Is my baby sleeping enough?

Understanding if your baby is getting enough sleep can be a daunting task. Our Resident Sleep Expert Imogen is here to demystify the process and make it easier for you to grasp your baby's sleep needs.

“First let’s dive into what sleep commonly looks like. When it comes to baby sleep, each child is totally unique in their sleep needs depending on their age, developmental stage and even personality and temperament. This table highlights the average sleep quantities needed for each age group. Some children naturally fall outside of these parameters and that is okay!

Age	Day Sleep (hours)	Naps	Night Sleep	Total Sleep in 24 hours
0-3 months	Evenly spread across day & night	Varies, even spread	Varies	14-17
3-6 months	4-5 hours	4 naps	9-10	13-15
6-9 months	3-4 hours	3 naps	10-11	12-14
9-16 months	2-3 hours	2 naps	10-11	11-14
16-24 months	2-3 hours	1 nap	10-11	11-14
2-2.5 years	Up to 2 hours	1 nap	10-12	10-13
2.5-3 years	Up to 2 hours	0-1 nap	10-12	10-13

Top tip! A child's behaviour and temperament during awake times will give you lots of clues as to what they might need from sleep. If they’re generally happy and wake refreshed, it's likely they’re getting good amounts of sleep. If they’re grouchy and seem to fight sleep but then fall asleep quickly (having ruled out any medical, developmental or comfort issues), it may be they need more sleep!

Times when your baby needs less sleep

There are times when a baby needs less sleep than they are used to or normally would. For example;

If they’re transitioning the number of naps they have. Nap transitions mean we may be reducing the duration or amount of sleeps a child has in a day. Naturally a child needs less sleep quantity as they get older and more mature.
If they have been inactive. When we are less physically active, we may be less tired and naturally wake sooner from naps. After a cosy day watching films or doing activities, you may notice your little one isn’t as tired at bedtime as they are after a day of big-body play.
If their sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) is more than 20 minutes. If it is taking your child a long time to fall asleep and they aren’t showing a list of tired cues, it may be they aren’t ready for sleep yet, and it might be worth waiting another 30 minutes before offering them sleep again.
If they are waking earlier and earlier in the morning. Early morning or night wakes that aren’t typical for your child may mean they are getting enough sleep in the day, which means their sleep pressure is not high enough to see them through the night. Consider reducing sleep quantities during the day if other factors in this list are also true for your child.
If their sleep is naturally on the higher end of the spectrum for their age and they are generally happy little things during the day but fight sleep hard before naps and bedtime it may be that they could do with being more tired before being offered sleep. Slide bedtime back by 15 to 30 minutes and see what happens.

Times when your baby needs more sleep:

Babies may need some more opportunity to sleep during certain periods of time. For example;

If they are unwell. Their bodies need additional rest to allow for recovery and repair. Sleep is brilliant for allowing the immune system to tackle the illness, and so it can be necessary to use your judgement to allow a few extra opportunities to rest. This could be cat naps or longer sleeps at their current sleep times. This should last only a few days before their sleep can begin to return to normal unless they have prolonged illness.
During stages of development. Children constantly develop and gain new skills, and this can be exhausting. However, during some times, like teething, for example, they may find this extra tiring and need the chance to rest more. It is totally individual as to which stages are a challenge or a breeze for your child. Be aware of them. If they seem more grouchy, show tired signs, or fall asleep very quickly at their sleep times, it may be time to offer them a little extra rest. It may be this lasts for a few days or weeks!
When they have been very active. Lots of activity may mean your little one is more physically tired and needs additional rest! A bit of extra sleep that day or night will be enough to let them catch up.
When they go through a big transition, such as starting nursery or experiencing a big life event. It is natural for them to need a little more rest, as these are tiring experiences. It may be that you are seeing more anxious sleep behaviour at these times. Offer all the necessary support to help them move through this, and responsiveness breeds independence.

How to offer more sleep:

Offering more sleep can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if they already fight sleep.

Here are some ways we might do that:

Contact napping: is a great way to settle a child to sleep and often they can grab a bit of shut-eye as the close proximity is extra soothing.
Supporting a child to sleep for an extra nap: Adding in a 20-minute nap to bridge the gap between sleeps is a brilliant chance to rejuvenate a baby!
Going out for a walk or a drive: I often find babies fall asleep extra well if they are on the move. The motion lulls them to sleep and is a great tool to have up your sleeve if you know they need an extra bit of shut-eye.
Extending their current sleeps: this can take some work but pulling the nap forward by 5 minutes or delaying waking them is a good way to tag sleep onto an existing routine without too much change. You may find you can rock their pram or resettle them when they wake to let them fall back asleep at the end of the nap or overnight sleep.

Babies are all unique, but their cues and changes to their sleep needs can be a real mystery to navigate. Understanding what your child might be communicating and experimenting with some of the information above can help you to build a sleep picture that evolves with your little one.”

For more sleep advice and tips, check out our Sleep Hub below.