How much should a baby sleep? Sleep hours by age

A baby's sleep changes a lot in the first years. Here you'll find how many hours of sleep are recommended at each age and how to make sleep safer and calmer.

Updated 2 October 2026

In short

A newborn (0–3 months) usually sleeps 14–17 hours in 24 hours, in short stretches.
From 4 to 12 months, 12–16 hours are recommended, including naps.
Always put your baby to sleep on their back, on a firm surface, with no pillows or toys in the cot.

Sleep hours by age

Hours are per 24 hours and include night sleep and daytime naps. They are guideline ranges: some babies sleep a little more, some a little less, and that's normal if the baby is healthy and growing well.

Age	Sleep in 24 hours
0–3 months	14–17 hours*
4–12 months	12–16 hours
1–2 years	11–14 hours
3–5 years	10–13 hours

Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). *For 0–3 months: National Sleep Foundation, as the AASM gives no recommendation for this age.

Newborn: 0–3 months

In the first weeks a baby sleeps a lot, but in short stretches of 2–4 hours, because they wake to feed. They can't yet tell day from night, so night sleep isn't long. This is normal.

You can help them learn day and night: during the day keep the room light with the usual household sounds; at night keep the lights low and feeds calm, without play.

From 4 to 12 months

Night sleep gradually gets longer and naps become more regular. Many babies take 2–3 naps a day in this period, often dropping to 2 by the end of the first year. Night waking may continue, especially during a new developmental stage or teething.

Safe sleep

These are the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations for every sleep, day and night:

Always put your baby to sleep on their back.
Use a firm, flat mattress with a well-fitted sheet.
Keep pillows, soft blankets, soft toys and bumpers out of the cot.
Your baby sleeps in your room but in their own cot, ideally for at least the first 6 months.
Don't overdress your baby or overheat the room.
Don't smoke and don't let anyone smoke near the baby.

A calm bedtime routine

Repeat the same steps every evening, for example: bath, pyjamas, feed, a song.
Keep the lights low and voices quiet in the half hour before sleep.
Try putting your baby down drowsy but still awake.
Keep a note of when they sleep and wake. After a few days you'll see their rhythm.

When to talk to your paediatrician

Talk to your paediatrician if your baby is hard to wake or seems very sleepy all the time, snores loudly or has pauses in breathing, isn't feeding well, or simply if something about their sleep worries you.

Track it with Ditari i Bebes

In Ditari i Bebes you log night sleep and naps with one tap and see a chart of the last 7 days. It makes your baby's rhythm easier to understand and gives you accurate data when you talk to the paediatrician.

See the app

Sources

This guide is for information only and doesn't replace advice from your doctor, midwife or lactation consultant. Every mother and every baby is different. If something worries you, talk to your doctor.