How much day sleep does my baby need?
It can be confusing working out how much day sleep your baby needs, should you follow awake windows? A fixed schedule? Will all 4 month olds really have the same sleep needs for example?
I am a gentle sleep coach, so I advocate attachment, going with your baby’s cues for sleep, and feeds. A schedule goes against our biological norms, so isn’t a recommendation from me, however if this works for you then that’s great!
Should I follow awake windows?
Awake windows can be a good guide on our baby’s sleep. But bare in mind it provides an average, and sleep by each age can vary, some babies and children have high sleep needs and others low sleep needs. My own babies for example, my son had brief cat naps from birth and stopped napping at 2.5, my daughter had monster naps until 4! What wake windows are fab for are those little ones who a mask their sleepy cues!
Average Sleep Needs By Age:
0-3 months 4-6 hours a day
4-6 months 4 hours a day
7-12 months 3 hours a day
12-18 month 2-2.5 hours a day
18-24 months 2 hours a day
2-3 years 1-2 hours a day
3-4 years - 0-60 minutes a day.
The average age to drop napping is 3.5 years.
Remember this is a guide and these are averages! Some 6 month olds will be happy on 2 hours a day and others will need the average 4 hours. Being able to recognise your baby’s sleep cues, and sleep needs is key here. This can be the tricky bit, especially when a baby needs support settling. Which is why I am so passionate about supporting babies to self settle, once they can sleep independently they can lead you on their sleep needs making this whole process easier. If you want help in doing this, check out my 1-1 support area.
