How Much Sleep Does My Baby Need?

Day sleep is so important for our little ones! Not only do they need to rest their little bodies and minds, they also need to get in good day sleep in order to get in good night sleep. Studies show that if your child is taking short catnaps, that is less than 45 minutes where she isn’t reaching the deep sleep (Non-REM), chances are she will wake frequently have interrupted sleep at night. This is where the phrase “Sleep Begets Sleep” comes from.

But how much should my baby sleeping? It really all depends on her age. When they are younger they need more day sleep, and have less awake windows. As they get older, their awake window increases (meaning they can be awake for longer periods of time), and will need less day sleep overall. The most important thing to know is that your little one will need to nap up until the age of about 3-4 years old.

Here’s a friendly chart to help guide you with your child and her naps those first few years:

Age Wakefulness Window Number of Naps Total Daytime Sleep

0 – 5 Months 0 – 1.5 Hours 4 – 5 a day 8 Hours

6 - 8 Months 2 – 3 Hours 3 a day 3.5 Hours

9 – 11 Months 3 – 3.5 Hours 2 a day 3 Hours

12 – 18 Months 4 – 5.5 Hours 1 – 2 a day 2.5 Hours

2 Years 5.5 - 6 Hours 1 a day 2 Hours

3 Years 6 – 12 Hours 1 a day 1 Hour

4 Years 6 – 12 Hours 1 a day or quiet time 0 - 45 minutes