So, How Long Do Babies Need to Sleep?

Depending on the age of your baby, he or she may need 11-17 hours of sleep a day. It also depends on the individual child. Generally, a newborn will need the most amount of sleep. Their sleeping hours reduce as they grow. Here’s a general guideline on how much sleep your little one should be getting based on their age:

• Babies between 0 to 3 months need 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day.
• Babies between 4 to 11 months need 12 to 16 hours of sleep a day.
• Toddlers between 12 to 35 months need 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day.

This is an accumulation of naps and sleeping at night. For a newborn, it might not make a difference between night and day. They may sleep for about 1-3 hours, wake up, and go right back to sleep in less than an hour. As they get older, they tend to sleep less during the day and more during the night. By the time they are 6 months old, they should be sleeping regularly at night with a few naps during the day.

This fragmented sleep pattern can be difficult for new parents, but hang in there – a full (or uninterrupted, at the least) night’s sleep is only a while away!