How much sleep does the typical child get at different ages, and when do nap patterns change? Find out which sleep milestones to expect, from birth to age 8.
Learn more about your child's sleep and nap needs over time.
Sleep is essential to children's growth and well-being. Their sleep needs change over time, and some kids need more or less sleep than others. Here's what's typical, age by age.
In the first few weeks of life, babies sleep at least 16 hours in a 24-hour period.
Newborns don't have any predictable sleep pattern. They may snooze for a few minutes or several hours at a time. Eventually, though, babies start to sleep more at night and less during the day.
By 3 months, babies get about 15 hours of sleep, including about three naps.
When babies are 6 months old, they often take a morning and an afternoon nap. They'll sleep around 14 hours a day, about 11 of that at night.
Nine-month-olds still sleep about 14 hours a day, including two naps. At this age, many babies – but certainly not all of them – will sleep through the night.
Many kids drop their morning nap by 18 months. In all, 12- to 18-month-olds usually sleep about 13 to 14 hours a day – 11 of those hours at night.
Two- and 3-year-olds typically need 12 to 13 hours of sleep, and most still nap. At 2, children sometimes start resisting bedtime. And because most 3-year-olds have moved from their crib to a big kid bed, they sometimes get out of bed on their own.
Four- and 5-year-olds need 11 to 12 hours of sleep. If they've stopped napping, they may shift to an earlier bedtime.
At 6 to 8 years, most kids are nap-free and get all of their 10 to 11 hours of sleep at night.
Of course, children's sleep patterns can be as different as their personalities. Talk to a doctor if you have any concerns about your child's sleep habits.