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Baby sleep schedule by age — a UK parent’s chart, 0 to 24 months

A clear, age-by-age picture of how much sleep babies and toddlers actually need in the UK, with sample routines, wake windows and the safer-sleep rules that never change.

Reviewed by the Nursery Advice editorial teamLast updated 27 June 2026Next review 27 December 2026Editorial standards
General guidance, not medical advice
This article follows NHS1 and Lullaby Trust2 safer-sleep guidance current at the review date above. Every baby is different — speak to your health visitor or GP if you are worried about your baby’s sleep, breathing or feeding.

There is no single "correct" baby sleep schedule. The NHS is very clear that babies have their own patterns and that those patterns change quickly as they grow1. What a schedule can do is give you a realistic shape for the day — how much daytime sleep to aim for, roughly how long your baby can comfortably stay awake, and when most families see their first stretches of longer night sleep.

Below is a baby sleep schedule by age — newborn through toddler — covering nap schedules, wake windows and a calm baby bedtime routine. It walks through what a typical day looks like from newborn through to 24 months, with sample routines, a wake-window cheat sheet, and the safer-sleep rules from The Lullaby Trust2 that apply at every age. Use the chart as a starting point, not a rulebook — your baby’s cues come first.

How much sleep babies and toddlers actually need

The numbers below are NHS1 and Sleep Charity4 ranges for healthy children — a typical span, not a target to hit exactly. Total sleep includes naps.

Total sleep in 24 hours, by age
Age Total sleep (24h) Typical naps Longest night stretch
0–3 months 14–17 hours 4–6 short naps 2–4 hours
3–6 months 12–15 hours 3 naps 4–6 hours
6–9 months 12–14 hours 2 naps 6–8 hours
9–12 months 12–14 hours 2 naps → 1 8–11 hours
12–18 months 11–14 hours 1 long nap 10–12 hours
18–24 months 11–13 hours 1 nap 10–12 hours

Newborn (0–3 months) — feed-led, no schedule yet

Newborns don’t have a body clock yet. They sleep in 2–4 hour blocks around the clock and wake when they’re hungry. The NHS advises against any kind of strict routine in the first few weeks — focus on feeding, skin-to-skin and the safer-sleep basics1.

  • Total sleep: 14–17 hours across 24 hours.
  • Wake windows: 45–90 minutes — very short.
  • Day vs night: keep days bright and chatty, nights dim and quiet. That’s how the body clock starts to settle.
  • Where they sleep: in the same room as you, day and night, for the first 6 months2.

3–4 months — first hints of a pattern

Around 3–4 months sleep architecture changes — babies start cycling through light and deep sleep more like adults3. You’ll often see a slightly longer first stretch at night and the first hint of a daytime rhythm: a morning nap, a midday nap, an afternoon nap.

  • Total sleep: 12–15 hours.
  • Wake windows: roughly 75–120 minutes.
  • Naps: 3–4, often unpredictable in length.
  • Bedtime: drifting earlier — many babies settle between 7 and 8.30 pm.

5–6 months — first true schedule (three naps)

This is the age where most families recognise a real daily rhythm for the first time. Three naps is typical: a short morning nap, a longer middle-of-the-day nap, and a quick late-afternoon "bridge" nap to get to bedtime.

Sample 6-month-old sleep routine
Time What’s happening
7.00 am Wake and morning feed
9.00–9.45 am Nap 1 (short)
12.00–1.30 pm Nap 2 (the long one)
3.30–4.15 pm Nap 3 (bridge)
6.30 pm Bath, feed, wind-down
7.00 pm Bedtime

Wake windows: around 2–2.5 hours. Total sleep: 12–15 hours. Night feeds are still common at this age — the NHS doesn’t advise night weaning before babies are ready1.

7–9 months — two naps, longer nights

Most babies drop the late-afternoon catnap somewhere between 7 and 9 months and settle on two clear naps. Night sleep often consolidates into one long stretch.

  • Wake windows: 2.5–3.5 hours.
  • Naps: typically a morning nap of 45–60 minutes and a longer midday nap of 1–2 hours.
  • Night sleep: 10–11 hours, often with one or two feeds depending on weaning progress.

10–12 months — the 2-to-1 nap window opens

A few babies are ready to drop the morning nap before their first birthday, but most aren’t. Signs the 2→1 transition is coming: refusing one of the naps, the second nap pushing later and later, or bedtime getting later because of an overlong afternoon nap.

  • Wake windows: 3–4 hours.
  • Naps: still 2 for most; total daytime sleep 2–3 hours.
  • Night sleep: 10–12 hours, often unbroken or with one feed.

13–18 months — one long midday nap

Almost all toddlers are on one nap by 18 months — usually a long midday nap of 1.5–2.5 hours, immediately after lunch. Get the nap timing right and bedtime largely sorts itself.

Sample 15-month-old sleep routine
Time What’s happening
7.00 am Wake and breakfast
12.30 pm Lunch
1.00–2.45 pm Nap (the only nap)
6.30 pm Bath and stories
7.00 pm Bedtime

Wake windows: 4–6 hours by the end of the day. Total sleep: 11–14 hours.

19–24 months — when nap resistance kicks in

The nap is still important at 2 — most children don’t drop it until age 3 to 54 — but they may fight it. A predictable lunchtime, a dark quiet room and a short wind-down (story, cuddle, cot) usually keeps the nap intact.

  • Wake windows: 5–6 hours.
  • Nap: 1–2 hours after lunch.
  • Night sleep: 10–12 hours, usually unbroken.

Wake-window cheat sheet

Approximate awake time between sleeps
Age Wake window Naps per day
0–3 months 45–90 min 4–6
3–4 months 75–120 min 3–4
5–6 months 2–2.5 hours 3
7–9 months 2.5–3.5 hours 2
10–12 months 3–4 hours 2 → 1
13–18 months 4–6 hours 1
19–24 months 5–6 hours 1

Wake windows are a sanity check, not a clock to obey. Use them when nap battles are frequent; ignore them when sleep is going fine.

Safer-sleep rules that apply at every age

  • Back to sleep, every sleep, day and night.
  • Firm, flat, waterproof mattress in a clear cot — no pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, pods or positioners under 12 months.
  • Feet to foot of the cot, with any blankets tucked no higher than the shoulders.
  • Room sharing (not bed sharing) for the first 6 months.
  • Room temperature 16–20°C, no hat indoors, dress in layers.
  • Smoke-free pregnancy, home and car.

These come straight from The Lullaby Trust’s evidence-based guidance2 and don’t change as your baby grows out of the newborn stage.

Red flags — when to ring 111 or speak to your GP

How sleep fits with nursery routines

Starting nursery often shakes up the nap pattern for a few weeks. Good settings adapt the day around each child’s sleep needs rather than the other way around — that’s one of the things to ask about on a show-round. If you’re comparing settings for the settling-in phase, Nursery Advice lets you filter by nap-friendly routines and parent-review scores, and our choosing-a-nursery checklist has the full list of questions to take with you.

Frequently asked questions

When do babies sleep through the night?
There’s no fixed age. Some babies do longer stretches from 3–4 months; many don’t consistently sleep through until somewhere between 6 and 12 months, and night waking past the first birthday is still common and normal. "Through the night" in NHS terms means about a 5–6 hour stretch, not 12 hours.
How much sleep does my baby actually need?
Newborns need 14–17 hours across 24 hours; 6-month-olds 12–15; 1–2 year-olds 11–14 (including the nap). Treat these as ranges, not targets — a baby who is content, feeding and growing well is getting enough.
Is it safe to let my baby cry it out?
Strict "cry it out" methods are not recommended by the NHS for very young babies. For older babies, gentler, gradual approaches (controlled comforting, gradual retreat) are the most commonly suggested options if you choose to sleep-train at all. Speak to your health visitor if you’re unsure.
Should I wake my baby to feed?
In the first few weeks, yes — most newborns need feeding every 2–3 hours, day and night. Once your baby is gaining weight steadily and your midwife or health visitor is happy, you can let them wake naturally for feeds.
Will starting nursery wreck my baby’s sleep?
A short wobble is common — new routine, new noises, new people. Most babies settle into a new pattern within 2–4 weeks. Share your home nap times and bedtime with the nursery, and ask them to share back how naps went that day.

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About this guide & sources

Every numerical claim in this guide is sourced from UK government, NHS or recognised charity publications. We re-check each source on the article’s review date.

  1. NHS — Helping your baby to sleep & sleep patterns (Start for Life) (retrieved 2026-06-27)
  2. The Lullaby Trust — Safer sleep advice for babies (retrieved 2026-06-27)
  3. BASIS (Baby Sleep Info Source), Durham University — Normal infant sleep — evidence base for parents and professionals (retrieved 2026-06-27)
  4. The Sleep Charity — Children and young people — sleep advice (retrieved 2026-06-27)