Key points on sleep in babies aged 3 to 12 months
- most pēpi (babies) sleep for an average of 14 to 17 hours each day
- from around 3 months old pēpi start forming night and day sleep patterns
- most pēpi under 6 months still need feeding and help to settle at night
- as your baby starts to develop day and night sleep patterns, you can take steps to encourage more sleep at night
- if you have concerns about your baby's sleep, seek support from a trained healthcare professional
Where to put your baby to sleep
Put your baby in their own bed for every sleep (such as a cot, bassinet, wahakura or Pēpi-Pod®). Have your baby's bed in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months.
It's never safe to put pēpi to sleep in an adult bed, on a couch or on a chair.
Learn more about making the sleeping environment safe for pēpi.
You can find more information on the Raising Children website on sharing a room with your baby.
Your baby's sleep - what to expect
From around 3 months, pēpi will start to develop day and night sleep patterns. As they grow, pēpi may sleep for less time. The typical amounts of sleep at each age are:
- around 3 months most pēpi still sleep for 14 to 17 hours each day
- from 3 to 6 months most pēpi sleep for 12 to 15 hours each day
- from 6 to 12 months pēpi sleep for around 11 to 14 hours each day
Baby's sleep cycles
As pēpi grow and develop, their sleep cycles change. Pēpi over 3 months will have a sleep cycle that consists of:
- light sleep, when pēpi wake easily
- deep sleep, when pēpi are sound asleep and very still
- dream sleep, when pēpi are dreaming
As pēpi get older, they will often sleep longer at night. Many pēpi will still wake in the night and will need to be settled back to sleep. They will often have 2 to 3 naps during the day that last roughly between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
From around 3 months, pēpi will start to develop night and day sleep patterns. You can encourage this by emphasising the difference between day and night. At night, keep the room darker and use dim light when attending to your baby. Keep play and stimulation for the daytime.
What can affect your baby's sleep
From about 6 months, pēpi will develop new abilities that may impact how they sleep. Settling difficulties can occur at the same time pēpi start to crawl. Pēpi can develop separation anxiety where they get upset if you aren't around. This can make them wake up more overnight. Some pēpi will keep themselves awake if there is lots of noise and light around or something they find interesting.
Some tips on settling babies to sleep
The Raising Children website has great tips and ideas on how to help settle your baby to sleep.
In this short video by Raising Children, parents talk about encouraging baby to sleep. It includes looking for sleep cues, finding out what helps babies sleep, and being consistent with sleep and settling techniques. You might need to experiment to find out what works for your baby.
Source: Raising Children Australia
How a bedtime routine can help your baby sleep
A bedtime routine involves doing similar activities each night before your baby goes to sleep. From around 6 months of age, having a bedtime routine can help pēpi to fall asleep more easily. A positive bedtime routine can help calm pēpi ready for sleep. This may include things such as:
- having a bath
- reading a story or singing songs
- having a cuddle
- saying goodnight and turning out the light
It is useful to try and keep your baby's bedtime and routine similar to help them feel ready for sleep.
Putting pēpi to bed while they are still awake but drowsy can help them settle at the beginning of the night. It may also make it easier to settle them back to sleep if they wake in the night. If your baby falls asleep in their cot, they will associate sleep with being in their cot instead of associating sleep with being rocked or fed.
Where you can get support
The first few months of life with a young baby can be challenging. If you are struggling to settle your baby or feel like they're not sleeping well, it's important to reach out for support.
Your health professional
If you are worried that your baby is unwell or showing signs of distress or pain, see your health professional so they can check your baby. You can also talk to your health professional if you are needing extra support with adjusting to life with your baby.
You can also contact PlunketLine and Healthline for free advice and support.
PlunketLine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 0800 933 922 for advice and support for you, your baby and your whānau. Calls are free from cell phones. You do not need to be registered with Plunket to use this service.
Healthline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 611 116. Call Healthline if you need advice about a child of any age who is unwell, hurt, or has any symptoms of sickness. It's free to callers throughout New Zealand, including from a mobile phone.
