How much sleep does my baby need?

Do you know how important sleep is to your overall physical and mental health? When we sleep several important functions happen in the brain and body, making the hours you get your Zzzs a big priority.

While the restorative functions during sleep are important at any age, they are especially important for young children such as babies and toddlers. Sleep is when much of your baby’s most crucial growth and development occurs. Not to mention, good sleep helps improve your child’s overall mood, sociability, attention, and learning capability. The bottom line? A well rested baby is a happy baby.

In this article we will discuss how many hours your child should be sleeping depending on their age. It’s important to note that newborns will sleep more hours than older children but sleep for shorter spans at a time. As they grow the number of hours of sleep they need decreases but the length of time they stay asleep increases.

Healthy Sleep Duration for Newborns, Infants and Toddlers

Sleep needs vary for every child, but there are some general guidelines that can help you ensure that your baby is well rested.

Newborn-3 months: Fourteen to seventeen hours. In addition to nighttime sleep, newborn babies require three to five naps per day.

4-12 months: Twelve to sixteen hours of sleep between nighttime sleep and two to three naps is a good guideline for infants.

1-2 years: As your child settles into their toddler years they should be sleeping through the night without issue. At this age they need about 11-14 hours and 1-2 naps per day.

3-5 years: Ten to thirteen hours. Children may still need one nap.

How do I get my child to sleep longer?

For many parents, getting your baby to sleep through the night is a top priority. There are many things that you can do to help your baby sleep for longer durations and sleep through an entire night. Read some of our helpful articles about getting your baby to sleep through the night

About Sleep Shop

The Sleep Shop is led by Melissa, a mother of four, and is a member of the International Association of Professional Sleep Consultants.

We offer one-one-one unlimited consulting, sleep classes with our founder, phone consultations, 1-week jumpstarts, infant sleep guides, 2 weeks of consulting, toddler nap guides, toddler sleep guides, toddler total resets, and “the toddler tune-up”.

We offer sleep consulting services in all of New York City including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Flat Iron District, Turtle Bay, Tribeca, Upper East Side, Soho, Staten Island, and the greater NYC area.