• Home
  • >
  • Sleep (birth to 2)

Sleep (birth to 2)

 

Your new baby has no internal clock, and literally doesn’t understand the difference between night and day, so expect to be woken every 3 to 4 hours. You can help teach them the difference by giving less stimulation when they wake at night.

External links

Isn’t sleep deprivation banned under the Geneva Convention?

It really helps if you agree with your partner beforehand who takes turns to do what. Then there will be less disagreement, and at least one partner can try to rest.

The first six months

  • 16 to 20 hours of sleep or drowsing, split equally between night and day.
  • Babies will generally wake every 3 to 4 hours, and sleep no more than 4 to 5 hours at a time. If your child sleeps for longer periods and is losing weight, talk to your doctor.
  • At around three months, the pattern will shift towards night, with five hours in the day and ten at night.
  • Babies can cry in their sleep, so be careful not to wake your child by being over-attentive, particularly at night.

6 to 12 months

You can expect your child to wake less during the night. Be less stimulating if your child wakes at night. Change nappies with the lights off, don’t talk, sing or pick your baby up. See if they settle themselves in five minutes; if they don’t, then you can rub their back gently. Some babies will get ‘separation anxiety’ at this age. Be less stimulating, so as not to encourage repeat behaviour. Buy them a nightlight if they’re afraid of the dark.

1 to 2 years

A child needs 10 to 13 hours of sleep at night. They may need a nap during the day as well. They should be sleeping straight through most nights, though they may have nightmares, or wet the bed.

 
development

This is the most rapid period of development of your child’s life...

 
aaaaDad_advice

Introducing boundaries and routines at an early age sets the stag...

 
aaaaDad_advice

Parents want something educational and safe. So, what’s a good to...

Dads Space survey

Help us improve Dads Space by answering some quick questions. You could win a £10 Amazon voucher!

Take the survey

Dads Space channels: