The Ultimate Guide - Sleep Expectations at Every Stage

Navigating your baby’s sleep can feel like a never-ending puzzle. One day they’re sleeping soundly, and the next, they’re up every hour! But knowing what to expect at each stage of your baby’s development can make things a whole lot easier.

Let’s dive into a stage-by-stage breakdown of your baby’s sleep patterns and what you can do to support their rest along the way.

0-3 Months: The Fourth Trimester

In the first few months, your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb, which means sleep patterns will be unpredictable. Newborns typically sleep around 14-17 hours a day, but they wake frequently—often every 2-3 hours—for feeds. This stage can feel exhausting, but it’s normal.

What to Expect:

• Lots of sleep but frequent wake-ups
• Day-night confusion: Newborns often have their days and nights mixed up
• Sleep being largely driven by hunger and comfort

How You Can Help:

• Focus on creating a calm, soothing environment for sleep
• Swaddle to recreate the snug feeling of the womb
• Try not to worry about sleep training yet—it’s too early for strict routines

4-6 Months: Establishing Patterns

Between 4-6 months, your baby’s sleep starts to mature, and you may notice more regular patterns emerging. Their night sleep will begin to consolidate, and daytime naps may start to fall into a more predictable rhythm.

What to Expect:

• Sleep cycles become more structured. You might experience a period of 2hrly wakes overnight as they adjust but this will turn into longer stretches of night sleep (4-6 hours at a time)
• Naps start to take shape, usually 3-4 naps per day
• Some babies begin to attempt rolling over and become more active, which can disrupt sleep

How You Can Help:

• Start establishing a bedtime routine (bath, feeding, stories) to signal that it’s time for sleep
• Encourage your baby to fall asleep independently by putting them down in their sleep space awake
• Watch for signs of over-tiredness—keeping awake windows age-appropriate is key to preventing fussiness

6-9 Months: Sleep Blips & Milestones

Around 6-8 months, many babies experience a sleep blip. This happens because they’re learning new skills like rolling, sitting, or even crawling, which can temporarily disrupt their sleep. At this stage, babies also learn object permanence, which might lead to separation anxiety at bedtime.

What to Expect:

• Night wakings may temporarily increase due to a period of rapid development
• Starting solids which can either improve or disrupt sleep
• Many babies drop from 3 to 2 naps per day during this stage

How You Can Help:

• Stick to a consistent nap and bedtime routine to give your baby stability
• Be patient with night wakings—respond calmly, but avoid assisting all the way to sleep if they know how to self-settle
• Introduce solids gradually and keep main meals about 1 hour away from sleep time.

9-12 Months: More Consistent Sleep (with Some Bumps)

By 9 months, your baby will probably be sleeping for longer stretches at night and taking two regular naps during the day. However, teething, separation anxiety, and standing, cruising, or walking may create a few bumps in the road.

What to Expect:

• Sleep is more consolidated, but night wakings can still happen due to teething or reaching developmental milestones
• Babies may start resisting naps, especially the afternoon nap. This is usually not a sign that they are ready to drop to one nap.
• Many babies will be able to sleep through the night without feeding.

How You Can Help:

• Stick to your bedtime routine, even during regressions
• Offer comfort during teething, but avoid starting new sleep habits that involve lots of assistance to fall asleep
• Keep your baby’s sleep environment consistent and free from distractions

12-18 Months: Toddler Transitions

As your baby transitions into toddlerhood, their sleep will become even more predictable. Most toddlers are down to one nap a day by 18 months, but they’re also more active, which means bedtime might involve some extra wrangling.

What to Expect:

• Your toddler is still growing and learning every day, and reaching major milestones can cause temporary sleep disruptions
• Your toddler may start resisting bedtime as they become more independent
• Many toddlers drop to one nap around 13-18 months

How You Can Help:

• Be consistent with sleep times and routines, even when your toddler resists
• Offer choices at bedtime (e.g., “Do you want the blue pajamas or the red ones?”) to give them a sense of control
• Use a comfort object like a lovey to help your toddler feel secure

18-24 Months: The Road to Independence

By the time your little one is 18-24 months old, they’ve likely dropped to one long nap a day, and their night sleep should be pretty well established. However, this is also the age when separation anxiety can peak again, and your toddler might start testing boundaries.

What to Expect:

• 11-12 hours of night sleep with about 2 hours of daytime napping
• Sleeping through with no milk feeds
• Your toddler may have stamina when it comes to protesting sleep

How You Can Help:

• Keep the bedtime routine consistent and comforting, with plenty of reassurance if your toddler is feeling anxious
• Avoid offering too much stimulation before bed—quiet, calm activities will help them wind down
• If your toddler begins waking up at night, use a gentle, consistent approach to settling them back to sleep without introducing new habits like rocking or extra feeds

2-3 Years: The Toddler Years

By the time your child reaches 2-3 years old, sleep patterns have become more stable, but new challenges can arise as your toddler becomes more independent. This stage often brings bedtime resistance and even night wakings due to growing imaginations, fears, or testing boundaries.

What to Expect:

• 11-12 hours of night sleep with one nap lasting 1-2 hours (although some toddlers may start dropping naps altogether)
• Bedtime battles: Your toddler may start resisting sleep, asking for “just one more...” or pushing back on bedtime rules
• Night wakings due to fears, nightmares, or needing reassurance
• Increased interest in independence, which can result in a desire to control the bedtime routine

How You Can Help:

• Be consistent: Keep bedtime routines structured and predictable, offering comfort while maintaining boundaries
• Use gentle choices to give your toddler a sense of control (e.g., “Do you want to brush your teeth before or after you pick out a book?”)
• Address fears with calm reassurance—use a nightlight or talk about comforting things before bed, and monitor screen time and books for any themes that may trigger fear or uncertainty.
• If your toddler is waking at night, avoid lengthy interactions and focus on calming them down quickly and consistently

The Key to Success: Flexibility and Consistency

Every baby is different, and sleep patterns can vary widely from one child to the next. The key to success is a combination of flexibility—understanding that temporary disruptions will happen—and consistency, in your routines, environment, and how you respond to your baby’s needs.

Feeling overwhelmed and stuck in a cycle of poor sleep? View my sleep programs for step-by-step guidance tailored to your baby’s age and stage!