Babies are delightful and funny little things. Spending time playing with our new-borns are lovely.
However, all parents love some time by themselves, and when their young one isn’t sleeping properly, they can suddenly seem not so cute anymore! The difficulty in getting your child to sleep might be coming from you not putting the toddlers to bed when the time is right!
So, the schedule below is for you to know when your toddler will be sleeping or having naps. Use this schedule from day one up until they are three years old.
Birth to 6 Weeks
Your baby will probably sleep quite a lot when the baby is a new-born! Let’s be honest, at this stage it’s all they can really do.
Naps per day: 4- 8
Nap Length: 15 minutes to 4 hours long
Time Awake: 45 minutes or an hour at a time
Bedtime: between 9 and 11pm
Time asleep during the night: 4 to 8 hours (let’s hope it’s the latter for the sake of all parent’s sanity!)
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 8 to 14 hours.
6 Weeks to 3 Months
Around this age your baby should start sleeping less frequently and longer, during the whole night.
Naps per day: 3 – 4
Nap Length: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Time Awake: 1 hour to 1 hours 45 minutes
Bedtime: between 8 and 11pm
Time asleep during the night: 8 to 13 hours (let’s hope it’s the latter for the sake of all parent’s sanity!)
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 11 to 15 hours.
3 to 6 Months
At this time comes a big turning point in a baby’s sleeping schedule. They won’t be taking as many naps throughout the day and they deal better with more regularised naps.
Naps per day: 3
Nap Length: 1 to 2 hours
Time Awake: up to 2 hours
Bedtime: between 8 and 10pm
Time asleep during the night: 9 to 12 hours
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 12 to 14 hours
6 to 9 Months
It can become more normal around this time for babies to start waking up more than a few times during the night, usually for feeding.
Naps per day: up to 3
Nap Length: 1 to 2 hours
Time Awake: 2 to 3 hours
Bedtime: between 7 and 8pm
Time asleep during the night: 9 to 12 hours
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 12 to 14 hours
9 to 12 Months
Only need 2 naps a day instead of one but might still wake up in the night for feeding.
Naps per day: 2
Nap Length: 1 to 2 hours
Time Awake: up to 3 hours
Bedtime: between 7 and 8pm
Time asleep during the night: 10 to 12 hours
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 12-14 hours
12 to 18 Months
Some babies only need 1 nap a day. Try to fit the naps in around the middle of the day rather than in the morning.
Naps per day: 1 to 2
Nap Length: 1 to 2 hours
Time Awake: 3 hours
Bedtime: between 7 and 8pm
Time asleep during the night: 10 to 12 hours
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 12 to 14 hours.
18 Months to 3 Years
Morning naps are basically non-existent, and babies only need one nap per day! This is around the time, however, when infants can start to rebel against going to bed when they see that mummy and daddy are getting up! They will start to understand the concept of going to bed early more, and they might start trying to come into your room in the night complaining of a nightmare!
Naps per day: 1
Nap Length: 1 to 2 hours
Time Awake: Won’t be sleeping for most of the day!
Bedtime: between 7 and 8pm
Time asleep during the night: 10 to 12 hours
Total time asleep through a 24-hour period: 11 to 14 hours
So, there you have a sleep schedule for your baby all the way up until they are 3 years old! You shouldn’t worry, however, if your baby won’t conform to these specific timings. Each child is different, and the important thing is trying to find a schedule that suits you and your infant’s needs! And if they don’t get the sleep they need, there are tons of different ways you can help make it easier for your child to fall asleep and promote more regular naps and sleeping times.
Use this schedule as a guideline and you will have a lot more free time to do the things you need to, and to maybe even relax with a glass of wine before bed!
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