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Baby sleep patterns

Typical sleep patterns for babies from newborn through to six months of age with information on both daytime naps and night routines.


Discuss baby sleep patterns on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.

Babies do not follow set rules, but generally you can expect the following sleep patterns:

Newborn
  • Short naps of two to four hours on average.


  • Total sleep - 14 to 16 hours a day.
Six weeks to six months
  • A baby's 24 hour body clock is more established from six weeks. Gradually over the next few weeks the longest sleep will take place at night.


  • Total sleep - dips down to around 14 hours a day.
Six months
  • Should have developed a pattern of one long sleep at night and one to two substantial day time naps.


  • Total sleep - 12 to 14 hours a day

Your Comments

We would love to hear your comments or views on this subject. If you would like to ask a question or start a discussion, please post a topic in our Getting Baby To Sleep forum.
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I have 18month old twins and their sleeping is getting worse as they get older! They go to bed at 7pm fine, and generally sleep through. The main problems are:
1. They wake just after 5am every morning (which I'd rather was later) then they are too tired in the morning to drop their morning sleep (I only give them 15-20mins).
2. They've always had a morning nap, then 1-2 hrs after their lunch. One of them now only sleeps 30 mins max, the other used to sleep through his crying but is getting harder to settle so is having less sleep.
3. Because of their lack of daytime sleep they seem really whingey all afternoon so I know they do still need their naps.

I do end up taking them out in the pushchair more these days (usually they nap in cot) and they do sleep better usually but I didn't want to get into the habit of them only sleeping if I walk them for 2 hours every day!!
added by TPT [Mon 2nd Nov 2009 @ 10:28:03]
my baby is 9 months and he still doesnt sleep the full night he wakes up 3 to 4 times. then he doesnt go back into his cott. i am finding it very difficult as i am not getting much sleep at night and he only sleeps twice in the day only for half hour. any advice???
added by shilu [Thu 16th Jul 2009 @ 09:29:16]
My baby is now 6 months old, and I have her in a perfect sleeping pattern, she has her bath at 6pm with lots of play and a long massage after, then its warm milk bottle and bed.. PERFECT my evenings then my own..
added by SWEETBABY [Tue 5th May 2009 @ 12:12:09]
please can someone help i have a boy aged 7 months and he has not slept a whole night since he was born he has acid reflux but lv tryed everything for a nights sleep he sleeps for about three hours then wakes up for two
added by bhoys [Mon 12th Jan 2009 @ 10:33:34]
what if your babies dont sleep as above is this something to be concerned about?
added by hurco [Mon 5th Jan 2009 @ 09:14:59]
my yongest is 18 months an still wake every 4 hours any ideas how to stop this as my others have always slept through from 8 weeks
added by kaz23 [Mon 24th Nov 2008 @ 09:35:25]
my baby is six weeks old.she stays up almost the entire night. I am worried that she will take longer to develop the normal sleeping pattern. I have to return to work in four weeks time and if she continues like this even then,then God help me!!!!!!
added by sudarshana [Mon 3rd Nov 2008 @ 10:07:15]
my baby is 3 moonths old. when we brought her home, she just not to want to go to sleep. I stayed up almost round the clock, so I definetely know she wasnt sleeping well. Now she sleeps almost straight through the night.
added by millie1 [Tue 13th May 2008 @ 08:45:32]
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