Sleep guide
Baby sleep & wake windows by age
Typical wake windows, nap counts, and total sleep by age — from AAP, NHS, and the Sleep Foundation. Pick your baby's age (and add their wake time for a rough sample day).
Safer sleep matters more than any schedule
Always put your baby on their back to sleep, in a clear, flat, separate sleep space (cot or Moses basket) with a firm mattress and no pillows or loose bedding, in the same room as you for the first 6 months. Keep your baby smoke-free and don't let them get too hot.
Newborn (0 to 3 months)
- Wake window
- 45–60 min
- Naps
- 4–6 naps
- Total sleep / 24h
- 14–17 hrs
Sleep comes in short cycles around the clock. There is no real schedule yet — follow feeding and tired cues.
Newborn sleep is irregular and that's normal. Short awake times help avoid overtiredness.
Sleep FoundationLast reviewed Sun 12 Jan3 to 6 months
- Wake window
- 1.5–2.5 hrs
- Naps
- 3–4 naps
- Total sleep / 24h
- 12–16 hrs
Roughly 3 to 4 naps spaced by 1.5 to 2.5 hour wake windows, with a longer stretch of sleep at night.
A rough rhythm often appears. Night sleep starts to consolidate for many babies.
AAP (HealthyChildren.org)Last reviewed Sun 12 Jan6 to 9 months
- Wake window
- 2–3 hrs
- Naps
- 2–3 naps
- Total sleep / 24h
- 12–16 hrs
Often 2 to 3 naps — mid-morning, early afternoon, and sometimes a short catnap — with longer night sleep.
Many babies drop to 2–3 naps. Wake windows lengthen through the day.
Sleep FoundationLast reviewed Sun 12 Jan9 to 12 months
- Wake window
- 2.5–3.5 hrs
- Naps
- 2 naps
- Total sleep / 24h
- 12–16 hrs
Usually 2 naps — mid-morning and early afternoon — with about 2.5 to 3.5 hours awake between sleeps.
A fairly settled 2-nap pattern is common by around 9 months.
AAP (HealthyChildren.org)Last reviewed Sun 12 Jan12 to 18 months
- Wake window
- 3–4 hrs
- Naps
- 1–2 naps
- Total sleep / 24h
- 11–14 hrs
Often transitioning from 2 naps to 1 longer midday nap; wake windows stretch to 3 to 4 hours.
The 2-to-1 nap transition usually happens somewhere in this window.
NHSLast reviewed Sun 12 Jan18 to 24 months
- Wake window
- 4–5 hrs
- Naps
- 1 nap
- Total sleep / 24h
- 11–14 hrs
Usually 1 midday nap of about 1.5 to 3 hours, then awake until an early bedtime.
Most toddlers are on a single midday nap by now.
Sleep FoundationLast reviewed Sun 12 Jan
These are typical ranges, not rules. Every baby is different — some need more sleep, some less, and days rarely go to plan. Watch your baby's tired cues (yawning, rubbing eyes, going quiet) rather than the clock.
General information from reputable infant-sleep sources — not medical advice. If you have concerns about your baby's sleep, breathing, or development, speak to your health visitor or GP.