We get nap questions really frequently from our clients – particularly these two questions:
- How many naps does my baby need?
- How long should my baby’s naps be?
Well, we’re answering both in today’s article. 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. |
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Want to save and print this chart? CLICK HERE for a print-friendly PDF copy!
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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.
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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.
My 10 month old is still between 2-3 naps. Most days she struggles to stay awake for 2.5 hours before her first nap. She sleeps well at night, ~7:30pm – 6:30am waking 1-2 times to eat. She’s BF and loves solids. Any tips on how to help her transition to 2 naps while avoiding overtired?
My 17 month old has 1 nap but sometimes its only 1.5 hours. How do I get her to sleep longer as I’m not sure 1.5 hours in the day is enough for her.
@ Amanda – we have an article on nap transitions that might help: http://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/how-to-manage-baby-toddler-nap-transitions/ In general, it’s usually best to juggle the two schedules – so in your case, you’d use a 3-nap schedule for a day or two, and then a 2-nap schedule for a day or two, and then back to 3. That can help ward off over tiredness. You can also shift the timing of the naps so that the 3rd nap happens later and later, and is more of a catnap.
If you want more detailed help, I’d suggest you consider becoming a member – we have a ton of nap resources in there, including a much lengthier article on nap transitions. You can learn more here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Thanks for commenting, @ Amanda – best of luck to you!
@ Emily (great name!! 😉 — 1.5 hours can be adequate, depending on her bedtime, as well as the quality and length of her nighttime sleep. If she goes to bed fairly early, and sleeps soundly through the night, then you’re probably okay 🙂
What would you say about a 15 week baby taking 30 minute naps all day? She is worn in a baby wrap all day as this has been easiest to also deal with my 3 year old. she always wakes crying at the 30 minute mark and very rarely can I bounce her back to sleep. Sometimes she will fall back asleep nursing so it seems like 30 minutes does not leave her rested. Is this normal and something I just have to deal with until she starts having longer naps? Should I be trying to get her sleeping in her crib for naps at this age instead of the baby wrap? Thanks!!
@ Mandy – Hmmmm….well, erratic and short naps are fairly normal at this age, but if the naps are ONLY 30 minutes each time, that’s on the short side for sure. It may be that the 4 month sleep regression (http://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/4-month-sleep-regression/) is striking early for you; in this case, just wait a few weeks and then you can work on lengthening naps (http://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/short-baby-naps-explained/) All in all, this isn’t a huge problem, given how young your baby is. However, if you want to work towards a more consistent schedule, you can start using our sample 4 month schedules to accomplish that: http://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/4-month-old-schedule/
Finally, when you feel ready to work on sleep coaching, our free guide, 5 Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through The Night, is a great place to start! You can find it here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
Best of luck to you, Mandy! Thanks for commenting 🙂