How Many Hours a Day Should My Baby Sleep?

It is important to make sure your baby gets enough sleep.

Babies Need A Lot of Sleep

Babies under 1 year old should get between 13 and 15 hours of sleep per day. Since babies rarely sleep for more than a few hours at a time, this sleep schedule will be broken up into nighttime and daytime sleep.

Sleep Patterns Vary

The amount of sleep a baby needs is not set in stone. Babies will sleep less and also more exclusively at night as they age, so a baby of about 12 months will need less sleep than a newborn.

Bottom Line

While babies need less sleep as they age, many parents run the risk of allowing this fact to mask their baby's sleep problems. If your baby seems cranky or irritable, develops dark circles under his eyes or rubs his eyes often, he may not be getting enough sleep even if his sleep falls into normal parameters.

References

• BabyCenter: How Much Sleep Does Your Child Need?
• BabyCenter: Baby Sleep Basics
• Sleeping Like a Baby: About Infants' Sleep