How many hours does a baby sleep? This is a complicated question to which there is no fixed answer. Like adults, babies sleep for different lengths of time. Their mood and behaviour will tell you whether they need more sleep or have had enough. For example, if your baby is fussy and cries more than usual, he or she probably needs a couple of hours more sleep.
However, although there are generalised patterns, not all babies are the same and will sleep the same hours, so it is as important to know how many hours a baby sleeps as it is to pay attention to how your child sleeps to identify any irregularities or problems.
As children get older, their night-time sleep lengthens and they need fewer naps during the day. Babies and younger children tend to sleep less at night and nap more during the day. They often wake up at night to eat and may need help getting back to sleep.
Here is a short guide to how many hours a baby sleeps based on their first few months of life.
Babies 0-3 months
Most newborns do not have defined day and night sleep patterns, mainly because they are still learning to differentiate between day and night. In a day they usually sleep between 16 to 20 hours, waking to feed every 2 to 4 hours.
Babies from 3 to 6 months
During these months they start to reduce their sleeping hours and sleep from 10 to 18 hours. They will also wake up often to eat, but some sleep patterns are starting to show, such as only sleeping three times during the day.
Babies 6 to 12 months
At this stage, they do not usually sleep more than 14 hours, and more established routines can begin to be established. It is normal for them to take naps of 1 to 2 hours and for them to want to go to bed early at night. As we mentioned in our article on how to put a baby to sleep, it is important that you put your baby to bed drowsy so that he learns to calm down on his own.
Babies older than 12 months
It is normal for babies over 1 year of age not to sleep as much, approximately 13 hours, and for naps to be shortened to just 2 a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
This is the stage where having a routine is essential for children to understand that they have to go to sleep at a certain time. Create a calm and relaxed environment, sing a lullaby or read a story, but try to make sure it is always around the same time. This way, when the time approaches, they will already start to feel sleepy or show signs of tiredness.
The question of how many hours a baby sleeps is something that makes every parent’s head spin because it is normal that you want them to have a good night’s sleep, especially because it affects their correct development, but you should not become obsessed. There are children who sleep like little angels from birth and others who find it very difficult. What is important is to identify the signals that your baby makes to communicate, indirectly, that they are rested or need a little more sleep.