No two babies are exactly alike, and the same is true of babies' sleep schedules. How long your little one naps and how often is just one more aspect of your baby’s individuality.
That said, establishing a dependable daytime sleep routine not only makes for a less cranky baby, it can mean that everyone in the house sleeps better at night, too. Here’s what parents should know about daytime sleep for babies and how to create a nap routine that works.
How long should baby nap?
Your baby’s naptimes and schedules will change almost as much as he does during the first year. Your newborn will sleep between 14 and 17 hours in a 24-hour period, a good bit of it during the day, especially in those early weeks and months.
But don’t get used to it. As your baby hits the 3-month milestone, he may nap for a few hours at a time, several times a day, then cutting back to one or two hours over two naps as he gets closer to his first birthday.
Naps help counteract sleep deficit at night and support his overall health and development. So while adults can skip their naps, daytime dozing isn’t optional for babies.
Nap schedules vary a lot from baby to baby. But when it comes to nap length, babies tend to fall into two basic categories: the "monster nappers," who nap for two to three hours at a time, and the "cat nappers," who sleep for shorter periods — sometimes as little as 30 minutes at a stretch — but may have more frequent periods of shut-eye throughout the day.
How many naps does my baby need?
The number of naps your baby needs depends on his age. Newborns need three to five naps a day or more. Babies in the 4- to 6-month range need two to three naps a day. And babies 6 to 12 months old need two naps a day.
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Baby nap schedule: What's the best nap schedule for baby?
While each baby is different, they do tend to fall into similar sleep patterns depending on their age and stage. Trying to establish a napping schedule right away for a newborn is a futile effort and could interfere with breastfeeding by impacting your milk supply.
Once your little one graduates from newborn status, however, you can start to make naps part of the rhythm of your day. Older babies need 12 to 16 hours of sleep daily until age 1, meaning naps will be an important part of your baby's life (and yours!). Here's a basic breakdown of napping numbers by age:
3-month-old nap schedule
- 3 to 4 naps daily
- 30 minutes to 2 hours each
4-month-old nap schedule
- 2 or 3 naps daily
- 1 to 2 hours each
5-month-old nap schedule
- 2 to 3 naps daily
- 1 to 2 hours each
6-month-old nap schedule
- 2 to 3 naps daily
- 1 to 2 hours each
7- to 12-month-old nap schedule
- 2 naps daily (one in the morning, one in the afternoon)
- 1 to 2 hours each
These baby nap schedules can provide guidance, but there are no hard-and-fast rules about how much babies should nap.
As long as yours is getting the recommended number of hours of sleep per day, there's no need to worry about nap length. (Extra-long snoozes late in the day may start to interfere with nighttime sleep for older babies, however, which could mean adjusting his nap routine so that he's ready for sleep at bedtime.)
Also, be sure that you're following age-appropriate wake periods for your baby in between naps:
0-1 month: 45 minutes between naps
1-2 months: 45 to 60 minutes between naps
2-4 months: 1.5 to 3 hours between naps
5-8 months: 2.5 to 3 hours between naps
9-12 months: 2.5 to 4 hours between naps
Tips to get baby to nap
You can take the following steps to help your baby nap:
- Establish a naptime routine that's similar to your bedtime routine. The best way to ensure that your baby’s daytime sleep schedule is somewhat dependable is to follow similar naptime and bedtime routines. It also helps to put him to bed at around the same time every night, put him down for naps around the same time each day, and have consistent feeding and playtimes.
- Plan ahead. Your baby will sleep better during naptime if he has a comfy, consistent place to rest. While he’ll surely take a snooze in the stroller from time to time during your morning walk, it’s ideal if your baby falls asleep in his own bassinet or crib. (When at home, always place your baby in his crib to nap, and don't let him sleep for extended periods in the stroller or car seat.)
- Don’t overschedule. Overscheduling your day makes it difficult to establish a sleep schedule and it means you’ll be rushing around instead of easing your baby into naptime. Give yourself and your little napper a break, and avoid trying to pack too much into the day.
- Know the signs of sleepiness. If he's rubbing his eyes or starting to get cranky, he's letting you know that naptime is imminent. Put him down to nap when he shows signs of sleep readiness: droopy eyelids, yawning, fussiness and rubbing his eyes.
- Take care of the basics. Falling asleep is easier when your baby has his essential needs met. That means changing his diaper and filling up his tummy beforehand, so he snoozes for as long as possible.
- Keep it cozy. Newborns and younger babies who aren’t rolling over yet nap best in a snug bassinet or cradle rather than in a wide open sleep space. For added comfort, swaddle your little one, especially if he's sleeping in a crib rather than a bassinet. Note that even during naptime, babies should always be placed on their backs.
- Control the temperature. The ideal room temperature for babies is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit, whether it’s summer or winter. A too-cold room can wake your baby early from his nap (brrr … where's Mom?), whereas a too-hot room is a risk factor for SIDS.
- Ease into naptime. Give your baby time to unwind before naptime. Interrupting your baby in the middle of play because it’s time for a nap is likely to end in frustration for both of you. Instead, close the shades, cuddle and play (or sing) soft music to begin to coax your little one off to dreamland.
- Be active between naps. The more active your baby is when he’s awake, the more ready he’ll be to rest come naptime. Talk, coo and sing to your baby to keep him engaged. Enjoy ample tummy time and then move him to his back for a change of scenery. Whatever activity your baby favors is great for burning energy while he’s awake so he’s ready to snooze later.
- Run interference. If your baby wakes up too early into his nap, see if you can extend naptime further by gently stroking him and saying some soothing words without picking him up. This may help your baby fall back asleep and help him get the extra rest he needs.
- Don’t sacrifice naps for a good night's sleep. You won’t score more sleep at night by giving up naps during the day. You’ll just end up with an overtired baby who can’t sleep at all.
Should you let baby cry it out for naps?
If your baby has you trained to respond to every whimper while he’s supposed to be napping, crying it out might help both of you get some rest. The cry it out method is only for babies who are at least 4 to 6 months old. It simply means you allow a napping baby to cry for periods of time without going in to comfort him, so he learns to soothe himself to sleep on his own.
Although many parents can find it distressing, studies say this sleep training method usually improves sleep within a week.
Baby won't nap. What should you do?
Your baby’s fighting naptime for the same reasons he doesn’t want to go to sleep at night. If your newborn won’t nap, it might be that he’s not used to sleeping on his back yet. So make the crib experience a little cozier: try swaddling, putting him in a soft sleep sack or offering him a pacifier at naptime.
If he’s older, it might be hard for him to calm down during midday noises and distractions. If that’s the case, make his room feel more like it does at night, with blackout shades and a white noise machine.
Sometimes teething pain can keep him from dozing off. If teething rings don’t do the trick, ask your pediatrician if baby acetaminophen is an option.
Maybe your little nap fighter is having too much fun at playtime and doesn’t want it to end. Your naptime routine that resembles your bedtime routine will come in handy here, with lullabies, a book, a feeding and cuddles. Allow your baby to get drowsy, then gently put him down for some much-needed rest.
Sleep training for naps
Sleep training isn’t an option for either naps or bedtime until your baby is 4 to 6 months old because little ones just aren’t developmentally ready. However, you can start laying the groundwork for solid sleep habits by slowing down as naptime approaches, dimming the lights, and making sure your baby's room is quiet.
Once he hits the age when you can sleep train, the long-term benefits are usually worth the effort. It helps many babies get to sleep faster and learn to soothe themselves back to sleep if they wake up at night.
Sleep training for naps usually involves putting your baby down when he's drowsy but awake, then leaving the room. If he cries and you're using the Ferber method, you can go back for a quick check — but no picking up or feeding — every few minutes, increasing the interval between check-ins until he falls asleep. You can also try other sleep training methods if they work better.
When will baby drop naps?
Just when you think you’ve got the whole nap routine down, here comes a curveball: After age 6 months, and again at around age 1, your baby will most likely drop one of his naps from his daily schedule. (The exact timing for "dropping a nap" varies from baby to baby.)
Babies drop naps as they age, and parents would be wise to adapt their schedules to make sure they’re getting enough nighttime sleep. Somewhere between the ages of 3 and 4, your toddler will give up naps entirely.
It may seem like a loss: Without that afternoon nap, how will you have any time to yourself? The good news is that when your child is ready to give up naptime, bedtime tends to become easier. If your toddler is running at full steam all day, by evening he’ll usually be tired enough to drop off to dreamland without much of a battle.
From your baby's earliest weeks through the end of his first year and into toddlerhood, quality daytime sleep is one of the most important tools for proper development. While your baby’s nap schedule is never going to be set in stone, you can take steps to build a dependable rhythm so that your baby is getting the rest he needs at naptime.
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