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The question often comes up about how many naps a baby should take each day.
Below is a general idea, but always remember that each child is different and the numbers below are just a guideline for some common napping patterns for babies. Parents who listen to their child’s natural rhythm and use good judgment and common sense will likely have the best results.
Newborns
At this point, you don’t need to think about napping. A newborn baby’s sleep is a series of naps, each between 2 to 4 hours at a stretch, both day and night. You may not see any pattern or schedule to these sleeping cycles. It’s just important your baby sleeps when they need to.
Babies
At 6 to 8 weeks old, your baby will probably begin to sleep less often and for longer stretches at a time. Your baby will likely need two to four naps a day, but perhaps even more.
Around 3 to 4 months, begin to develop a more predictable daytime sleep patterns. You can begin to developing a nap schedule at this point.
Older Babies
When you get near 6 months, baby will probably be taking two or three naps a day: one in the morning, one in the early afternoon, and possibly one more in the late afternoon, though this isn’t always the case.
Somewhere between 9 to 12 months most babies will consistently take two naps a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Toddlers
Around 18 months your baby (now a toddler) may often stop taking a morning nap entirely, but may snooze in the early afternoon. Our baby now regularly goes does down between noon and 1 PM for about 2-3 hours.
Again, these are suggested patterns, but as with everything there is no baby-law that requires them to follow them. Each baby will have their own sleep habits and patterns.
But this is a good starting point if you aren’t sure.
Feel free to leave a comment below on your results or experiences to share with other parents.
Image Credit via Flickr [CC License]
