Navigating Sleep – What to Expect and How to Support Healthy Routines

Welcoming a new baby into your life is both magical and exhausting—especially when it comes to sleep. In those early weeks and months, sleep can feel unpredictable and, at times, downright chaotic. It’s important to set realistic expectations: newborn sleep is naturally erratic, and it’s completely normal for your baby to wake frequently and sleep in short stretches. Their circadian rhythms are still developing, and it takes time for more consistent patterns to emerge.

While sleep training is not recommended for newborns, there are gentle ways to begin fostering healthy sleep habits early on. Introducing simple, consistent routines—like dimming lights before bedtime or offering a quiet wind-down ritual—can help your baby gradually learn the cues for rest, without placing pressure on them (or you) to sleep through the night right away.

This article will guide you through the key sleep milestones from birth to 12 months, breaking down what to expect at each stage—from those first unpredictable 0–6 weeks to more structured patterns by 10–12 months. Along the way, we’ll cover tips for creating good sleep hygiene, supporting age-appropriate routines, and maintaining flexibility as your baby grows. Whether you’re in the haze of newborn nights or approaching your baby’s first birthday, this guide is here to help you find rhythm, reassurance, and rest.

0–6 Weeks: the newborn phase

In the first six weeks of life, your baby’s sleep is driven more by biological needs than by any predictable pattern. Newborns typically sleep 16–18 hours a day, but that sleep comes in short stretches—day and night—often lasting only 2–4 hours at a time. Expect your baby to take 4–6 naps throughout the day, with wake windows of just 45 to 60 minutes before they need to rest again. At this stage, your focus should be on responding to your baby’s cues, keeping them comfortable, and beginning to introduce gentle routines that support restful sleep without expecting a fixed schedule just yet.

2–3 Months: early routines begin to take shape

Between 2 and 3 months of age, your baby may begin to settle into more predictable sleep habits, though variability is still completely normal. At this stage, most babies need around 15–17 hours of total sleep per day, including 4–5 naps, and can usually stay awake for about 60 to 90 minutes at a time.

This is a great window to gently introduce more consistent daily routines. Focus on creating a calming, predictable pattern around naps and bedtime—such as dimming lights, using a soft voice, or offering a short wind-down activity. These small cues help your baby start to understand when it’s time to sleep. You may also notice early signs of day-night awareness, with longer nighttime stretches and more wakeful, alert periods during the day.

While it’s still too early for strict scheduling or sleep training, responding to your baby’s sleepy signals and keeping wake windows in mind can help lay the foundation for more structured sleep in the months ahead.

4–6 Months: foundations for healthy sleep habits

By 4 to 6 months, many babies are ready for more structured sleep routines. Their circadian rhythms are becoming more established, and they often start sleeping for longer stretches at night. At this stage, most babies need about 14–15 hours of total sleep per day, typically with 3 naps and wake windows of 1.5 to 2.5 hours between sleep periods.

This is a great time to focus on consistency. A predictable nap and bedtime routine—such as feeding, a short story, and dimming the lights—can help your baby learn sleep cues and settle more easily. You might also start to notice more regular nap times emerging, even if they’re not perfectly timed each day.

While formal sleep training can be considered around this age for some families, it’s not necessary for everyone. The key is to keep routines calm and consistent, respond to your baby’s needs, and begin encouraging independent sleep skills—like putting them down drowsy but awake, if they’re ready.

7–9 Months: settling into a more predictable rhythm

Between 7 and 9 months, many babies make the transition from three naps to two. Their sleep becomes more consolidated both day and night, and routines often feel more predictable. At this stage, most babies need around 14 hours of total sleep per day, with 2 naps and wake windows of 2.5 to 3 hours between sleep periods.

This is an ideal time to reinforce consistent sleep habits. With fewer naps, having a reliable morning and afternoon nap schedule—and a calming, familiar bedtime routine—can make a big difference in helping your baby wind down. You may also start to see clearer signs of tiredness as your baby becomes more physically active and socially aware. If you haven’t already, this is a good age to gently encourage more independent sleep skills, while continuing to meet your baby’s emotional and physical needs. Separation anxiety can begin around this time, so offering comfort and consistency is key to helping your baby feel secure as they rest.

10–12 Months: strengthening sleep routines and independence

By 10 to 12 months, most babies are firmly settled into a two-nap routine and thriving with more consistent sleep patterns. At this stage, they typically need around 13–14 hours of total sleep per day, with wake windows of 3 to 4 hours between sleep periods.

Your baby is becoming more active, curious, and independent during the day, which can lead to longer wake periods and a greater need for quality rest. A dependable nap schedule—usually one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon—can help prevent overtiredness and support nighttime sleep.

Now is a great time to strengthen bedtime routines and reinforce positive sleep habits. Repeating the same calming steps before each sleep—like bath, story, and cuddle—offers your baby a sense of security and signals that it’s time to rest. Some sleep disruptions, like nap resistance or night wakings, may pop up due to developmental leaps or separation anxiety, but staying consistent and responsive will help your baby through them.

At this age, many families also see success with gentle sleep training methods, if desired, while continuing to prioritize connection and emotional comfort.

We know how important sleep is to the whole family so we’re here to support you on this journey. If you need 1:1 support our sleep consultant Fiona is here to help you. Reach out to her via the ‘contact an experts’ tab on your membership dashboard.