Babies have different sleep patterns than adults. Their sleep patterns involve a more superficial rest, with more frequent awakenings, so they can make sure their mother is by their side and that everything is going well. Even though most parents know that this means little sleep, you can’t help but be surprised by the way your baby sleeps, when it’s your first. The popular saying “You sleep like a baby!” should be more realistically changed to “You sleep like a father”.

But how many hours should a baby sleep in total?

You can check below the average hours of sleep according to a baby’s age. Keep in mind that these are approximate times and that your baby could sleep a little more or a little less, without this being bad for their health.

• 0-2 months: they sleep 12 to 16 hours (in a 24-hour period)
• 3-6 months: 10-15 hours of sleep
• 6-9 months: 11 to 14 hours of sleep
• 9-18 months: 10 to 13 hours of sleep
• 19-36 months: 9.5 to 12 hours of sleep
• 3-4 years: 8 to 12 hours of sleep
• 4 to 6 years: 8 to 11 hours of sleep

In the case of premature babies, you should refer to this chart with the corrected age of the baby in mind and take into account that they can sleep a little longer. In addition, we need to make sure that they are gaining weight and feeding properly.

My child does not sleep so many hours!

Keep in mind that babies’ sleep is irregular and does not follow the same patterns as those of adults. They may be half asleep while still breastfeeding, and that time also counts as baby sleep minutes. Or it is possible, that they have daytime micro naps that also add up to total sleep hours.

In the LactApp app, under “Breastfeeding”, there is a section about babies’ sleep and the practice of safe co-sleeping. And of course, for any questions, you can always find us in the consultation chat channel, where you can write directly to the LactApp experts.