but this is highly individual. 

Developmental Influences: 

• Emotional outbursts 
• Boundary testing 
• Language explosion 
• Increased independence 

Nap resistance, bedtime resistance, and night wakes can be common at this age, while other babies are sleeping through, it is unique to your child whether they are still waking or not. This is not a sleep problem. It is part of normal development.