Before answering what the right amount of baby sleep is, it is important to state that all babies are different. Just because your baby's sleep pattern deviates from "the norm" doesn't mean that there is cause for alarm. However, if you are noticing that your baby often seems tired, over-stimulated, or cranky, it may be an indicator to consider if she is getting enough sleep.
General Baby Sleep Guidelines
What follows are general guidelines for how many hours the average baby sleeps at night, naps during the day, and how many naps she takes. The total time may fluctuate as much as two hours, and the number of naps may be flexible as well. There's no need to follow this outline rigidly, but it can give you an idea of what to expect of your baby's sleep habits.
- Newborns: 8 1/2 hours of sleep at night, 3 naps totalling 7 hours, 15 1/2 hours sleep total
- 3 months: 10 hours of sleep at night, 3 naps totalling 5 hours, 15 hours sleep total
- 6 months: 11 hours of sleep at night, 2 naps totalling 3 1/4 hours, 14 1/4 hours sleep total
- 9 months: 11 hours of sleep at night, 2 naps totalling 3 hours, 14 hours sleep total
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12 months: 11 1/4 hours of sleep at night, 2 naps totalling 2 1/2 hours, 13 3/4 hours sleep total
