Baby sleep: Understanding it all2-3 months: what to expect from baby sleep
At this age, babies sleep on and off during the day and night. They sleep for around 16 hours in every 24 hours.
Babies sleep in cycles that last about 40 minutes. Each cycle is made up of active sleep and quiet sleep. Babies move around and grunt during active sleep, and sleep deeply during quiet sleep.
At the end of each cycle, babies wake up for a little while. They might grizzle, groan or cry. They might need help to settle for the next sleep cycle.
Around 2-3 months, babies start developing night and day sleep patterns. This means they tend to start sleeping more during the night.
Around 3 months: what to expect from baby sleep
Around three months, babies’ sleep changes to longer cycles of light sleep, deep sleep and dream sleep. These changes might mean less waking and resettling during sleep.
At this age, babies might regularly be having longer sleeps at night – for example, around 4-5 hours.
Babies still need around 16 hours sleep in every 24 hours.
3-6 months: what to expect from baby sleep
At this age, babies need 15-16 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Babies might start moving towards a pattern of 2-3 daytime sleeps of up to two hours each.
And night-time sleeps get longer at this age. For example, babies might be having long sleeps of six hours at night by the time they’re six months old.
But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.
6-12 months: what to expect from baby sleep
Babies sleep less as they get older. By the time your baby is one year old, baby will probably need 14-15 hours sleep every 24 hours.
Sleep during the night
From about six months, most babies have their longest sleeps at night.
Most babies are ready for bed between 6 pm and 8 pm. They usually take less than 30 minutes to get to sleep, but about 1 in 10 babies takes longer.
At this age, baby sleep cycles are closer to those of grown-up sleep – which means less waking at night. So your baby might not wake you during the night, or waking might happen less often.
By eight months, most babies can settle themselves back to sleep without a parent’s help. Others keep waking if they need help to settle back to sleep, or if they’re still having breastfeeds or bottles during the night.
6-12 months: other developments that affect sleep
From around six months, babies develop lots of new abilities that can affect sleep or make babies more difficult to settle:
- Babies learn to keep themselves awake, especially if something interesting is happening, or they’re in a place with lots of light and noise.
- Settling difficulties can happen at the same time as crawling. You might notice your baby’s sleep habits changing when baby starts moving around more.
- Babies learn that things exist, even when they’re out of sight. Now that your baby knows you exist when you leave the bedroom, baby might call or cry out for you.
- Separation anxiety is when babies get upset because you’re not around. It might mean your baby doesn’t want to go to sleep and wakes up more often in the night.
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2-3 months: what to expect from baby sleep
At this age, babies sleep on and off during the day and night. They sleep for around 16 hours in every 24 hours.
Babies sleep in cycles that last about 40 minutes. Each cycle is made up of active sleep and quiet sleep. Babies move around and grunt during active sleep, and sleep deeply during quiet sleep.
At the end of each cycle, babies wake up for a little while. They might grizzle, groan or cry. They might need help to settle for the next sleep cycle.
Around 2-3 months, babies start developing night and day sleep patterns. This means they tend to start sleeping more during the night.
Around 3 months: what to expect from baby sleep
Around three months, babies’ sleep changes to longer cycles of light sleep, deep sleep and dream sleep. These changes might mean less waking and resettling during sleep.
At this age, babies might regularly be having longer sleeps at night – for example, around 4-5 hours.
Babies still need around 16 hours sleep in every 24 hours.
3-6 months: what to expect from baby sleep
At this age, babies need 15-16 hours of sleep every 24 hours.
Babies might start moving towards a pattern of 2-3 daytime sleeps of up to two hours each.
And night-time sleeps get longer at this age. For example, babies might be having long sleeps of six hours at night by the time they’re six months old.
But you can expect that your baby will still wake at least once each night.
6-12 months: what to expect from baby sleep
Babies sleep less as they get older. By the time your baby is one year old, baby will probably need 14-15 hours sleep every 24 hours.
Sleep during the night
From about six months, most babies have their longest sleeps at night.
Most babies are ready for bed between 6 pm and 8 pm. They usually take less than 30 minutes to get to sleep, but about 1 in 10 babies takes longer.
At this age, baby sleep cycles are closer to those of grown-up sleep – which means less waking at night. So your baby might not wake you during the night, or waking might happen less often.
By eight months, most babies can settle themselves back to sleep without a parent’s help. Others keep waking if they need help to settle back to sleep, or if they’re still having breastfeeds or bottles during the night.
6-12 months: other developments that affect sleep
From around six months, babies develop lots of new abilities that can affect sleep or make babies more difficult to settle:
- Babies learn to keep themselves awake, especially if something interesting is happening, or they’re in a place with lots of light and noise.
- Settling difficulties can happen at the same time as crawling. You might notice your baby’s sleep habits changing when baby starts moving around more.
- Babies learn that things exist, even when they’re out of sight. Now that your baby knows you exist when you leave the bedroom, baby might call or cry out for you.
- Separation anxiety is when babies get upset because you’re not around. It might mean your baby doesn’t want to go to sleep and wakes up more often in the night.
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