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Baby Sleep Hours by Age — Chart & Calculator (AAP/AASM)

Q: How many hours should a newborn sleep per day?

Newborns (0–3 months) need **14–17 hours of total sleep per day**, spread across 4–5 sleep periods around the clock. They have no circadian rhythm yet, so sleep is distributed day and night in 2–4 hour stretches. By 6–8 weeks, most babies begin consolidating nighttime sleep to 4–6 hour stretches. This is the AAP and AASM recommendation — the same guideline your pediatrician uses.

Q: How many hours should a 6-month-old sleep?

A 6-month-old needs **14–15 hours of total sleep per day** (AAP/AASM). Typical breakdown: 10–11 hours overnight + 2–3 daytime naps of ~1.5 hours each (3–4.5 hours daytime). Sleeping consistently under 12 hours or over 16 hours warrants a check with your pediatrician. Remember: naps count toward the daily total.

Q: Do naps count toward the total daily sleep recommendation?

Yes — all AASM/AAP recommendations refer to **total sleep in 24 hours**, including every nap. A 9-month-old with a target of 12–15 hours: 11 hrs overnight + two 1.5-hr naps = 14 hours total — right in range. Counting only nighttime sleep is the most common mistake parents make when assessing their child's sleep adequacy.

Q: When do babies drop from 3 naps to 2 naps?

Most babies transition from 3 to 2 naps between **6 and 8 months**. Signs of readiness: the third nap is consistently refused or very short, bedtime is coming much later, wake windows naturally extend beyond 3 hours. Forcing the drop before biological readiness causes overtiredness and more frequent night wakings within 48–72 hours.

Q: When should a toddler go from 2 naps to 1 nap?

The average transition from 2 naps to 1 nap occurs between **12 and 18 months** (median around 15–17 months). Some toddlers are ready at 12 months; others maintain 2 naps until 18 months — both are normal. Signs of readiness: consistently short or refused second nap, no overtiredness at bedtime, nighttime sleep staying solid at 11+ hours.

Q: How do sleep recommendations change for premature babies?

For premature infants, use **corrected gestational age (CGA)** rather than chronological age. A baby born at 32 weeks who is now 4 months old has a CGA of ~2 months (4 months − 2 months premature), so the 14–16 hrs/day recommendation for 2–3-month-olds applies. The AAP recommends using CGA for all developmental benchmarks until at least 24 months for babies born more than 2 months early.

Q: What is the best bedtime for infants and toddlers?

Research consistently points to a bedtime between **6:30 PM and 8:00 PM** for infants and toddlers, aligned with the biological rise in melatonin (dim-light melatonin onset, DLMO), which occurs ~2 hours before natural sleep onset. A 6-month-old with the last nap ending at 4:30 PM and a 2.5-hour wake window should target a 7:00–7:30 PM bedtime. Bedtimes after 8:30 PM are associated with shorter total sleep, more night wakings, and earlier morning rises.

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Reviewed by: Martín Rodríguez (política editorial ) · Last reviewed: 4 jun 2026

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Enter your baby's age in months to instantly see the recommended total daily sleep, number of naps, and nighttime sleep target — pulled directly from American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines endorsed by the AAP and CDC. Sleep needs change fast in the first three years: a newborn needs 14–17 hours/day, dropping to 11–14 hours by age 2. Get the right number for your child's exact age.

Last reviewed: June 3, 2026 Verified by Martín Rodríguez Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) — Pediatric Sleep Duration Consensus (2016), CDC — How Much Sleep Do I Need? Infant & Toddler Recommendations, AAP — American Academy of Pediatrics: Healthy Sleep Habits, NIH MedlinePlus — Infant and Newborn Sleep 100% private

Newborns (0–3 months) need 14–17 hours of sleep per day; 4–11 months: 12–15 hours; 1–2 years: 11–14 hours; 3–5 years: 10–13 hours (AAP/AASM). These totals include all naps. A 6-month-old typically sleeps 10–11 hours at night plus 2–3 naps of ~1.5 hours each (≈ 14–15 hours total).

When to use this calculator

Parents checking whether their 4-month-old's total sleep (night + naps) is in the healthy range
Pediatricians counseling families on whether a 9-month-old sleeping 11 hours/day is within the AASM recommendation
Sleep consultants calculating optimal wake-window length between naps for a 12-month-old
Caregivers in daycare verifying nap policies align with AAP-recommended sleep totals for infants 6–18 months
Parents tracking when their toddler should drop from 2 naps to 1 nap (typically 12–18 months)
NICU follow-up teams assessing sleep adequacy for premature infants at corrected gestational age

Example: 6-month-old

Age: 6 months
Total recommended: 14–15 hours/day
Naps: 2–3 naps × ~1.5 hrs = 3–4.5 hrs daytime

Result: Nighttime: 10–11 hrs + 2–3 daytime naps

How it works

3 min read

Baby Sleep Hours by Age — Complete Reference Chart

The recommendations below come from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) 2016 Pediatric Consensus, adopted by the AAP and CDC. All totals include nighttime sleep and all daytime naps.

Age	Total Sleep/Day	Nighttime Sleep	Daytime Naps	Avg Nap Duration	Wake Window
0–1 month	14–17 hrs	8–9 hrs	4–5 naps	30–60 min	45–60 min
2–3 months	14–16 hrs	9–10 hrs	3–4 naps	45–90 min	60–90 min
4–5 months	14–15 hrs	10–11 hrs	3 naps	60–90 min	1.5–2 hrs
6–8 months	14–15 hrs	10–11 hrs	2–3 naps	1–2 hrs	2–3 hrs
9–11 months	12–15 hrs	10–12 hrs	2 naps	1–1.5 hrs	2.5–3.5 hrs
12–15 months	12–14 hrs	10–12 hrs	1–2 naps	1–2 hrs	3–4 hrs
16–18 months	11–14 hrs	10–12 hrs	1 nap	1–2 hrs	4–5 hrs
19–23 months	11–14 hrs	10–12 hrs	1 nap	1–1.5 hrs	5–6 hrs
24–36 months	11–14 hrs	10–13 hrs	0–1 nap	1–1.5 hrs	5–6 hrs

Source: AASM Pediatric Sleep Duration Consensus (2016); CDC Infant & Toddler Sleep guidelines.

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How the Calculator Works

The calculator applies AASM lookup logic:

Input: age in months
1. Look up AASM range → [min_hrs, max_hrs] per 24 hours
2. Nighttime sleep = Total sleep − (avg_nap_duration × n_naps)
3. Wake window = Waking hours ÷ (n_naps + 1)

Example — 6 months:
  Total recommended  = 14–15 hours/day
  Naps               = 2–3 × ~1.5 hrs = 3.0–4.5 hrs daytime
  Nighttime sleep    = 14.5 − 3.75 (midpoint) ≈ 10–11 hrs
  Wake window        = (24 − 14.5) ÷ 3.5 ≈ 2.7 hrs between naps

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Age-by-Age Breakdown

Newborn (0–3 months): 14–17 hrs/day

Newborns have no circadian rhythm yet — they sleep in 2–4 hour stretches around the clock, with 4–5 naps per day. Nighttime sleep is fragmented to 8–9 total hours because feeding must occur every 2–3 hours. This is normal and improves rapidly by week 8–12 as melatonin production matures.

4–5 Months: 14–15 hrs/day

The 4-month "sleep regression" happens because the brain matures to adult-like sleep cycles (light → deep → REM), which means babies now partially wake between cycles and must learn to re-settle. Naps consolidate from 4–5 short naps to 3 more predictable ones (morning, midday, late afternoon).

6–8 Months: 14–15 hrs/day, 2–3 naps

Solid food introduction overlaps with this phase, but food volume does not affect sleep needs. Most babies consolidate from 3 to 2 naps between 6 and 8 months. Wake windows extend to 2–3 hours. A typical schedule: 7 AM wake → nap at 9:30 → nap at 1:30 → bed at 7 PM.

9–11 Months: 12–15 hrs/day, 2 naps

Separation anxiety peaks at 9–10 months and is the #1 cause of new night wakings at this age. Sleep need remains high. Babies who dropped to 2 naps by 6 months may show readiness for 1 nap, but the average transition is 12–18 months.

12–18 Months: 11–14 hrs/day, 1–2 naps

The nap transition from 2 to 1 is the biggest schedule shift in toddlerhood. Signs of readiness: consistently short/refused second nap, long wake windows without fussiness, nighttime sleep staying intact. Forcing the drop too early causes overtiredness (higher cortisol → worse nighttime sleep).

19–36 Months: 11–14 hrs/day, 0–1 nap

By 2–3 years most toddlers still benefit from a 1–1.5 hr afternoon nap. Quiet rest time works for children who resist sleep. Total overnight sleep of 10–13 hours covers the primary sleep need.

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5 Common Mistakes Parents Make

1. Counting only nighttime sleep as "total sleep." The AASM recommendations are for the full 24-hour period. A 6-month-old with 10 hrs at night + 4 hrs of naps = 14 hrs total — perfectly on track.

2. Dropping naps too early to fix nighttime wake-ups. Overtired babies wake more at night due to elevated cortisol. Eliminating a nap at 9 months (before readiness at 12–18 months) worsens nighttime sleep within 2–3 days in most cases.

3. Ignoring wake windows. Sleep pressure (adenosine buildup) is age-dependent. A 4-month-old can't sustain more than 2 hours awake; extending to 3 hours causes cortisol spikes that shorten nap duration.

4. Late bedtimes backfire. In infants, a bedtime after 8 PM leads to earlier morning wake-ups due to cortisol release at biological dawn (~5–6 AM). Earlier bedtime = more total sleep.

5. Treating the range as a hard pass/fail. Individual babies may naturally sleep 30–45 min outside the range with no concerns. Key indicators are mood, growth, and feeding cues — not the number alone.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours should a newborn sleep per day?

Newborns (0–3 months) need 14–17 hours of total sleep per day, spread across 4–5 sleep periods around the clock. They have no circadian rhythm yet, so sleep is distributed day and night in 2–4 hour stretches. By 6–8 weeks, most babies begin consolidating nighttime sleep to 4–6 hour stretches. This is the AAP and AASM recommendation — the same guideline your pediatrician uses.

How many hours should a 6-month-old sleep?

A 6-month-old needs 14–15 hours of total sleep per day (AAP/AASM). Typical breakdown: 10–11 hours overnight + 2–3 daytime naps of ~1.5 hours each (3–4.5 hours daytime). Sleeping consistently under 12 hours or over 16 hours warrants a check with your pediatrician. Remember: naps count toward the daily total.

Do naps count toward the total daily sleep recommendation?

Yes — all AASM/AAP recommendations refer to total sleep in 24 hours, including every nap. A 9-month-old with a target of 12–15 hours: 11 hrs overnight + two 1.5-hr naps = 14 hours total — right in range. Counting only nighttime sleep is the most common mistake parents make when assessing their child's sleep adequacy.

When do babies drop from 3 naps to 2 naps?

Most babies transition from 3 to 2 naps between 6 and 8 months. Signs of readiness: the third nap is consistently refused or very short, bedtime is coming much later, wake windows naturally extend beyond 3 hours. Forcing the drop before biological readiness causes overtiredness and more frequent night wakings within 48–72 hours.

When should a toddler go from 2 naps to 1 nap?

The average transition from 2 naps to 1 nap occurs between 12 and 18 months (median around 15–17 months). Some toddlers are ready at 12 months; others maintain 2 naps until 18 months — both are normal. Signs of readiness: consistently short or refused second nap, no overtiredness at bedtime, nighttime sleep staying solid at 11+ hours.

What is a wake window and why does it matter?

A wake window is the maximum time a baby can stay awake between sleep periods before sleep pressure (adenosine buildup) triggers cortisol and overtiredness. Wake windows are strictly age-dependent: newborns tolerate only 45–60 minutes; a 6-month-old manages 2–3 hours; an 18-month-old handles 5–6 hours. Exceeding the window consistently leads to a 'wired but tired' state that shortens naps and increases night wakings.

Can a baby sleep too much?

Sleeping more than 2+ hours above the AASM upper limit consistently (e.g., a 6-month-old averaging 17–18 hrs/day) can signal jaundice, infection, or feeding difficulty in newborns. In the first 2 weeks, the AAP recommends waking every 2–3 hours to feed if the baby doesn't wake naturally. After the newborn stage, occasional long-sleep days after illness or growth spurts are normal and not a concern.

How do sleep recommendations change for premature babies?

For premature infants, use corrected gestational age (CGA) rather than chronological age. A baby born at 32 weeks who is now 4 months old has a CGA of ~2 months (4 months − 2 months premature), so the 14–16 hrs/day recommendation for 2–3-month-olds applies. The AAP recommends using CGA for all developmental benchmarks until at least 24 months for babies born more than 2 months early.

Does sleep duration affect brain development?

Yes — substantially. During slow-wave (NREM) sleep, the brain consolidates memories, clears metabolic waste via the glymphatic system, and releases 80–90% of daily growth hormone. NIH-funded research found that infants with below-recommended sleep showed measurably lower white matter myelination at 12 months. Chronic sleep restriction in the first year is also linked to increased obesity risk by age 3 (Harvard T.H. Chan, 2014).

What is the best bedtime for infants and toddlers?

Research consistently points to a bedtime between 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM for infants and toddlers, aligned with the biological rise in melatonin (dim-light melatonin onset, DLMO), which occurs ~2 hours before natural sleep onset. A 6-month-old with the last nap ending at 4:30 PM and a 2.5-hour wake window should target a 7:00–7:30 PM bedtime. Bedtimes after 8:30 PM are associated with shorter total sleep, more night wakings, and earlier morning rises.