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We get nap questions really frequently from our clients – particularly these three questions:
- How many naps does my baby need?
- How long should my baby’s naps be?
- How much sleep should my baby get during the day so they sleep at night?
Well, we’re answering all of them in today’s article. How many naps your baby takes will depend on their age and unique development. All babies develop at their own unique rates.
How long your baby’s naps are also depend on age but once your baby is past 4 months old, we want at least one nap that’s an hour or longer. Once past 6 months old, we want at least two naps that are an hour or longer. And, once your baby transitions to one nap, we want a nice, long 2 to 3-hour nap.
We hope you’ll use this chart as an ongoing reference tool since it covers nap totals and lengths from the newborn stage all the way through age 3. Print off a copy for yourself and use it as an easy reference tool – and consider printing off a few for your friends or family members who have struggling nappers at home!
Baby Nap Chart: Naps By Age
Age | # of Naps | Total Amount of Daytime Sleep | Length of Each Nap | Awake Time Between Naps | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 – 11 Weeks | 6-8 Naps | 4-5 hours | 10 or 15 minutes – 4 hours | 30 mins – 1 hour | Naps are all over the map at this age, so don’t fret about short and erratic naps in this newborn stage. Instead, focus on daily feeding and sleep routines and use those to shape your day. |
3-4 Months | 4-5 Naps | 3-4 hours | 30 minutes-2 hours | about 1-2 hours | Watch for the 4 month sleep regression right around this time; it will throw off even the best napper! |
5-6 Months | 3-4 Naps | 2.5-3.5 hours | 30/45 minutes-2 hours | about 2 hours | Short naps are normal in the first 5-6 months of your baby’s life, but starting around 6 months, your baby’s nap sleep should start to consolidate into more predictable, regular naps. |
7-8 Months | 2-3 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-2 hours | 2-3 hours | Another sleep regression strikes at around 8 or 9 months, and a nap transition sometimes happens around this same time – from 3 naps to 2. |
9-12 Months | 2 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-2 hours | about 3-4 hours | By this point, your baby should be napping pretty predictably. See our sample nap and feeding schedules for help building a more consistent nap schedule, if you’re still struggling with erratic naps. |
13-17 Months | 1-2 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-3 hours | 3-5hours | Resist the impulse to transition to 1 nap when your baby turns 12 months old. Most babies don’t make the transition to 1 nap until closer to 15-18 months, so hang on to that second nap as best you can for this stage. |
18 Months-3 Years | 1 Nap | 1-3 hours | 1.5-2.5 hours | 5-6 hours | Watch your toddler’s awake time between the end of the afternoon nap and bedtime – as your toddler grows, he’ll need longer and longer afternoon wake time, which means you’ll need to time the nap carefully to be sure it doesn’t push bedtime too late. Additionally, some children will drop the afternoon nap entirely before age 3. |
How Did We Make This Nap Chart?
The above chart is derived from over 10 years of experience as a sleep consultant, with thousands of families, in conjunction with the following two books:
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth M.D.
While you can obviously read multiple 200+ page books, we strive to bring you practical information at your fingertips that you can put to use right away.
Need Nap Help For Your Baby or Toddler? The Baby Sleep Site® Is Here For You!
If you are looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation, and want plenty of support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations. Your consultation package will provide you with the chance to interact one-on-one with a trained sleep consultant, who will create a Personalized Sleep Plan™ for your family and then work to help you implement it at home.
Our VIP Members Area is packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a VIP member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant.
Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep is THE newborn sleep book that will help you to not only improve your newborn’s sleep using gentle, sleep-inducing routines – it will also answer your feeding and newborn care questions. You can even buy a bundle package that includes the e-book AND a Personalized Sleep Plan™ PLUS a follow-up email to use for further support!
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
Need help knowing where to start? Visit our Help Me Choose page for help choosing the Baby Sleep Site® resources that are right for you.
Nicole says
My baby is going to be 10 months old in three days and she’s been sleeping between 10-12 hours at night. She then takes a morning nap about 2 hours and 45 mins after waking which can last between an hour and forty minutes to about 2 and a half hours. I then try to put her down for a second nap in the afternoon about two hours and forty five minute from the last waking but lately she’s refusing the nap. By the time bedtime comes, she’s overtired. I tried waking her earlier from the first nap but then she still fights it anyway, ends up even more tired.
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Nicole –
Thank you for visiting our sleepy little village! I am sorry that your baby is not napping well! Naps can be so tricky, and at this age we often see some sleep issues come up. Have you checked out our free sample 10 month old baby schedules? Here is a link: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/10-month-old-schedule/
As you will see here, your baby likely needs two naps at this age, and perhaps you can use the schedule as a gentle guide to getting back on track with naps. You may need to take baby steps (no pun intended) to reach your goals, to try and not let her get too overtired as you adjust things!
If you would like our help, please just let us know! We would love to create a Personalized Plan and schedule for you to help reach all of your sleep goals!
Good luck Nicole!
Laura says
Hi I have a 16 week old… he sleeps 8pm -7pm he only has 1x nap at 15 mins then 3x 45 mins throughout the day, is this normal? Or should i try and make it to 3 naps?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Laura –
Thank you so much for writing to us! Typically we see more naps at this age, and short naps are a common occurrence at this age.
Here is a link to our recommend schedule for a 4 month old. You might find this helpful if you would like to adjust his schedule. If he is having a hard time at night, or fussy trying to make it to the next naptime, adding a 4th or 5th nap may help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/4-month-old-schedule/#es?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
Hopefully this helps! Please contact us if you would like assistance with his schedule and naps!
Tigist says
I have 8 month old son he took 2 naps a day they are very long like 3-4 hours is it normal
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Tigist, thanks for visiting the Baby Sleep Site. Before answering your question I wanted to ask to see how your 8 month old is sleeping at night? Some babies have their times switched around a bit and they are distributing their sleep throughout a 24 period in an odd way, so if your baby isn’t getting 11-12 hours at night (a wake up for a feeding is ok) because he is sleeping so much during the day that may be the cause of the problem. If your baby is sleeping 11-12 hours, and then an additional 6-8 hours (spread between the 2 naps) it is probably something I’d mention to their doctor just to make sure he is getting all the nutrition he needs. Babies will sleep more during growth spurts, or during sickness, etc so if it just happened one day it’s likely nothing to worry about. Here’s a sample schedule so you can see what’s necessary/average for babies his age: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/8-month-old-baby-schedule/
I hope this helps!
Nancy says
I follow wake times and my 3 month old EBF baby is great at putting himself to sleep now. I notice that one of his naps during the day is about 3 hours long. I’m curious if it’s affecting his night sleep stretch. He has slept an 8 hour stretch but recently does more like 5-6 hour stretches. Could that long nap affect his nighttime sleep? I would hate to wake him up
If his body needs that sleep.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Nancy, thanks for writing to us. I’m glad to hear your 3 month old has been giving you such long stretches at night! I personally wouldn’t be concerned with the 3 hour nap, as 5-6 hour stretches are still great for this age. If you find those stretches get shorter, or the naps get longer and you can definitely tell they are affecting the night sleep, then you may decide to wake. At this age though, so much changes so quickly so you may find things level out for you soon. Let us know if you need anything else as things progress!
Samantha says
Should I limit naps if my 7 month old is napping more than 3 hours over three naps? His first one is 2.5 hours followed by two more naps through the day.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Samantha, thanks for writing to us! My babies were always long nappers too and I personally just called that a blessing and loved my freedom for those times. 😉 If there is no concern that your baby is losing weight or lethargic and that is why he is sleeping so much, and it is also not throwing off bedtime, I personally wouldn’t worry about it. (Again – if there’s any concern, reach out to his doctor as I am not a medical professional!) He will eventually drop that 3rd nap and it’ll be nice if he gives you a long morning nap and then another afternoon nap to keep him happy. Hope this helps!
Lindsey Wydner says
I’m trying to figure out how to count my four-month-old’s naps. I have to drive my older son to school every day and the baby typically falls asleep in his car seat for the ride to school. It’s a 25 minute drive one way. (Not best sleep, I know, but not much I can do about it). This means he usually gets 2 45-60 minute sleeps in the car seat.
Do these times in the car seat count as naps?
At home, I always put him down to nap, and he’ll usually nap once or twice between the car rides. He’ll usually sleep 2-3 hours for that time frame.
If I count the car seat naps with the nap at home, he gets 4-5 hours of day time sleep. Is that too much day time sleep?
Danielle says
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you for checking out The Baby Sleep Site! Based on your summary, it sounds like those car naps would count as “real” naps. We usually see about 3-4 hours of day sleep at this age, though it can vary. We have a chart with average amounts of naps and day sleep that should help you here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-needs/baby-how-much-sleep/
If you feel like your son is sleeping too much during the day or you have concerns, you can check in with your pediatrician, but if the naps aren’t interfering with night sleep and are working for him and you, you’re probably okay 🙂 I hope this helps!
Rossie says
My little one is 3.5 months now and has been typically a fabulous sleeper at night and a fair napper. We let her wake up on her own time, generally around 730 or 8am, and goes to bed no later than 8 pm. For about a week now she has been waking up almost every 2/3 hours at night. I am guessing maybe its the 4 month regression but she also had a cold starting about a week ago as well. I have erred on the side of letting her nap as much as she wants during the day, and occasionally she will take a nap of around 3 hours and the others 1 hour. How long do i wait the regression/cold out to see if night sleep gets better or do I change naps now? Is there any harm in waiting it out or is it better to intervene now?
Neosha says
@Rossie – Thank you for reading and for sharing! I’m sorry to hear your little girl is recovering from a cold – those little buggers can be terrible at this age! The worst of colds generally clear up after a few days but can linger for a couple of weeks for sure. It’s pretty hard to say as to when to “call it” for the 4 month regression, in particular, as this is more of a permanent change in sleep vs one that passes on its own. If you believe she’s in the midst of a regression, waiting a couple weeks isn’t a bad idea before starting work on her sleep. I would suggest you consider connecting with one of our expert sleep consultants, who regularly work parents through this regression to better sleep, and she’ll be better able to answer your questions after learning a bit more about you and your daughter and your sleep goals for her. You can read more about our ladies here:https://www.babysleepsite.com/about Hang in there, Rossie!
Farrah says
Hello! I am so confused as to what is happening with my daughter- she just turned three months old a few days ago and she has 2 kinds of days/nights: most of which she has great naps (1-3 hours long each) and sleeps from 9pm – 7am with three feedings (11pm, 2am and 5am where she goes straight back to sleep), then there are the days/nights from hell where she will have one good nap in the morning (usually 2 hours long), and then 15 min naps the rest of the day (all day and night) and won’t get to bed until anywhere between 12pm and 5am- she is absolutely exhausted (obviously) but our every attempt to put her to sleep results in a 15 min nap. I first thought these were growth spurts but they are now occurring on a weekly basis (2 days a week and always on the same two days- thursdays and fridays!!) EVERY WEEK- we don’t do anything differently on these 2 days- any idea what could be the cause of this? HELP?!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Farrah, thanks for writing to us. I am sorry you are struggling with your newborns irregular sleeping patterns. At this age lots of changes are bound to happen and it’s common to have each day have a new surprise. You may want to check out our free guide with tips for newborn sleep that may give you some things to troubleshoot on her bad days: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
If things don’t improve please let us know. We have a ton of options that you may be interested in, including ebooks and personalized consulting with one of our highly trained sleep consultants. You can contact us directly anytime at [email protected] or look online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
I hope things improve soon!
Ashley says
Hi! I have a 3.5 month old (4 months next Saturday 9/29) and right now he’s been napping 2.5hrs. Should I let him sleep til he wakes or wake him up?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Ashley, thank you for writing! I, personally would let my baby sleep, but if you’re concerned it’ll affect his nighttime sleep then you could wake him. Around that age lots is happening so he may just be getting the extra sleep he needs for a growth spurt!
Hillary says
I have a five month old who is all over the place with his sleep. His naps are still very short and he seems to want to sleep a lot. I know I should be putting him to sleep awake but sleep was so hard that we reverted to rocking and still swaddling because he seemed to sleep better. I am so sleep deprived that I can’t seem to get into a routine with him during the day and by evening he is so tired and has a hard time starting the night. I would love to sleep train him but he also has lots of gas and I’m just plain old scared to do it. Anything you can suggest?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi Hillary,
Thank you so much for writing, and I completely understand how tired you must be!! I also understand being cautious or feeling scared about making changes and starting some sleep coaching.
This is why we are here – to help and support you through it! We can create a specific Plan for your family, and take into consideration his gassy issues, and your plain old scared-ness to get started! You can do it and we can help!
One on one support would likely be best for you. You can see a full description and purchase any of our consultation packages here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services
There are essentially two types of packages: email only, and e-mail plus telephone support, and we have packages to fit every need and every budget.
Please contact usu if you have any questions, and hang in there Hillary!!!