The short answer
AASM recommends 12–16 hours of sleep per twenty-four hours, including naps, for babies aged four to twelve months. At six months, the balance between night sleep and naps varies, and night feeds may still be needed. Consider rest, feeding, growth, and alertness rather than aiming only for an uninterrupted night.
In this guide · 8 sections
Keep in mind
- The 12–16-hour reference includes both night sleep and naps.
- Use sleep cues alongside the wider feeding and wellbeing pattern.
- A calm routine can be flexible rather than a fixed timetable.
- Act on warning signs before completing a diary.
How might night sleep and naps fit together?
Some babies develop a longer first stretch at night, while others wake for milk, reassurance, or because of discomfort or illness. “Sleeping through” is not a single universal number of hours.
Naps may remain in several parts. Some babies consolidate them while others need more opportunities; do not force a two-nap schedule or stop feeds just because of age.
How can you notice rest and tiredness?
Feeding, interaction when awake, and growth over time provide useful context. Yawning, looking away, slowing down, or fussing may suggest tiredness.
Do not deliberately keep your baby overtired to meet a schedule, but do not interpret every cry as a sleep cue either: hunger, temperature, discomfort, and a need for contact can look similar.
What can a calm routine include?
Try a short familiar sequence: dim lights, a nappy and clothing change, a feed, and a quiet song or book. The aim is predictability rather than forced independence.
Keep night care quiet and daytime opportunities for normal light and interaction. A repeated sequence can be more manageable than an exact clock time.
How should the sleep space be arranged?
Start every sleep on the back in a separate cot with a firm, flat mattress. Keep pillows, duvets, bumpers, nests, toys, and loose bedding out; use the same room for every sleep for at least the first six months. Once your baby rolls both ways independently, keep starting on the back but they need not be continually turned back.
NHS advice permits a well-fitting sleeping bag without additional bedding, or a light blanket firmly tucked below the shoulders with feet at the foot of the cot. Avoid falling asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair, and return them to their own cot after feeding.
When can a sleep diary help?
A few days of notes on sleep, naps, waking, and feeding can reveal the pattern. It is not a scorecard: seek advice promptly for reduced intake, fewer wet nappies, fever, or altered wellbeing, and call 999 for severe breathing difficulty, blue/grey colour, stopped breathing, or inability to wake.
When to seek support
Some signs need emergency help; other concerns can be discussed with your child’s healthcare team.
- Difficult to wake or cannot wake, stopped breathing, severe breathing difficulty, or blue/grey colour: call 999.
- Sleepiness interfering with feeding, fewer wet nappies, or unusual reduced responsiveness needs prompt assessment.
- A sudden sleep change with fever, pain, repeated vomiting, or worsening wellbeing needs medical advice.
Sources used for this guide
- aasm.org — regional guidance
- NHS — Helping Your Baby to Sleep
- NHS — Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- www.nhs.uk — regional guidance
- NHS — When to get urgent medical help for babies and children under 5
English editorial review:
The English text and regional guidance have been checked editorially. This is not an individual clinical assessment.
Luluna provides general parenting information. It does not diagnose conditions or replace your child’s healthcare professional.
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