Sleep by age
How much sleep does a baby need? Guide by age (0–24 months)
Baby sleep changes enormously in two years: from sleeping “in bits” around the clock to a single after-lunch nap. This guide sums up how much a baby should sleep at every stage: total hours, number of naps, wake windows and bedtime.
Ranges are based on recommended total sleep for each age (naps included) and the wake windows commonly used by infant sleep consultants. Treat them as guidance, not a test: every baby has their own rhythm.
Baby sleep chart by age
| Age | Total sleep | Night sleep | Day sleep | Naps | Wake window | Bedtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 14–17 h | 8–9 h | 7–8 h | 4-6+ | 45-60 min | 9:00-11:00 pm (very flexible) |
| 2 months | 14–17 h | 8–10 h | 6–7 h | 4–5 | 45–90 min | 9:00–10:30 pm |
| 3 months | 14–16 h | 9–10 h | 4–5 h | 3–4 | 1–2 h | 8:00–9:30 pm |
| 4 months | 12–16 h | 10–11 h | 3–4 h | 3–4 | 1.5–2.5 h | 7:00–8:30 pm |
| 5 months | 13–15 h | 10–11 h | 3–4 h | 3 | 2–3 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 6 months | 13–15 h | 10–11 h | 3–3.5 h | 3 | 2.5–3 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 7 months | 13–15 h | 10–12 h | 2.5–3.5 h | 2–3 | 2.5–3.5 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 8 months | 13–15 h | 10–12 h | 2.5–3 h | 2 | 2.5–3.5 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 9 months | 13–15 h | 10–12 h | 2.5–3 h | 2 | 3–4 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 10 months | 13–15 h | 10–12 h | 2.5–3 h | 2 | 3–4 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 11 months | 13–15 h | 10–12 h | 2–3 h | 2 | 3.5–4 h | 7:00–8:00 pm |
| 12 months | 11–14 h | 10–12 h | 2–3 h | 2 (→1) | 3.5–4.5 h | 7:30–8:30 pm |
| 15 months | 11–14 h | 10–12 h | 2–3 h | 1–2 | 4–5 h | 7:30–8:30 pm |
| 18 months | 11–14 h | 10–12 h | 1.5–2.5 h | 1 | 5–5.5 h | 7:30–8:30 pm |
| 2 years | 11–14 h | 10–12 h | 1–2 h | 1 | 5–6 h | 8:00–8:45 pm |
Tap any age to see its full guide, with a sample schedule and FAQs.
Pick your baby’s age
Each guide answers what you’d ask a sleep consultant: how much they should sleep, how many naps they need, what their wake windows are and which schedule fits.
How to use these guides
Start with your baby’s age and look at the wake window first: the longest they can comfortably stay awake. It explains more sleep problems than anything else. Then adjust the number of naps and, last, polish the schedule. If your baby is in the middle of a sleep regression or a nap transition, give any change a week or two before judging it.
Want to know in seconds when they should sleep? Use the wake windows calculator, or let the Siestita app work it out automatically every day from your baby’s real sleep.
Sources
The total sleep ranges by age in these guides follow the recommendations of paediatric and sleep medicine societies:
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM): consensus statement “Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations” (2016), endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), HealthyChildren.org: “Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?”.
- National Sleep Foundation: “How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?”.
Wake windows don’t come from a clinical guideline: they are the ranges commonly used in infant sleep consulting, adjusted to fit the recommended total sleep hours. That is why they are a guide, not a rule, and your baby may need a little more or a little less.