How Much Sleep Do Babies and Toddlers Need
You are probably tired. If you are reading this between feeds, naps, and the general blur of early parenthood, you are not imagining it, the sleep advice can be contradictory and the reality can feel nothing like the books describe.
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What is normal sleep for a baby or toddler anyway?
Babies do not sleep like adults. Their sleep cycles are shorter, they spend more time in light sleep, and they wake more easily. This is not a problem to be fixed; it is how their growing brains are built. A newborn who wakes every two hours to feed is doing exactly what they are supposed to do.
That said, it helps to have a rough sense of what typical sleep looks like at different ages. Every child is different, and your child may need a little more or a little less sleep than the averages suggest. The range is wide, and what matters most is whether your child is feeding, growing, and generally content during their awake time.
Newborns (0 to 3 months)
Newborns sleep in short bursts, often 14 to 17 hours across a 24-hour period, but rarely for more than two to four hours at a stretch. They do not know the difference between day and night yet. Their stomachs are tiny, so they need to feed frequently, and that means you will be up too.
Wake windows, the time they can comfortably stay awake between naps, are very short. At this age, a wake window is usually 45 minutes to an hour. By the time you see tired signs (rubbing eyes, yawning, fussing), they have probably already been awake a little too long.
There is no way to speed this stage up. You cannot sleep train a newborn, and you should not try. What you can do is accept that this phase is temporary, ask for help when you can, and sleep when the baby sleeps, even if that means a nap at 10am.
Babies (4 to 11 months)
Somewhere around four months, sleep often shifts. Many babies start sleeping in longer stretches at night, five to eight hours is common, though not every baby does, and that is still normal. Total sleep per day drops to about 12 to 15 hours, with two to three naps during the day.
Wake windows grow to about 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the age. A four-month-old might manage 90 minutes of awake time before needing a nap. An eight-month-old can often stay up for two and a half hours. By eleven months, some babies are moving toward one nap a day, though many still take two.
This is also the age when separation anxiety can appear, and it often affects sleep. A baby who used to settle easily may suddenly cry when you leave the room. This is not a sign that you have done something wrong. It is a normal developmental stage. If you are finding the crying hard to read, the page on what normal crying in newborns looks like may help, even for an older baby.
Toddlers (12 to 36 months)
Toddlers need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, and most get that in one single nap plus a long night stretch. The transition from two naps to one usually happens between 12 and 18 months. Some toddlers drop the nap altogether by age three, but many still nap until four or five.
Wake windows for toddlers are three to five hours. A one-year-old can usually stay awake for about three hours before needing a nap. A two-year-old can often manage four or five hours. The tricky part is that toddlers can seem wide awake when they are actually overtired. The wired, running-around behaviour just before a meltdown is often a sign that the wake window has been pushed too far.
Bedtime resistance is common at this age. Toddlers are developing their own will, and they will test boundaries around sleep just as they test boundaries around food and play. A consistent bedtime routine, bath, book, cuddle, bed, can help signal that sleep is coming, even if they protest.
What about wake windows and overtiredness
Wake windows are a useful tool, but they are not a science. They give you a rough idea of how long your child can comfortably stay awake. If you put a baby down for a nap too early, they may fight it because they are not tired yet. If you put them down too late, they may be overtired and struggle to settle.
An overtired baby has a build-up of cortisol and adrenaline that makes it hard to fall asleep, even though they desperately need it. This is why a short, late nap can sometimes backfire. If your child is already overtired, a shorter wake window for the next cycle might help reset things.
Every child is different. A refugee family living in Berlin, adjusting to a new country and a new time zone, might find their child's wake windows shift in ways that do not match any chart. That is normal. The chart is a guide, not a rule.
When sleep problems might be something else
Sometimes sleep difficulties are a sign of something else going on. Reflux, ear infections, food allergies, and teething can all disrupt sleep. So can developmental leaps, learning to crawl, walk, or talk often comes with a temporary sleep regression.
If your child is consistently hard to settle, waking more than usual for their age, or showing signs of distress like gasping, snoring loudly, or stopping breathing during sleep, it is worth seeing a doctor. Similarly, if you are struggling with your own sleep to the point that it is affecting your mood or your ability to function, that matters too. The page on what insomnia is might be a place to start thinking about your own sleep, separate from your child's.
Fatima, a primary school teacher in Abu Dhabi, found that her toddler's night wakings were making her irritable and short-tempered at work. She assumed it was just the reality of parenthood, but when she mentioned it to her GP, she learned she had been running on a serious sleep deficit for months. Getting help for her own sleep did not fix her toddler's sleep, but it made everything else feel more manageable.
When and how to get help
If you are worried about your child's sleep, start with your health visitor, paediatrician, or family doctor. They can rule out medical causes and refer you to a sleep clinic if needed. Many areas have free or low-cost sleep support services for parents.
You can also look for a therapist who works with parents and babies. Sleep problems in children can stir up a lot of feelings, guilt, frustration, worry that you are doing it wrong. A therapist can help you separate what is a normal developmental phase from what might need more attention, and can support you with the emotional toll that broken sleep takes. Therapy O'Clock has a directory of professionals where you can filter by speciality, including infant and child sleep.
If cost is a concern, the page on how much therapy costs and whether it is worth it walks through the options, including sliding-scale fees and low-cost community services.
A note on different families, different sleep
Sleep expectations vary across cultures. In many parts of the world, co-sleeping and night feeding continue well past the first year. In others, babies are put in their own room from the start. There is no single right way. What matters is that everyone in the family is safe and as rested as possible.
If you are a single parent, or if you have other children, or if you are caring for an elderly relative while raising a baby, you may not have the luxury of following every piece of advice. That is okay. Do what you can. The rest can wait.
Questions people ask
Is it normal for my 6-month-old to still wake every 2 hours at night?
It is common, though not universal. Some babies continue to wake frequently for months, and it can be normal. If you are concerned, check with your doctor to rule out reflux, ear infections, or other issues, but many babies simply wake often.
Can I sleep train my 4-month-old?
Some sleep training methods start at four months, but babies this young still need night feeds. Talk to your doctor before starting any sleep training. The key is to ensure your baby is getting enough to eat and that any method you use is gentle and responsive.
How do I know if my baby is overtired?
Common signs include rubbing eyes, yawning, fussing, and looking away from you. In older babies and toddlers, overtiredness can look like hyperactivity or meltdowns. If you see these signs, try putting them down for a nap sooner next time.
What is a sleep regression?
A sleep regression is a temporary period when a baby who was sleeping well starts waking more often or fighting sleep. It often happens around 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, and 18 months, and is usually linked to a developmental leap. It typically passes in a few weeks.
My toddler fights bedtime every night. What can I do?
A consistent, calm bedtime routine can help. Keep the same steps in the same order each night. Limit screens for at least an hour before bed. If your toddler is still fighting, it may be that their wake window before bed is too long or too short.
How much daytime sleep does a 1-year-old need?
Most 1-year-olds need about 2 to 3 hours of daytime sleep, usually in one nap. Some still take two shorter naps. Watch your child's cues rather than the clock.
Is it okay to let my baby nap in the car or pram?
Yes, as long as they are safely secured and you are supervising. Naps in motion can be very effective, but try not to rely on them exclusively, as your baby may become dependent on movement to fall asleep.
Should I wake my baby from a nap?
Generally, no. Let them sleep as long as they need, unless it is interfering with night sleep. If a late nap means they are not tired at bedtime, you might cap that nap to 30 or 45 minutes.
My baby only sleeps when held. Is that a problem?
It is very common, especially in young babies. It is not a problem for the baby, but it can be exhausting for you. If you need to shift this, you can try gently transferring them to a flat surface once they are deeply asleep, or using a carrier during the day so you can move around.
What if my baby sleeps more than the average?
Some babies simply need more sleep. As long as they are feeding well, gaining weight, and alert when awake, extra sleep is usually fine. If you are worried, check with your doctor.
Can I give my baby any sleep aids?
No. Do not give babies or toddlers any sleep medication or supplements without a doctor's explicit advice. Always talk to a doctor first if you are considering any kind of sleep aid.
When should I worry about my child's sleep?
Worry if your child stops breathing during sleep, has loud snoring or gasping, is not gaining weight, or seems excessively sleepy during the day. Also worry if you are so exhausted that you cannot function safely – for example, if you are falling asleep while driving or caring for your child. In that case, ask for help from family, friends, or a professional.