The number of daytime sleeps a child has. Sleep standards for a child up to one year old, from one to three years old. Effect on sleep frequency

Contents of the article

Healthy and sound sleep is no less important for the growth and development of a baby than good nutrition - it is not without reason that nature intended that in the first months of life a newborn is awake much less than he rests. This means that providing all the necessary conditions for this is one of the most important tasks of parents of a baby. They will not only have to take care of a comfortable crib and a suitable temperature in the room, but also maintain the correct daily routine, having found out in advance what sleep standards exist for children under one year old, and how can one understand that the baby is getting too little rest and is overtired?

Why sleep is important for a child

It is not for nothing that pediatricians pay special attention to the norms of sleep and wakefulness of a child up to one year old - this is the time of the most active growth and development of the baby, requiring a lot of strength and energy. And in order to “recharge”, the baby just needs proper rest. But that’s not all: during sleep, tissue regeneration is activated, growth hormone is produced, muscles develop, immune cells are formed, and the brain gets the opportunity to process a huge amount of information coming from the outside world and consolidate acquired skills. Rest is also extremely important for a child’s nervous system - only after getting enough sleep can he start the day in a cheerful mood and devote it to new discoveries.

A small reminder to parents

It has been proven that for children under one year old to feel good, they need not only sound, but also long sleep. Without it, they can be aggressive, whiny and agitated, showing signs of hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. If a baby rests less than normal, these problems, as a rule, only get worse with age, leaving an imprint on his behavior as a whole. Therefore, it is so important for parents to pay attention not only to the child’s weight gain and height, the number of feedings and breaks between them, but also to the baby’s sleep standards, creating all the conditions for his full development.

Baby's sleep from birth to one year

A newborn baby can rest up to 20 hours a day, waking up only to eat. This regime allows his body to quickly adapt to the new conditions in which he found himself after leaving the womb. At this time, the baby's sleep is especially deep, so it can be difficult to wake him up, even if the room is noisy and the bright lights are on.

But time passes, and the situation gradually changes - the baby becomes more and more interested in the world around him, periods of wakefulness become longer, and in order to rock him to sleep again, considerable efforts have to be made. Of course, with docile and calm babies there may not be such problems, but parents of more temperamental children often wonder whether they get enough rest and have time to regain the energy they spent? For this case, pediatricians even developed a special table with sleep standards for children from birth to one year. It clearly shows how, as the child grows, the daily routine of the baby gradually changes - infants, according to months of life, can be divided into several age groups, and each has its own duration of day and night rest.

During the first 4 weeks of life, newborns can sleep 18-20 hours a day, with breaks for feeding, without feeling much difference between day and night. But already at the end of this period, a certain daily routine begins to develop, and from 1 to 3 months, infants sleep, as a rule, 6-7 hours during the day and 8-11 hours at night. By 5 months, the duration of daytime sleep is reduced by 60-90 minutes, and nighttime sleep, on the contrary, increases, that is, the baby gradually gets used to the “adult” lifestyle.

Six-month-old children most often rest no more than 2-3 hours during the day, and 10-12 hours at night. Over the next 6 months, periods of wakefulness increase only due to a reduction in daytime sleep - at night, babies up to one year old still sleep 10-12 hours, and daytime rest gradually decreases from 2-3 hours at 7-8 months to 60 minutes per year.

Sleep from 0 to 3 months

The first week after birth, the baby spends almost all of his time sleeping - this makes it easier for his fragile body, which is encountering the outside world for the first time, to adapt to new conditions. Parents should not worry about this or, especially, wake up the child, fearing that he is sleeping too much. Gradually, periods of activity will increase - in the first days, newborns fall asleep immediately after or even during feeding, by the end of the month they are quite capable of staying awake for about 60 minutes, and at the age of 3 months, before falling asleep again, babies can actively get acquainted with their surroundings 1 ,5-2 hours. In any case, it is better for parents to closely monitor the child's condition and try to rock him to sleep at the first signs of drowsiness to avoid overtiredness.

Infants' nighttime rest is rarely continuous - during the first few months of life, they wake up briefly several times to eat. The number of night feedings depends on the child’s daily routine - children whose parents put them to bed at 8-9 pm usually wake up 2-3 times before the morning, and those who are used to falling asleep later may limit themselves to one feeding.

Sleep from 3 to 6 months

During this period, the total daily sleep time gradually decreases, and by the age of six months it is about 12-15 hours. At night, the baby can sleep continuously for 6-7 hours in a row, giving the mother the opportunity to rest. The need for night feedings gradually decreases - if a child aged 4-6 months is not bothered by anything, he rarely wakes up in the middle of the night more than once to eat.

If the baby has had a good night's sleep, his periods of wakefulness increase to 2-2.5 hours in a row. Parents have the opportunity to adjust the daily routine taking into account the individual characteristics of the child - by this age it becomes clear what time he likes to wake up, and when, tired, he begins to be capricious. As a rule, over the course of 3 months, the duration of daytime sleep is gradually reduced, and by 6 months, babies are already sleeping for only 2 hours at noon and after lunch.

Sleep from 6 to 9 months

At this time, children still sleep 2 times during the day, but no more than 90 minutes in a row, and active games can last up to 3-3.5, and by 9 months - 4 hours. The usual routine that is established during this period lasts, as a rule, up to 2-3 years, so it is extremely important for parents to develop an optimal schedule and, if possible, adhere to it, thus avoiding problems with evening bedtime, whims and overwork of the child. Experts recommend, starting from the age of 7-9 months, to practice certain rituals with your child that will help him get ready for rest - put away toys together, put his favorite teddy bear in his crib, put on beautiful pajamas with an interesting pattern, or read a bedtime story.

By the age of 8-9 months, many children go the whole night without feeding, and after waking up for a short time, they can easily fall asleep again on their own, without crying and without waiting for motion sickness. To make rest at night even stronger, parents of babies of this age should gradually give up evening sleep - having rested in the afternoon, the baby will wake up active and in a good mood, while sleeping after sunset can cause whims and tearfulness.

Sleep from 9 to 12 months

At the end of the first year of life, actively developing babies no longer experience such a great need for long rest - it is enough for them to sleep 12-14 hours a day. About 10-12 hours of this time are spent on continuous night sleep, without feeding or rocking. During the day, children aged 10-12 months often sleep only once, refusing midday rest and falling asleep after lunch for 2-2.5 hours. If, with such a schedule, the baby remains active and cheerful, it is better for parents not to persistently try to put him in the crib, provoking tears and whims. The main thing you need to focus on is the well-being and mood of the child, who, through his behavior, may well make it clear whether he has time to properly rest during the time spent in sleep.

Baby's daily routine

By following a certain daily routine, it is much easier for parents to provide their baby with everything necessary: ​​good nutrition, rest, comfortable conditions for physical and intellectual development, as well as take care of his hygiene and natural needs. With this approach, mom and dad can plan their own affairs, managing to do work, ordinary household chores and paying attention to the baby. But in order for the baby to be comfortable both at night and during the day, remember: a constant regime of day and night rest should ensure his good health and mood, and not become the cause of whims and hysterics. This means that when creating such a routine, it is important to first of all take into account the needs and individual characteristics of the child himself.

Don't forget about simple rituals before bed

1. Morning. First feeding (between 5 and 9 am), hygiene procedures, gymnastics, massage, air baths, and then sleep.
2. Day. Active games, walks, feeding and rest (at noon and afternoon).
3. Evening. Water procedures, preparation for a night's rest, feeding and sleep.
4. Night. Rest with short breaks for feeding.

It is at night that it is especially important to take care of the baby’s comfort - if the baby does not get enough sleep, he will not have enough strength to actively explore the world and develop during the day. Therefore, parents should make sure that the baby’s room is not too noisy, there are no bright lights on, and also maintain a normal temperature in the bedroom, change wet clothes on time and do not skip evening feedings so that the baby does not wake up from hunger.

Signs that you're not getting enough sleep

If a baby sleeps 1-2 hours less than he should at his age, but feels well, does not cry or is capricious for no reason, parents should not make excessive efforts and try to rock him to sleep. But how do you understand that your baby still doesn’t have enough time for proper rest? We can say that a child is really not getting enough sleep if he:

• restless and distracted while awake, constantly nervous, refuses to play independently and calms down only in the arms of adults;
• screams and cries in the evenings, tosses and turns for a long time and resists attempts to rock him to sleep;
• at night wakes up several times before midnight, just 1-2 hours after going to bed;
• eats poorly and gains little weight.

Faced with such a problem, parents first of all need to look for the sources of the baby’s anxiety - perhaps he is not getting enough sleep because intestinal colic or teething are bothering him, or maybe the reason lies in an incorrect daily routine and hyperfatigue syndrome. But in both cases, the situation must be changed for the better, creating all the conditions for the harmonious growth and development of the child.

But, of course, despite generally accepted norms, parents should not forget that every baby is individual from the first day of life, and his need for sleep and rest largely depends on temperament and the speed of processes occurring in the body. This means that “tailoring” a child to standard indicators is not the right decision. And when the baby is healthy, cheerful and active, then, perhaps, it’s not so scary if he sleeps an hour more or less than expected.

Quality rest of sufficient duration is necessary for every person. And up to a year, sleep is one of the main components of harmonious growth and development. Each baby is individual; the required duration of rest depends on temperament and the speed of various processes in the body. But there are certain sleep norms for children under one year old. This is the average time you need to sleep day and night to ensure good health and development.

Why is sleep important for a child?

Children love to run and jump. While awake, they get very tired, sometimes they simply “fall off their feet.” To recuperate, you need to have a good rest. During sleep, a number of processes occur in the body:

• Tissues, organs, and strength are restored. When a little person is too tired, he has poor control of his body, falls, and hits himself.
• Growth hormone is released, muscles, bones, organs, and their systems develop. If the baby sleeps little, lags from the norms in weight and height are often observed. You can find out what standards exist and whether you fit into them from the article: Height and weight of a newborn by month >>>.
• Immune cells are actively formed, which then help fight diseases. Find out what to do if your baby gets sick often and how to prevent illness from the Healthy Child course >>>.
• The brain grows and develops. New neural connections are formed. Waste products are removed from it. During sleep, children's brains work actively: they analyze information received during the day, store it in memory, find connections between events, and consolidate skills acquired during the day.
• The nervous system is restored. Children who sleep according to norms are in a good mood and have a cheerful disposition.

According to research, with a lack of rest, behavior worsens, aggression, impulsiveness, and tearfulness appear. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (inability to concentrate) is often diagnosed.

Scientists have proven that if children under one year of age have less rest than normal, then behavioral problems persist into older age. It is necessary to ensure that the infant sleeps in accordance with monthly norms and to create conditions for quality rest in order to prevent problems with behavior and development.

Sleep norms for children under one year old

Most likely, you record the breaks between feedings, the volume of food, weight gain, height in your baby during the first year of life and compare them with standards. And they didn’t even think about sleep standards. But in vain. After all, sleep is no less important for the growth and development of a baby than nutrition.

Sleep standards for children under one year of age are shown in the table.

These are average standards. All children have their own characteristics. The quality and norm also depend on the general condition, health, and temperament. For example, if a little one is bothered by a runny nose, it may be of shorter duration. But he will sleep more often.

Signs that your baby wants to sleep

Sometimes tired children fall asleep on their own. But in most cases, when your son (daughter) is already tired, he himself does not understand it. But the behavior changes:

1. He rubs his eyes, yawns, tugs at his ear;
2. He is not interested in any activities or games, he turns away;
3. Begins to be capricious, nervous, and cries for no particular reason;
4. Falls, pushes;
5. Becomes agitated and too active.

It is necessary to correctly understand these symptoms and put the child to sleep in a short time, otherwise he will become overexcited and will not be able to sleep normally. It will all end in tears, hysteria, and nightly restlessness.

In most families, children fall asleep late, around the same time as their parents. This is absolutely wrong and does not correspond to the norm. It is a well-known fact that 60 minutes of sleep before midnight for little ones is equal to 120 after. Therefore, it is not only the overall duration that is important.

If you go to bed late, don't change your habit too suddenly. This will be hard for everyone. Shift your bedtime by 15 minutes each evening. After a few days, a new habit will form, and there will be no problems falling asleep at the right time.

Signs that you're not getting enough sleep

If a baby under one year old sleeps an hour less than necessary, but feels well, his mood is even and cheerful, then there is no need to worry. But if your son or daughter sleeps enough (the duration fits into the table norms of sleep and wakefulness for a child up to a year), this does not mean that he has enough. Symptoms that your baby is not getting enough rest are:

• While awake, the baby is restless, cannot play independently for a minute, begins to be capricious, is not interested in anything, and is nervous. He can only calm down in his mother’s arms;

Important! But remember that anxiety in children can also be caused by other problems: intestinal colic, teething. Observe, monitor compliance with the norms of wakefulness and sleep, record play and rest times for several days in a row.

• A baby who doesn’t get enough rest during the day becomes so tired in the evening that he starts screaming and crying. Laying down becomes a real challenge for the whole family. Ensure that you get enough sleep during the day. Prepare in advance to fall asleep at a certain time. Closer to the year, a more or less constant regime has already been established. It is already possible to predict fatigue and move on to calm games and bedtime ritual in time. Read more about this in the article Bedtime Rituals >>>.
• The son (daughter) wakes up before midnight. An hour or two after laying down. This is a sign that he is not getting enough rest during the day. Increase the duration of sleep during daylight hours, even if it is normal. In the evening, go to bed early.
• Lack of sleep is one of the common causes of poor appetite and weight imbalance. Article

The active stage of development of the body requires more time to rest. Babies sleep about 20 hours a day. As the year approaches, the standard decreases significantly. The need for daytime sleep disappears only at school age. In fact, the difference between children's and adults' performance in high school disappears completely. The norms are relevant if the criteria for healthy sleep are met. Otherwise, you are more likely to experience symptoms of sleep deprivation despite getting the recommended amount of rest.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has made adequate sleep one of the most important criteria for health. The decision is based on research conducted in various parts of the world. According to scientists, following normal sleep patterns improves the functioning of most body systems:

Regular lack of sleep can have dangerous consequences.

Attention! A somnologist treats insomnia (insomnia). Contacting other specialists may be necessary if the failure occurs due to somatic diseases.

Sleep norms in childhood

The child's sleep and wakefulness standards are approximate indicators given for guidance purposes. There is no need to forcefully “adjust” the schedule. If the baby feels good, falling asleep and waking up 1-2 hours earlier than expected, then there is no need to worry. It is advisable to consult a doctor if significant deviations and regular awakenings are detected. A table of sleep norms for children will help you navigate:

Babies up to 18 months

Due to the body’s adaptation to the external environment and active development, newborns take about 20 hours to sleep in 4-8 approaches. The period of wakefulness varies from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours. Such a long rest is typical for a baby up to 6 months.

The sleep norm for children after a year is rapidly decreasing. By 18 months, a more stable schedule is developed. A total of 14 hours are spent on rest. At lunchtime, a quiet hour begins, equal to 60-120 minutes. The rest of the time is taken up by the period of wakefulness.

Children 1.5-3 years old

From 1.5 to 3 years, the same schedule is maintained, but the rest time is slightly reduced. 1 daytime nap (1.5-2 hours) and 1 night nap (10-12 hours) takes a total of 12-14 hours.

Due to maturation and active development, this age category has its own advantages and disadvantages. A rest schedule close to that of an adult is considered a plus. Babies go to bed around 21 and fall asleep no later than 11. The downside of a more conscious period is the reluctance to sleep at lunchtime, which can throw off the child’s daily biorhythms.

Preschoolers 3-7 years old

Shortly before school, children sleep for about 10-12 hours. An hour's lunchtime nap is relevant for the lower grades. Extra rest helps your child regain strength and adjust to a new schedule.

The preschool period is dangerous due to lack of sleep. Children become more active.

Advice! Due to the added extra load due to the imminent entry into school, the likelihood of a disruption in daily biorhythms and the manifestation of signs of insomnia increases. Parents need to ensure that bedtime and wake-up times meet the standards.

Night sleep patterns in different age groups under 18 years of age

With age, the need for daytime sleep disappears. Children switch to a “disposable” rest mode. The table of standards looks like this:

Attention! From the age of 10, quiet time is completely abolished. Children are already accustomed to school and are quite capable of fully recovering overnight. The emphasis is on compliance with age standards, especially before exams and tests.

Violation of standards: consequences

The child should go to bed and wake up strictly on schedule. Only small deviations from generally accepted norms are acceptable. If lack of sleep occurs regularly, then there is a high probability of developing complications. The following signs will help you recognize insomnia:

Advice! Timely measures taken will help you avoid the consequences. Parents should monitor the number of hours allocated for daytime and nighttime rest. If the schedule is fully followed, then the problem may lie in the lack of comfortable sleeping conditions.

Factors that help maintain healthy sleep in children

Adequate rest is possible only with proper nutrition, moderate physical activity and proper preparation of the sleeping area.

Failure to comply with any of the points will cause the development of insomnia.

The famous pediatrician Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky compiled a list of recommendations to help parents:

Typical sleep at this age

At this age, a newborn sleeps quite a lot - approximately 17 to 18 hours a day during the first few weeks and 15 hours a day by three months.

Children almost never sleep more than three or four hours at a time, day or night. This means you won’t be able to sleep for many hours in a row either. At night you will have to get up to feed and change your baby; during the day you will play with it. While some babies sleep through the night as early as 8 weeks, many babies don't reach this milestone until they are 5 or 6 months old. You can help your child achieve this goal faster by instilling good sleep habits from the very beginning.

Here's what you can do at this age to help your child acquire good sleep habits:

Look for signs your child is tired

For the first six to eight weeks, your baby won't be able to stay awake for more than two hours at a time. If you don't put him to bed longer than this, he will be overtired and won't be able to sleep well. Observe until you notice that the child becomes sleepy. Is he rubbing his eyes, tugging at his ear, are there faint dark circles under his eyes? If you observe these or any other signs of drowsiness, send him straight to his crib. Soon you will become so familiar with your baby's daily rhythms and behavior that you will develop a sixth sense and instinctively know when he is ready for bed.

Start explaining to him the difference between day and night

Some babies are night owls (you may have already noticed some hints of this during pregnancy). And while you might want to turn off the lights, your child may still be very active. In the first few days, you won't be able to do anything about it. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him the difference between night and day.

When your child is alert and active during the day, play with him, turn on the lights in the house and in his room, and do not try to reduce normal daytime noise (phone, TV, or dishwasher). If he falls asleep while feeding, wake him up. Do not play with your child at night. When you enter his nursing room, dim the lights and noise and don't talk to him for too long. It won't be long before your baby begins to understand that night time is for sleep.

Give him a chance to fall asleep on his own

When your baby is between 6 and 8 weeks old, start giving him a chance to fall asleep on his own. How? Put him in his crib when he's sleepy but still awake, experts advise. They discourage rocking or feeding your baby before bedtime. “Parents think that if they start teaching their child too early, it will not have an effect,” they say, “But this is not so. Babies develop sleep habits. If you rock your baby to bed every night for the first eight weeks, why should he expect anything different later on?”

By the time your baby reaches 2 or 3 months, he may wake up more often during the night than he should and may have developed negative sleep associations.

Newborns need to wake up at night to feed, but some may accidentally wake themselves before they actually need to feed. To avoid this, try swaddling your baby (wrap him snugly in a blanket) before putting him in his crib at night.

Avoid unnecessary sleep associations - your baby should not depend on rocking or feeding to fall asleep. Put your baby in bed before he falls asleep and let him fall asleep on his own.

From 3 to 6 months

Typical sleep at this age

Congratulations! Now all your nightly getting up every two or three hours is behind you (we hope). By 3 or 4 months, most babies sleep 15 hours a day, 10 of them at night, with the rest divided between three naps (this will drop to two when your baby reaches 6 months).

At the beginning of this period, you may still get up once or twice a night for feedings, but by 6 months your baby will be able to sleep through the night. But this will depend on whether you develop healthy sleep habits in him.

How to instill healthy sleep habits?

Establish a clear night and daytime sleep schedule and stick to it.

While your baby was a newborn, you could decide when to put him down during the night by watching for signs of sleepiness (rubbing his eyes, fiddling with his ear, etc.). Now that he's a little older, you should set him regular bedtimes and naptimes.

In the evening, a good time for a child is between 19.00 and 20.30. Later, he will likely be too tired and have difficulty falling asleep. Your child may not look tired late at night - on the contrary, he may seem very energetic. But believe me, this is a sure sign that it’s time for the child to sleep.

In the same way, you can set the time of daytime sleep - schedule it at the same time every day, or go by feel, putting your child to bed when you see that he is tired and needs to rest. Either approach is acceptable as long as the baby gets enough sleep.

Start establishing a bedtime routine.

If you haven’t done this yet, then at the age of 3-6 months it’s time. Your child's bedtime ritual may include the following: give him a bath, play quiet games with him, read a bedtime story or two, sing a lullaby. Kiss him and say goodnight.

No matter what your family's ritual involves, you should do it in the same order, at the same time every night. Children need consistency, and sleep is no exception.

Wake up your child in the morning

If your child often sleeps more than 10 hours at night, it is advisable to wake him up in the morning. Thus, you will help him restore his regime. Maintaining a bedtime schedule may not seem difficult to you, but remember that your baby needs to sleep regularly during the day as well. Waking up at the same time every morning will help.

What difficulties may arise?

Two problems - waking up at night and the development of negative sleep associations (when your baby becomes dependent on rocking or feeding to fall asleep) - affect both newborns and older children. But around 3-6 months, another problem may arise - difficulty falling asleep.

If your baby is having trouble falling asleep in the evening, first make sure he doesn't go to bed too late (since we mentioned, an overtired baby has trouble falling asleep). If this is not the case, then he may have developed one or more sleep associations. Now is the time to get rid of them. The child must learn to fall asleep on his own, and not by calming down, thanks to your hands, chest, or pacifier.

What tactics to choose to get rid of associations is up to you. The simplest option is to wait until the child “cries out and falls asleep”; it is not suitable for everyone.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of sleep for young children. When a child sleeps, active growth occurs, organs develop, and immunity is strengthened. The brain processes a lot of new information that the little person receives while he is awake. Healthy rest, along with proper nutrition, is the main factor in the proper development of infants.

Parents must provide all conditions for a comfortable rest for the newborn and ensure that the baby gets enough sleep. A well-rested baby is not capricious, eats well and has a positive attitude. Therefore, it is important to build the correct rest regime for him from the very first days.

Distribution by month of baby's sleep

Sleep standards for children under one year of age are given in their average value, because The schedule for a boy or girl is individual. In the first days of life, one baby can sleep up to 15 hours a day, another - 22, and this will be quite normal.

Below are general recommendations for the daily routine of infants. If the baby sleeps more than 20 hours in the first weeks after birth, and relatives are worried about this and advise waking up the baby, don’t listen. The body itself knows how much sleep the child needs; parents can only help set up the daily routine.

At first, the baby does not sleep in a day and night mode, because... I haven’t gotten used to the usual daily routine for adults yet, I just have to develop it. So the rest and wakefulness regime depends only on the needs of the baby’s body. Let's consider the general norms of sleep and wakefulness for a child up to one year old.

First month

The baby spends the first week after birth practically sleeping. Sleeping up to 22 hours a day is quite possible at this age. The body suffered severe stress during the birth process and found itself in new conditions, so when it sleeps, it adjusts and adapts to the world around it. A baby can stay awake for about 40-50 minutes; closer to 4 weeks of age, this time is already approaching the hour mark.

Second month

The intervals when the baby does not sleep now reach 60-75, sometimes up to 80 minutes. During the day, the total sleep time will be about 8 hours. Total sleep time varies from 15 to 18 hours.

During the second month of life, babies experience a kind of “crisis” when, for no apparent reason, they begin to wake up more often and have difficulty falling asleep. Doctors do not consider this a cause for concern; it is a reaction to a new stage in the baby’s life. Standard duration of daytime sleep: 5 times for 40-120 minutes; at night, the interval when the baby sleeps without waking up stretches to 5 hours.

Third month

The duration of rest during the day decreases. Now, during the daytime, the baby will sleep on average 5.5 hours, at night - about 10.5-11. The time intervals for sleeping during the day remain at the same level: from 40 minutes to 120 minutes. During the third month, you need to observe the child’s evening behavior and set the time, this is the period from 19 to 22 hours, when it is best for the baby to go to rest. As soon as signs of fatigue begin to appear, it’s time to go to bed.

Fourth month

During this period, melatonin, the sleep hormone, begins to be produced. It contributes to the development of the child's sleepy state, and in the light its production is not carried out to the proper extent. Therefore, it is important that the baby sleeps in the dark at least part of the night. Now he sleeps 11 hours at night and 3.5-5.5 hours during the day. Night rest is interrupted for feeding only once.

Fifth month

The total daily sleep time is reduced. Now it can be only 14-17 hours. The breaks between three daytime naps reach up to two hours, the baby can easily withstand such a load. At night, the baby can sleep up to 12 hours. During the fifth month, you can neglect the strict schedule, observing the child’s behavior, and adjust the daily schedule.

Sixth month

Now the baby sleeps only 3-4 hours during the day, but at night -12. In total, the baby rests 12.5 - 15.5 hours per day, and can stay awake continuously for 2-2.5 hours. The best rhythm at this age is considered to be two hour and a half naps (before and after lunch). There are one or two feedings at night, and the total rest time is approximately 11 hours.

Seventh month

A stable two-time daytime rest is established, up to 2 hours each, night rest is 10-12 hours, and the period of wakefulness can extend up to 3 hours. During the day, the total sleep time can reach up to 16 hours, on average - 14 hours.

Eighth month

Similar to the previous one. During the day, the baby will sleep for about 15 hours, and daytime sleep will take 3 hours - two hour and a half segments. Wakefulness now takes 3, and sometimes 3.5 hours, which the baby spends in an active state and in a good mood. It is still impossible to talk about the exact rhythm; the time of falling asleep is still determined by individual physiology. The baby can already sleep all night and never wake up.

Ninth – tenth months

The baby sleeps in approximately the same mode, except that he can now stay awake for up to 4 hours during the day, taking 2 one-and-a-half hour breaks to rest. The total daily rest time is approximately 14-15 hours. Evening sleep is now almost never practiced, and if it happens, it worsens the mood of the sleeper. At this age, the baby can already fall asleep on his own if he wakes up at night without waiting for motion sickness from his parents. Individual characteristics of sleep patterns are clearly visible.

Eleventh – twelfth months

While watching the baby, parents can create his individual schedule and try to teach him to evenly distribute daytime rest. This helps you sleep more soundly at night. Closer to the celebration of the first year of life, the babies switch to a one-time daytime nap, and the total daily rest time is about 12-14 hours. The baby can now stay awake for up to 6 hours without a break!

Sleep chart for a child up to one year old

To make it easier to perceive information about a newborn’s sleep norms by month, the data is summarized in the table:

Attention! The table shows the daily routine of a newborn by month in general terms; you should not worry if the child’s rest and wakefulness times are out of line with the average. The main sign that the regime is correct is the baby’s normal behavior, good appetite and mood.

How to understand that sleep patterns are disturbed and the child is overtired

Even if the baby “fulfills” the requirements of the table “Baby Sleep by Month,” this does not mean that this time is enough for him. The main indicator that rest is taking the right amount of time is the baby's behavior. The following signs indicate that you need more sleep:

• The baby wakes up shortly after his evening bedtime, before midnight. This is a sign of insufficient daytime sleep. Try extending his daytime rest and putting him to bed earlier in the evening.
• The baby has begun to eat poorly and is gaining weight late.
• It becomes difficult to put the child to bed; the procedure takes 20-30 minutes. The baby resists, screams or tosses and turns restlessly. This is a clear sign of hyperfatigue and that you need to sleep more during the day.
• In the evening, the baby shows obvious signs of fatigue: he is capricious, screams, cries, although there is still a lot of time before he goes to bed.
• During periods when the baby is awake, he shows unusual restlessness, is not interested in toys, and shows nervousness.

Attention! Restless behavior in children is caused by many factors. Monitor your child's behavior closely. Perhaps he is restless not from lack of sleep, but from tormenting intestinal colic. Consult your pediatrician.

Ways to normalize sleep

Even if the daily routine was initially set correctly, it can always go wrong for a number of reasons. If you have come to the conclusion that your child is not getting enough sleep, that his rest is restless and does not bring the desired recovery, you need to try to form the right habits in your baby.

At the first signs of fatigue, put your baby to bed. If this moment is missed by parents, the baby may become overexcited and show signs of hyperfatigue. The paradox is that an overly tired child cannot fall asleep normally or sleep peacefully. Repeating the bedtime procedure many times will reinforce the baby’s habit of resting as soon as fatigue sets in.

Maintain a regular bedtime. Domestic doctors say that babies should fall asleep before 21:00. European experts call even earlier dates: 18:30 – 20:00. Determine a time that is convenient for you and your baby, for example, eight in the evening. Stick to this hour, carry out all the necessary procedures in advance, so that by the time the baby is put into bed, he will be bathed, fed and ready to rest.

Make the transition to rest a kind of ritual. Carrying it out and repeating it daily will help your child develop the habit of falling asleep at the right time. Rock the baby in the fetal position for 10-15 minutes and sing a lullaby. The baby can fall asleep either in her arms or in her bed. If you put your baby in the crib and he has not yet entered the deep sleep stage, stay with him for a while so that he falls asleep more soundly. The presence of mom or dad is calming and relaxing.