Baby Nap Chart: Learn How Long Baby Should Nap, and How Many Naps Baby Needs
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!
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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.
Have questions about naps, or tips for other parents? Leave them below, and let’s get the conversations started!
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If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your child's sleep problems on your own...than personalized sleep consulting is for you. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.Learn More About Services
For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
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If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, 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 worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
Learn More About Mastering Naps
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
Learn More About The 5-Step System
Join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, and more. As a member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
Learn More About Membership
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.
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!
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.
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!
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?
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!
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?
@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: http://www.babysleepsite.com/about Hang in there, Rossie!
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?!
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: http://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 contact@babysleepsite.com or look online here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/new-services-w-esp/
I hope things improve soon!
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?
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!
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?
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!!!
Hi!
Is there anything I can do when daycare drops to one nap at 13 months? I would like my daughter to still do two naps but it won’t be the case during the week when she is at daycare. All kids in her class have nap time from 12-2:30. Any tips?
Thank you,
Bernadette
Hi @Bernadette, thank you for visiting the Baby Sleep Site. I can understand your concern about your daughter dropping her second nap earlier than she should, that is tough. We understand lots of daycares do this because of the mixed ages in the classroom, and so we have an article to help you manage this: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/daycare-nap-schedules-2-tips/
While you can’t really do much to change the daycare’s minds, you may be able to change some things at home to help off set the one nap. If you need any help with this, please let us know and we are here! Contact us anytime at contact@babysleepsite.com
I hope this helps!
Hi my 14 month daughter has suddenly started to refuse to go down for her naps. It started off with just the afternoon nap and I thought maybe she was only needing 1 nap a day but she has started to do this in the morning too. She is definitely tired but starts to cry the minute I place her down in the cot. I always give her a wee cuddle first then place her in the cot. She has always been a great baby for napping and has always gone down with no fuss. I haven’t changed what I do but the only thing is I went back to work 3 weeks ago and wondered if this might be the reason. My mum takes care of her when I’m at work and she appears to go down for both her naps at my mum’s house! Please can you help?
Hi @Kerry, thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with naps with your daughter recently. It is common for babies to have a little adjustment period when they go through a big change such as you going back to work (I JUST went through this with my son when he was 15 months! It was tough, I understand your pain 100% but hang in there). We have a free guide available for naps if you need some tips that you can download here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
Since she is still napping well for your mom hopefully as she adjusts things will smooth out! Hang in there!
Hi there,
My 15mo has never been a great day sleeper – frequently catnaps. He is refusing his second nap some days but can only manage to stay up for around 2 hours before his first nap.
How can I extend his awake time to progress to one nap without him getting overtired and catnapping?
Thanks!
Hi @Christy, thank you for writing to us. I am sorry you’ve been struggling with catnaps from your son. We would love to help! We actually have a free guide all about naps that may help give you more information for next steps to take: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
And if you need more information than what our free guide provides, we also have an ebook that goes into more detail and includes a ton of sample schedules for you to use as a resource. To learn more you can read about our ebook, Mastering Naps & Schedules, here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/
I hope this helps! Thanks for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource for nap help!
Hi,
My 5 month old has 2.5 – 3 hours naps during the day (1 or 2 nap max). Is that too long a nap? and is it okay if he only gets one long nap during the day and does not sleep till night time?
@Tasha – Thank you for reading and for your question. We generally expect to see babies this age nap 2-3.5 hours per day – usually 3 naps but it doesn’t have to be. If he’s sleeping well overall and generally happy and seemingly well-rested you’re likely good to go! 🙂 If you’re interested in learning more about naps and scheduling, check out our e-Book Mastering Naps and Schedules here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/ Hope this helps, and please keep reading!
Hi – I have a 10 week old baby who takes mostly short naps during the day. He seems to have 3 or 4 30-minute naps and maybe one long nap (2-3 hours) each day. Is this normal? I’ve been trying to get the short naps to be longer, but am not having any success! I’m wondering if the short naps are normal at this age?
@Kristi – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for your question. Yes, short naps are still quite common at your son’s age and will be likely for another couple of months, so no worries there at all! I hope this helps, Kristi. Please keep reading!