Infant Sleep Guide & Sample Baby Sleep Schedules from a Pediatric Sleep Coach
Hey, Mamas. I know firsthand that navigating infant sleep when you are exhausted, recovering, working, and/or struggling can seem incredibly overwhelming. Any down time you have is precious, right? Don’t waste it Googling random baby sleep information. Let me give you the rundown of some basics on infant napping and overnight sleep development from babies and toddlers, 0 - 18 months of age. Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines, which is why I like to do personalized sleep counseling for each family’s needs. Some infants may achieve the milestones below faster or slower than others. Remember that sleep may also be disturbed by witching hours, PURPLE crying, day/night confusion, teething, illnesses, vaccines, etc. BUT these are good things to keep in mind along the way and I’d rather you have it from someone with training than Aunt Linda who had 6 kids and hasn’t mothered in 50 years. No shade to Aunt Linda, but a lot has changed since then. We’re going to break it down by age:
0-3 Month Sleep Guide
I call this newborn phase a “sleep shit show.” You’re in the trenches. You’re in survival mode because newborns aren’t ready to follow a set sleep schedule so caregivers should rely on wake windows to determine when an infant should sleep. Newborns need to feed frequently, including overnight. Most newborns need help getting to sleep with rocking, bouncing, nursing, pacifiers, swaddling, etc. Sleep patterns are highly variable between newborns. Towards 3 months, the number and duration of naps per day should start to become more regular, and wake windows should increase. Starting a simple bedtime/naptime routine now is helpful for later stages of development. I always recommend the same book, same song, same everything all in the same order to cue them that it’s time to sleep. This will help as they get older. Obviously, you’ll need a sound machine and blackout curtains to maximize sleep.
4-6 Month Sleep Guide
OK, so here we are getting to a little more normalcy. “Normal,” meaning, they might be sleeping a liiiiitle better for ya. This is an appropriate time to start sleep training for most infants. Caregivers should aim to start teaching infants independent sleep habits to remove dependence on caregiver-led sleep aids. To achieve this, putting infants down in their cribs while still awake is key (harder said than done, and this is where I come in). Many babies undergo sleep regressions around 4 months and/or 6 months (also where I come in). 1-2 overnight feedings are still common during this time, though some infants may have started sleeping through the night, especially if they’ve started eating more solids. Most babies have the ability to go all night without middle-of-the-night feedings, but just might not want to (because they want the boob to fall asleep, duh). Always check in with your pediatrician before weaning off night feeding to ensure baby is at optimal weight and health. Aim for 16-18 hours of sleep, 3-4 naps anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours in length, 1-2 hour wake windows, and an early bedtime. The overnight sleep goal is 9-10 hours. Very normal to get what I call “crap naps” around this time, so I can help you tackle those as well.
7-9 Month Sleep Guide
By this age, most babies have the ability to take long, regular naps rather than “catnapping” irregularly. But getting them to do so can be a challenge. Hit me up if you’re still struggling with any nap predictability because that can drive anyone crazy, but especially a mom working from home (trust me). Another sleep regression is common between 8-9 months, so look out for that treat as well. Infants may still be feeding once overnight but their nighttime sleep should be consolidating into longer chunks. Caregivers should continue to work on encouraging independent sleep habits and removing dependence on caregiver-led sleep aids.
10-18 Month Sleep Guide
Are they not just the cutest at this age? I mean they’re adorable at every age, but I swear, they start coming into their own so much around now. I personally love babies in their “still not a Terrible Two era.” Some infants will begin developing fears and/or separation anxiety within this age range, which can introduce new sleep challenges– fun! Most infants aren’t ready to transition from 2 naps to 1 nap until 12-18 months, but some are golden at 10 months and some are monsters on only 1 nap until closer to 2 years old (depending on when bedtime is). Yes, it varies that much. Let me know if you need help with any nap transitions…I gotchu. If caregivers are still breastfeeding, they may choose to continue providing an overnight/early morning feeding or wean off completely- just know that this is 100% your choice, but usually never a necessity for babies at this age.
Book a Free Intro Call
Thanks for coming to my Infant Sleep Guide Ted Talk. I hope this helped explain some of the things you see on the internet. For more on the following or for personalized sleep guides and schedules, book a free intro call to see if you’re interested in a 30-minute sleep chat or a full package. One-on-one, I’ll give you more information on what was addressed in this blog (and more) specifically for your baby since they’re not robots:
Total baby sleep needs
Number of naps
Nap durations
Wake windows
Bedtimes & routines
Overnight sleep
Sleep expectations
Night, night. Sleep tight. If your baby puts up a fight, contact me to get it right. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start my side hustle as a rapper. <3
Love,
Jackie
