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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! 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!
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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!
My problem wasn’t my 14 month old baby. Mine was his overprotective father. For about one week he has been giving me a hard time about him sleeping too much. My son will sleep about 10 hours a night and take two naps a day that range anywhere from 1-2 hours per nap. I told my soon to be exhusband, he’s not an adult so 8 hours is not going to cut it! He told me to Google it and let him know if I am correct. So I thank you Baby Sleep Site for this important information. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I show him this.!
@Jessica – Aw, you’re most certainly welcome. Thank you so much for reading and sharing! Please stop back in to see us again soon!
Baby just gone 10 months, cheerful easy going BUT can’t seem to shake early morning waking (sometimes 4:50am, mostly between 5-5:30). Firs nap around 8:15-8:30am for 30-45mins, then lunch time nap between 12-12:30 until 2-2:30, usually sleeps whole 2 hours although recently sometimes not. In bed by 6:30pm. Recently started sleeping through (6:30pm till about 4:50am-5am). Good self settler (with a dummy), stopped nursing to soothe/sleep a few weeks ago. Read plenty of sleep/feeding guides but can’t shake this early morning!!! I leave him and he chats and makes noises but only starts crying after about 45 mins (when I’m sure he’s fed up). Does he need more/less daytime sleep??? Any suggestions? I can handle a 5:30 but earlier is killing me! Help! 🙂
Hi @Georgiana, thanks for your comment! I am sorry to hear your son is waking up so early! That is rough. Here is an article we have with a few tips that may help you identify what is causing the issue: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/baby-waking-too-early/
If you find you need more help, we have lots of more in-depth options that could help. If you want more information on that, please contact us directly here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/contact
I hope that helps! Hang in there!
My 3m old baby has only 2 naps during day and 1-2 h of sleep. Night sleep about 12 hrs
@Bahareh, Thank you for writing to us. I am glad to hear your baby is sleeping great for you at night, but am sorry to see your baby is struggling during the day. Here is a link to a sample schedule for a 3 month old to give you some tips on where to go next: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/3-month-old-baby-sleep-and-feeding-schedule/
If you need any additional help with this issue, I think you would benefit from working with one of our sleep consultants in one of our consultation packages. You can contact us directly here to help you select the package that would be the best fit for your situation: https://www.babysleepsite.com/contact
Hang in there and thank you for your comment.
My 8 week old will sleep for 3 hours at a time during the day. She’s doing a 5 hour stretch at night and then. 4 hour or maybe just 3. Should I wake her during the day?
@Kristen – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us! Congratulations on your new little girl! 🙂 We generally don’t suggest waking a sleeping baby except in a few cases – see them here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/should-you-wake-a-sleeping-baby/ If she’s awake long enough during the day for some awake time and to get in all of her feedings, this is likely good enough, but you’ll want to verify that with her healthcare provider since they’ll want to make sure she’s growing properly and getting all of her nutrition during the day. Overall, it sounds like she’s sleeping pretty good for you, which is great! Thank you again for commenting and please keep reading, Kristen!
My almost 18 month old sleeps 8pm-730 am, but will only nap about 45 minutes during the day. Any suggestions to help her become a better napper?
@Cheryl, Thanks for leaving a comment! I am glad your daughter sleeps well for you at night but I am sorry you are struggling with a naps. The short naps could stem from a variety of things, which are outlined in this article here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/short-baby-naps-explained/
If you find this problem persists and you cannot lengthen the naps out, you may find our ebook Mastering Naps & Schedules has helpful information for you. Here is a link for more information: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/?utm_source=footer&utm_medium=naps
I hope her naps lengthen out for you soon!
Hi there, my 12 week old baby has never slept more than 3.5 hours at night but for the past 2 weeks has been waking every 1.5 or 2 hours from bedtime (630/7).
He naps during the day mainly in the car seat because he has always had wind issues and I’m often pushing the buggy round the block – I have two older kids so often en route to school etc. He has had some naps in his cot but only self settled past the 45 mins a couple of times that way. I do think he wakes at night sometimes because he is hungry and sometimes trying to do a poo, he has had lots of bowel issues too – but sometimes definitely it is habit and my husband and I don’t know how to break the cycle . Please help! I’ve not had more than 2 hours sleep in a row since he was born!
@Claire – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us. I know how exhausted you all must be with such frequent night waking – no more than 2 hours is rough for sure. Your little guy is definitely more alert nowadays, which makes sleep harder in general for him, and you didn’t say how much sleep he gets during the day total, but if he’s not getting enough nap sleep he could be a bit too tired to sleep better for you at night. At 12 weeks, it is quite possible that he wakes from hunger during the night as his tummy is still quite small and requires frequent fill-ups. He could be waking a bit due to sleep associations as well. Any attempt to wean him away from needing your help to get back to sleep at this point should definitely follow a more gentle approach. See this article for more tips: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-to-get-my-baby-to-sleep/how-to-get-my-11-12-or-13-week-old-to-sleep/
If you find you need more support in helping your little guy get better sleep, please read a bit more about our team of sleep consultants here: http://www.babysleepsite.com/about and consider working with one of these sleep experts to gently help you develop a plan of action. Hang in there, Claire!
My 12 weeks old baby girl, started to fuss 55 mins-1 hour since she awaken between naps. Tried to keep her longer so that she can only have 5 naps on the day have bedtime on 8/8.30. But she was always struggle for the bedtime. Did I accidentally make her overtired by extending the awake time between each nap. She usually has 1.5 hour of nap.for the first nap and then followed by catnaps. Should I just let her sleep when she started to fuss and just add 1 more nap around 7 pm? Seems like she still have bedtime of around 8.30/9 pm
@Winny – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village! If your precious little girl is seeming to be a bit tired after being awake an hour, this is completely normal and it’s perfectly okay for her to go down for a nap at that point. Many babies this age can’t stay awake longer than 1-1.5 hours and as they get older (sometimes in just a few weeks!) they’ll be able to stay awake and enjoy the day a bit longer with you. A catnap around 6:30/7p is also just fine! You can check out this sample schedule for a 3-month old baby as an example: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/3-month-old-baby-sleep-and-feeding-schedule/ Hang in there, Winny, and please come back to see us again soon!
I have a 2 year old that was going down for bed so easily and sleeping all night 6:00-6:30, thanks to your techniques. At exactly 2 years he all of a sudden started fighting going to bed, needing a light on, and books in bed with him. We pushed his bedtime to 7, but doesn’t fall asleep until 7:30-8 and still sometimes cries or yells. We have a 5 month old…. so that’s not ideal. Now he’s waking up at 5 and won’t go back to bed! He still naps at 12:30 and needs it because he is very active. He does nap for 3 hours on his own, but wakes up grumpy. Is this all sleep regression or is he napping too long? Should I wake him up after a certain amount of time?
@Amy – Thank you for your comment! I am so glad to hear our site has been helpful for your toddler’s sleep! I remember going through a really difficult time with my son when he hit 2 as well! There is a regression at this age so it’s possible things will smooth out in a few weeks. Here is a link to an article on 2 year old sleep that may help: https://www.babysleepsite.com/toddlers/5-things-about-2-year-old-toddler-sleep/
The other thing to point out (and this is discussed in the above article as well) is that your son may not need as much sleep as he use to, so you may have to find a balance for him to redistribute his sleep – that may involve waking him from his nap as he likely doesn’t need 15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Here is a link to a sample toddler schedule that outlines how much the average toddler needs in a 24 hour period, so you may try to limit his daytime sleep in hopes that increases his sleep in the early mornings: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/toddler-schedule/
Lastly, here is an article with tips on what to do if/when these early wake ups happen: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/baby-waking-too-early/
I hope some of these resources help! Let us know how things turn out and if you need anything else! Thank you for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource for sleep!
Hello I have a 3 month old . I was wondering if this is to much for her. she says up for and hour or two sleeps for 3-4 hours each nap and has 6 naps a day roughly . she does sleep through the night till about 4 or5. Her last feeding is about 11 pm. I was just wondering if this is to much sleep.
Hi Krystle,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry, but I’m trying to do the math in your comment to figure out how much your daughter’s sleeping per 24 hours, and having some trouble. Surely she’s not sleeping 3 hours for each of the 6 naps, or there would be no night left? 🙂 Babies who are going through growth spurts can sleep a *lot*, so if this has only been going on for a week or so, and she’s eating enough and gaining weight, it is likely okay, but if you’re not sure, please do talk to your doctor about it. We’d also love to help further if you could email us with an example of her daily schedule at contact@babysleepsite.com. I hope this helps!
My 14 month old is having 1:30-2 hour morning naps. And sometimes skipping her 30min- 1 hr afternoon nap. She sleeps well from 7:00-7:00 Is she ready for one nap?
@Bianca, Thank you for your comment! Dropping down to one nap a day can be such a tricky time for parents to figure out when to go all in! The average age to transition is between 15-18 months so your daughter is getting close to that range so it’s possible it is time. Here is an article that will help you determine if she is transitioning now: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/signs-nap-transition-is-approaching/
And here is a link to our toddler sample schedule, and you will see examples for 1 nap or 2 naps so you can begin to make adjustments as needed to her schedule when you decide she is ready: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/toddler-schedule/
I hope that helps! Thank you for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource!
Hi. I have 11 week old twins who are co sleeping. They are napping beautifully in the day drop off on their own (thanks to your awake/sleep chart) But when it is their 7pm (bedtime) bottle they will not settle by themselves and cry really loudly.
Also I’m wondering how do i know if when they wake if it is due to startle reflex or if they are ready to wake up?
Many Thanks
Chloe
@Chloe, thank you for commenting. I’m glad to hear that our awake/sleep chart has been so helpful for your twins. It’s true that newborn sleep can be sporadic and unpredictable. However, there are things you can do to help your newborn sleep better. I recommend reading our free guide specifically geared towards newborns and their sleep challenges. You can read more about and sign up for our free guide here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/announcements/newborn-baby-sleep-guide-free/
My baby is 9months old and naps twice a day between 30 minutes to if I’m lucky 2 hours as it varies. However, even though she is on solids now I would have thought her night sleep would improve. Unfortunately, I seem to be struggling again to from the was a new born as she wakes up nearly every 4 hours at night. For instance, if she sleeps at 8pm she would wake up around 12am-2am. I usually change her nappy that time and she doesn’t go back to sleep unless she has some milk otherwise she just plays about in her cot making a rackit. Some days she’s able to soothe herself to sleep some days I have to give her milk. Then she will wake up again between 5-6am before she used to wake up at 8 now it’s seemed to have gotten earlier. Please help as I’m unsure in what to do as I get little sleep now as well cos of this.
Hi Forhana,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry to hear that your daughter is having so much trouble with her night sleep If she used to sleep well, and has only recently developed this night waking pattern, then you may be looking at the 9 month sleep regression. This can cause short naps, extra night waking, and other sleep issues for several weeks around this age. We have an article that explains what’s going on and how to address it here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/8-9-10-month-old-baby-sleep-regression/
If this has been an existing pattern for more than about a month, then you are more likely dealing with either a sleep association with the sucking, or possibly a scheduling issue with her eating – she could be waking from true hunger if she’s not getting enough calories during the daytime. We would need a little more information about her current schedule, but please feel free to email us at contact@babysleepsite.com if the sleep regression doesn’t seem like a good fit for your troubles. Good luck!
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 🙂
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.
@ 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 🙂
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?
@ 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!