Newborn Sleep Schedule: How Much Babies Sleep, 0-12 Months

Newborns sleep around 14 to 17 hours a day, but in short stretches of one to four hours, day and night. There is no fixed schedule in the first six to eight weeks: your baby’s sleep is driven by hunger. A loose rhythm usually starts to form between two and four months, and longer night stretches often come between three and six months, although every baby is different.

This guide gives you a sleep-by-age table for the first year, explains day and night confusion, and offers sample routines you can adapt. Think of them as a rough map, not a timetable to hit.

How newborn sleep works

Newborn sleep is different from adult sleep in a few important ways. Babies spend a large share of their sleep in active or light sleep, when they may twitch, grunt, make noises and even open their eyes briefly. Much of this is normal and does not mean they are waking up.

Their tummies are also small, so they need to feed every two to three hours, including overnight. Waking at night in the early months is protective: it keeps your baby fed and is part of healthy development. Our breastfeeding guide explains why frequent night feeds also help build milk supply.

Baby sleep by age: 0 to 12 months

The ranges below are based on widely used recommendations from sleep and paediatric organisations. Healthy babies can sleep a little more or less than these ranges. What matters most is that your baby is feeding well, growing and generally content when awake.

Age	Total sleep in 24 hours	Typical naps	Typical awake time between sleeps
0 to 6 weeks	14 to 17 hours	Many, irregular	30 to 60 minutes
6 weeks to 3 months	14 to 17 hours	4 to 5	60 to 90 minutes
3 to 5 months	12 to 16 hours	3 to 4	1.5 to 2.5 hours
6 to 8 months	12 to 16 hours	2 to 3	2 to 3 hours
9 to 12 months	12 to 16 hours	2	2.5 to 4 hours

Awake times are approximate. Watch your baby’s tired cues, such as yawning, staring into space, rubbing eyes, jerky movements or fussing, rather than the clock.

Day and night confusion

Many newborns seem to have their days and nights mixed up: sleepy all day, then wide awake at 2am. This is because their internal body clock has not developed yet. It usually improves on its own within the first two to three months, and you can gently help it along.

Make days bright and social: open the curtains, chat and play during daytime feeds, and let naps happen in a room with some daylight and normal household noise.
Make nights dark and boring: keep lights dim, voices low and interaction minimal during night feeds and nappy changes.
Get outside: a short walk in the morning, when Singapore’s sun is gentler, exposes your baby to natural light that helps set their body clock. Keep them shaded and well hydrated with milk.
Change nappies only when needed at night, and use a dim night light rather than the main light.

Sample routines by age

These examples show what a day might look like. Your baby will not follow them exactly, and that is fine. Use them to spot patterns, not to judge yourself.

0 to 6 weeks: feed, change, sleep

There is no real routine yet. The cycle is simply: feed, burp, change the nappy if needed, a short awake time, then sleep. Expect this every two to three hours around the clock. Focus on feeding well and resting whenever you can.

2 to 3 months: a loose rhythm

7am: wake and feed
8am: nap
10am: feed, play
11am: nap
1pm: feed, play
2pm: nap
4pm: feed, short nap if needed
6pm: bath or wash, feed
7pm to 8pm: bedtime, with one to three night feeds

6 to 9 months: more predictable days

6:30am to 7am: wake, milk
9am to 10:30am: morning nap
Late morning: solids and play
1pm to 3pm: afternoon nap
Late afternoon: optional short nap for younger babies
6:30pm: bath, milk, story
7pm: bedtime

Once you start solids, our starting solids guide explains how meals can fit around sleep and milk feeds.

Building a simple bedtime routine

From around six to eight weeks, a short, predictable bedtime routine can help your baby recognise that night sleep is coming. It does not need to be elaborate. A 15 to 20 minute sequence works well, for example: a bath or warm wash, a clean nappy and pyjamas, a feed, a lullaby, then into the cot.

In Singapore’s heat, a quick evening wash also helps your baby cool down and feel comfortable before bed. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature with a fan or aircon, dress your baby in light cotton, and use a sleep bag rather than a blanket. HealthHub’s baby sleep advice has more tips on settling your baby safely.

Realistic expectations

It helps to know what is normal, so you do not worry unnecessarily.

“Sleeping through the night” for a young baby often means a five to six hour stretch, not 12 hours.
Night waking is normal throughout the first year. Many babies still wake once or twice at nine to twelve months.
Sleep often gets worse before it gets better around growth spurts, developmental leaps, illness, travel and teething. Our teething guide covers the sleep side of teething.
Short naps are common, especially under six months. Naps of 30 to 45 minutes are one sleep cycle and are not a problem if your baby seems content.
Formal sleep training is not recommended for young babies. If you are considering it later, speak to your paediatrician first. Our guide to gentle and faster sleep training methods covers the options for when the time comes.

Sleep deprivation is hard. Share night duties where possible, accept help from family or a confinement nanny, and nap when you can. If you feel persistently low, anxious or unable to cope, talk to your doctor; our postnatal depression guide lists support available in Singapore.

When to speak to a doctor about sleep

See your paediatrician or polyclinic if your baby is very difficult to wake for feeds, sleeps much more than usual and seems floppy or unwell, snores loudly or has pauses in breathing, or seems to be in pain when lying down. Call 995 or go to the Children’s Emergency if your baby has breathing difficulty, turns blue or grey, or is unresponsive.

The bottom line

A newborn sleep schedule is really a feeding schedule for the first couple of months. Expect 14 to 17 hours of broken sleep, help your baby learn day from night with light and routine, and let a gentle rhythm emerge from around two to four months. Keep every sleep safe, and be kind to yourself; this phase does pass.

How long should a newborn sleep at a time?

Most newborns sleep for one to four hours at a stretch. Babies under about six weeks usually need feeding every two to three hours, so your doctor may advise waking a sleepy newborn for feeds until they have regained their birth weight.

Should I wake my newborn to feed?

In the first couple of weeks, often yes, especially if your baby had jaundice, was small or has not regained birth weight. Once feeding and weight gain are going well, most doctors are happy for you to let your baby wake on their own at night. Follow your paediatrician’s advice.

When do babies start sleeping through the night?

Many babies begin to have a longer stretch of five to six hours between three and six months, but there is a wide range of normal. Night waking for feeds or comfort is still common up to 12 months.

Is it okay for my baby to nap in the living room?

Yes, daytime naps in a bright, normally noisy room can help with day and night confusion. Just make sure the sleep space is safe: a cot, bassinet or playard, on their back, with nothing loose around them.