9 month old babies need an average of 11-12 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 hours of sleep during the day at nap time. Most 9 month olds are sleeping through the night but if your baby is not, we provide tips below. This article outlines sample 9-month-old baby sleep and feeding schedules, including milk feedings (for breastfeeding and formula-feeding babies!) solids, naps, and nighttime sleep. As a sleep consultant of over 10 years, I’m also sharing typical sleep habits to expect. Or, you can skip to the schedule if you prefer.
9 Month Old’s Sleep Habits and Development
At this age, most 9-month-olds are sleeping through the night without a feeding and take two naps during the day.
However, some babies, in my experience, do better with one feeding after 4 or 5 a.m., and will then sleep longer than if they don’t eat. Otherwise, babies are more often going to wake up too early for the day.
I would need to know your specific situation to make a recommendation, as all babies are unique, but by this age, I would not expect more than one feeding, typically, if any at all.
Your 9-month-old should be taking 2 naps per day for a total of about 2-3 hours per day plus 11-12 hours at night. If you’re having trouble with naps, you might be interested in helping your baby nap.
How Many Naps for an 9 Month Old?
Most 9 month old babies take 2 naps each day that total 2 to 3 hours. Each nap is typically at least an hour long. Babies this age stay awake and have wake windows between 2 and 3 hours at a time, on average, but up to 4 hours before bedtime. Most babies drop the third nap by 9 months old.
If your 9-month-old is still taking three naps and sleeping well then you probably don’t have to worry. But, if you are having sleep problems such as isomnia or split night, you may want to simply transition to two naps. Even when babies happily take three naps, this is a sign they are napping for too many sleep periods during the day even if the total sleep isn’t “too much.”
Wake Windows for 9 Month Olds
The typical wake windows for a 9-month-old are 2-4 hours with the first wake window being one of the shortest. Usually, that first wake window is just 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Most 9-month-olds have dropped their third nap (or will very soon) and the last wake window is often 3 1/2 to 4 hours long.
If your baby is a rare baby who takes two 2-hour naps, you might find they only have a 2-hour morning wake window and sleep just 10 to 10 1/2 hours at night which is just fine if they seem to be happy and thriving.
9 Month Old Feeding
All babies vary, but here are a couple of sample sleep and feeding schedules you can use to make your own for your unique 9 month old baby. Be aware that breast milk and/or formula should be the primary nutrition for the first year, and solids come second.
Below are the average amounts we expect at this age but keep in mind that all babies have a unique appetite.
Average Milk and Solid Amounts Per Day for a 9 Month Old:
- At least 3-4 nursing sessions per day or 26-32 ounces formula or combination of both
- 2 servings (1 serving = 1-2 Tablespoons dry) baby cereal
- 1-2 servings grain (1 serving = 1/2 slice bread, 2 crackers, 1/2 cup Cheerios, or 1/2 cup whole grain pasta)
- 2 servings (1 serving = 2-4 Tablespoons) fruit
- 2 servings (1 serving = 2-4 Tablespoons) vegetable
- 2-3 servings (1 serving = 1-2 Tablespoons) protein
- 1 serving Dairy (1 serving = 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/3 cup cottage cheese or 1 oz grated cheese)
- You can also offer cooked egg yolk (but possibly no egg whites until 12 months old due to allergens — check with your doctor)
For more information on starting your baby on solid food, we have a series of blog posts dedicated to the subject. We include recommendations about how and when to start solids, as well as helpful information on food allergies, recommended products, baby-friendly recipes, and more.
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Sample 9 Month Old Schedules With Feedings
This first sample schedule is what I call a “staggered” approach. My first son did better nursing fully and then had solids a bit in between nursing sessions. He was a little hungry but not famished. He just didn’t do well with stopping nursing mid-way to eat solids.
Sample 9 Month Old Schedule — Staggered Approach
| 7 Month Old Sleep Schedule With Feedings | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| 7:00 AM | Wake and Milk |
| 9:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:30/10:00 AM | Morning Nap (at least one hour long) |
| 11:00 AM | Milk (upon waking) |
| 1:00 PM | Lunch |
| 2:00 PM | Afternoon Nap (at least one hour long) |
| 3:00 PM | Milk + Snack (possibly) |
| 5:00 PM | Dinner |
| 6:30 PM | Begin your bedtime routine |
| 7:00 PM | Milk and Bedtime (goal to be asleep by this time) |
If your baby doesn’t mind a more “consolidated” approach to eating, like my second son, here is another type of schedule:
Sample 9 Month Old Schedule — Consolidated Feeding Approach
| 7 Month Old Sleep Schedule With Feedings | |
|---|---|
| Time | Activity |
| 7:00 AM | Wake |
| 7:30 AM | 1/2 Milk Feeding, then Breakfast, then offer the other 1/2 Milk |
| 9:30/10:00 AM | Morning Nap (at least one hour long) |
| 11:30 AM | 1/2 Milk Feeding, then Lunch, then offer the other 1/2 Milk |
| 2:00 PM | Afternoon Nap (at least one hour long) |
| 3:00 PM | Milk + Snack (possibly) |
| 5:00 PM | Dinner + 1/2 Milk Feeding |
| 6:30 PM | Begin your bedtime routine |
| 7:00 PM | Milk and Bedtime (goal to be asleep by this time) |
Notes: If your baby is uninterested in the second half of the milk feeding, consider decreasing the amount of solid food. In addition, when giving any feedings during your bedtime routine, be careful not to create sleep associations.
Want more information about how to help your 9 month old sleep well? Check out our detailed case study about Carrie, Ben, Elliot, and Andrew.
Read how Carrie and Ben helped 8-month-old Elliot learn to sleep longer stretches at night (and, eventually, to sleep through the night completely!) and take better naps – and how they helped to change those sleep associations that were keeping Elliot awake!
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Looking for more sample 9-month schedules?
We have over 40 sample schedules for all ages in our e-Book, Mastering Naps and Schedules. Banish naptime battles and regain control of your day (and your sanity) starting today!
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- The 8/9/10 Month Sleep Regression Explained
- The 8-10 Month Sleep Regression Survival Guide: EXPANDED EDITION (Members Area article)
- Custom Schedule Maker (for members only)
- Mastering Naps and Schedules (Members Area digital e-Book)
- Chat Live with a Sleep Consultant (for members only)
- 3 Signs It May Be Time For Night Weaning Your Baby
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- 8 Month Baby Sleep Coaching Case Study (Members Area case study)
- How To Put Your Baby On A Schedule (Members Area audio tele-seminar recording with founder)
- How to Nap Train (chapter in Mastering Naps & Schedules)
- Day-by-Day Nap Training Plan (Members Area article)
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Jenna says
Our baby is 9 months old and we are finally ready to sleep train. We want to use the Ferber method, but my question is do we need to have a strict wake up time? Or do we let the baby sleep as long as they want/need? On weekdays we have a schedule to get her out the door to the nanny’s house. But on weekends is sleeping in bad? Personally we wouldn’t mind if she slept past 6am on the weekends. ha!
Also, I read your 9 month schedule. I am just in awe. My baby NEVER sleeps for 12 hours, let alone 2 long naps during the day. She might get 2 naps in the day, but generally not 2 long ones. Maybe 1 long one and a quick cat nap here and there, or sometimes only cat naps. The reason we are looking to start the Ferber method is because her sleep schedule is shifted. She only want to got o sleep between 11pm-12:30am). We recognize that she needs to be in bed earlier, but she honestly is not a sleeper, and never has been. She can sleep through the night (although not so much recently)m but it is maybe 8 hours? And naps like I said are sporadic. I just can’t fathom the idea of her sleeping for 14-16 hours in a day. That is just not her. Is that a problem? Do we need to force her to be in bed for 12 hours at night with this sleep training?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Jenna –
Thank you for writing to us about you 9 month old! All babies are different and some can handle a flexible schedule, while others will need a stricter schedule to sleep as well as they can! YOu can certainly try out some sleeping in on the weekends and see how it goes! if it does not disrupt her naps and night sleep, then sleeping in sounds like a great idea!
It does sound like your baby could use some help getting on a better schedule! The 12 hours per night is an average, so more than this, or less than this is okay! But I’d recommend trying to get closer to 11 hours at night total, and closer to 2 hours in naps.
If you’d like help with this, please let us know! We’d love to help you get your baby on a better schedule!
Ann Van den broeck says
Mine still feeds 4 times a night and always drank 3 to 5 mins just one boob. She always did that but is at the top 97%.
Wake up 7 to 8 Am
First nao for an hour at 9am.
Next nap for 1 to 2 hrs at 12-13pm
Ladt nao foe 45 mins around 4 pm and sleeping at abywhere around 8-9 pm.
Ann Van den broeck says
During naps she falks asleep easily by herself. I put her in bed, leave and shes asleep within 5 mins
Danielle says
Hi Ann,
Thank you so much for your addition to the 9 month schedule – I know a lot of other parents read the comments here to see what other babies are doing. We appreciate you visiting The Baby Sleep Site!
Sara says
Hi I am having trouble getting my 9 month old on a good schedule. Her sleep schedule is all over the place and has been for quite a few months now. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong and I’m not sure how to fix it. I’m just looking for some guidance. My daughter has been going to “bed” at around 2-3 am and sleeps until 12 or 1 pm. Everything is all out of whack. This is my first kid and I have no idea how to get her on a proper sleep schedule or feeding schedule. She takes an hour nap around 1 and then another one around 4 or 5. We’ve tried putting her to bed at earlier times but she just ends up waking up. When she goes to bed at 2 am she sleeps through the night. Help!!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Sara – Sorry to hear that your 9 month old’s schedule is been so out of whack! Don’t give up – you CAN get her sleeping at better times! You will want to move your daughter’s whole day to an earlier bedtime – meals, naps, night time sleep, everything should get moved to get the schedule shifted.
It can be tricky to do this without overtiredness, and for specific help, please consider our ebook “Shift Your Child’s Schedule.” You can read more about it here:
Good luck Sara and please contact us if you’d like more info!
Kendra says
We have to be out the door at 6:15 AM to get my daughter to daycare and then me to work by 8:00 AM. She also doesn’t go to sleep until 8:30/9PM depending on her mood. We’ve tried putting her down earlier but she just plays and fusses.
She even doesn’t nap much during the day, either. I worry because she’s not sleeping as much as most sites tell you they should at 9 months but she seems okay
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Kendra – Thanks for writing! There is a wide range of typical sleep, and the schedules that we post are averages. So, she may be getting enough sleep for her needs, if she is well rested and content! If you suspect she is not getting enough sleep, she may be over-tired by bedtime, especially if she is not napping! Keep offering those naps, and don’t give up on testing out good bedtimes for her!
Good luck!
Jade says
Hiya
I’d love brief advice on why my baby might be waking at 4am-5am all of a sudden after sleeping 7pm til 6.30am consistently no feed, and naps being on schedule too. i worked so hard for This schedule and now This has put me in a circle of having an over tired baby and trying to get it back on track. Also the first few times he did it was so out of character (since the 4 month sleep hell) i made the mistake of trying to feed and taking him downstairs. Only to find he didn’t want the bottle anyway!
Neosha says
@Jade – Thank you for reading our post and for sharing with us. Early waking can be a beast! There are so many things that contribute to him waking early, though. I’m assuming he’s 9 months old (or somewhere roundabout based on the title of the post). His daily sleep schedule, how he falls asleep, his environment, his development (a sleep regression is common around this age), his daily feedings, sleep associations, etc – all or some or just one of these could be the culprit. If you haven’t thought about keeping a log of sleep and activities to better pinpoint the issue, that’d be a great first step. You could also consider connecting with one of our sleep consultants for more troubleshooting. You can read more about our team here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/about/ Hang in there, Jade!
Hema E says
8AM-wake up time, BF
8.45- breakfast
10AM- brest feeding
11AM-1PM – nap time
1PM- Brest feeding
1.45PM- lunch
3PM- brest feeding
4.30PM-snack time
5PM – 6PM- Nap time
6PM – brest feed
7PM-Dinner
9Pm brest feed and goes to sleep
Danielle says
Hi Hema,
Thanks so much for adding your schedule to the post! Many families love to know what others are doing, so I’m sure they’ll find another 9 month-old schedule very helpful. We appreciate your support of The Baby Sleep Site!