Sleep
Safe sleep, and how much sleep is normal
When to get help: fever, breathing, feeding and other warning signs. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Safe sleep, every sleep
- On the back, for every sleep, naps too, until 1 year.
- Alone, on a firm, flat surface: a crib, bassinet or play yard with a fitted sheet only. No pillows, blankets, bumpers or toys.
- In your room, close to your bed but not in it, ideally for at least the first 6 months.
- Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. Don’t use inclined sleepers, car seats or swings for regular sleep.
- Keep your baby smoke-free and not too warm. A pacifier at sleep time can help lower the risk of SIDS.
How much sleep
- Newborns to 3 months: about 14 to 17 hours in 24 hours, in short stretches day and night.
- 4 to 12 months: about 12 to 16 hours including naps. 1 to 2 years: about 11 to 14 hours.
- Waking at night to feed is normal for young babies. Longer night stretches come gradually.
Helping days and nights
- Daytime: light, normal sounds, play. Night: dim, quiet, calm feeds and changes.
- A short, simple bedtime routine (bath, feed, song) helps from around 2 to 3 months.
Tired signs
- Yawning, rubbing eyes or pulling at ears, staring into space, jerky movements or clenched fists, fussing, losing interest in play.
- Start winding down when the first signs show: an overtired baby can find it harder to settle.
- How long babies stay happily awake differs from baby to baby and day to day. The Sleep reminder’s “Usual” follows your own baby: it rings when they have been awake about as long as they usually are before a nap.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
- Safe to Sleep campaign (U.S. National Institutes of Health)
- Canadian Paediatric Society (Caring for Kids)
- Raising Children Network (Australia)
General information for most babies, not medical advice. Your doctor, nurse or midwife knows your baby: always ask them, and call your local emergency number in an emergency.