Naps: The first year

How many naps a day should my baby take?

Most newborns will sleep for two to four hours at a time, day and night. At this stage, you shouldn't expect any sort of napping pattern. Just let your baby sleep as much as she needs to.

When your baby's 6 to 8 weeks old, she's likely to start consolidating her sleep – she'll sleep less often and for longer stretches at a time. She'll probably need two to four naps a day, and perhaps even more.

At 3 to 4 months of age, many babies begin to follow a more predictable pattern of daytime sleep. This is a good time to start developing a nap schedule (see our tips, below).

Your child's sleep and nap timeline

How much sleep does your child need? Every child is different. Some babies need up to two hours more or less sleep than other babies, and some toddlers and older children need as much as an hour more or less than their peers.

This timeline gives you an idea of how much sleep children typically need at various ages and how sleep and nap patterns change as they grow.