Baby sleep schedule by age
Set your baby's age and morning wake-up time. You'll get their wake windows, how many naps to expect, and a full day plan to bedtime.
Your baby
- Wake windows
- 2 h–3 h
- Naps
- 3
- Total sleep / 24 h
- 12–15 h
- Bedtime
- 6:30–8:00 pm
Most babies settle into three naps, with the last one a short catnap.
Sample day for 6 months
- 7:00 amWake up, feed
- 9:05 amNap 1 (about 1 h 15 min)
- 12:40 pmNap 2 (about 1 h 15 min)
- 4:30 pmNap 3 (about 40 min)
- 7:40 pmBedtime routine: bath, feed, book, song
- 8:00 pmAsleep for the night
A starting point, not a rule. Follow sleepy cues and adjust by 15 minutes at a time. Always place babies on their back, in their own cot, with nothing else in it (safe sleep).
Why timing naps matters: sleep pressure
While awake, a chemical called adenosine builds up and creates “sleep pressure”. Too little and your baby can't drop off; too much and the stress system kicks in. Drag to see what happens at 6 months.
Sweet spot. Enough pressure built up to fall asleep fairly easily and link sleep cycles.
Wake windows and naps by age
| Age | Wake window | Naps | Night sleep | Total / 24 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 weeks | 35 min–1 h | 4–6 | 8–9 h | 14–17 h |
| 6 weeks–3 months | 1 h–1.5 h | 4–5 | 9–11 h | 14–17 h |
| 3–5 months | 1.3 h–2 h | 3–4 | 10–12 h | 12–16 h |
| 5–7 months | 2 h–3 h | 3 | 10–12 h | 12–15 h |
| 7–10 months | 2.5 h–3.5 h | 2–3 | 10–12 h | 12–15 h |
| 10–14 months | 3 h–4 h | 2 | 10.5–12 h | 11–14 h |
| 14–24 months | 5 h–6 h | 1 | 10.5–12 h | 11–14 h |
| 2–3 years | 5.5 h–7 h | 1 | 10–12 h | 11–14 h |
| 3–5 years | 12 h–13 h | 0–1 | 10–12 h | 10–13 h |
Total sleep ranges: American Academy of Sleep Medicine consensus, endorsed by the AAP. Wake windows are typical ranges used by pediatric sleep clinicians; your baby may sit at either end.
Toddler sleep schedule and bedtime routine
Most toddlers do best on one nap starting 5–6 hours after waking, and a bedtime 11–12 hours before their natural wake-up. A short, identical routine does more than any single trick: the AAP's “Brush, Book, Bed” approach (teeth, a story, lights out) takes 20–30 minutes and tells the brain what comes next.
- Screens off at least an hour before bed.
- Same order every night; let them choose between two options (pyjamas, book) for a sense of control.
- A dim warm nightlight is fine; blue-white light is more alerting.
Suddenly waking or fighting sleep? Check the sleep regression guide.
Describe your sleep problem
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