Tiny Sleep guides

When do babies sleep through the night?

It depends on what "through the night" means. In one study, half of babies were sleeping a 5- to 8-hour stretch by about 3 months, and half slept 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. by about 5 months. Many babies still wake at night at 6 and 12 months, and that is normal.

What "sleeping through" means

There is no single definition. Researchers use different ones, like midnight to 5 a.m., 6 or 8 hours in a row, or 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the answer changes with the definition you choose.

What studies found

In one study, parents of 75 babies kept sleep diaries for 6 days a month for a year¹.

• By about 3 months, half of the babies slept from midnight to 5 a.m., or for 8 hours in a row.
• By about 5 months, half slept from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• The biggest gains came between 1 and 4 months.
• At 12 months, 11 of the 75 babies still did not sleep midnight to 5 a.m. or 8 hours, and 21 did not sleep 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

A larger study asked mothers of 388 babies about their baby's longest stretch of sleep at 6 and 12 months. Depending on the age and whether "through the night" meant 6 or 8 hours, between about 28 and 57 percent of babies did not sleep through². Babies who woke at night showed no difference in mental or motor development, and their mothers' mood was no different. Babies who slept through were much less likely to be breastfed. The researchers suggested that expectations for early sleeping through could be relaxed².

Why young babies wake

Newborns sleep 16 to 17 hours a day but wake at the end of each sleep cycle, sometimes every 1 or 2 hours, because they need to eat often³. Babies don't have regular sleep cycles until about 4 months⁴. Even later, it's normal for a 6-month-old to wake during the night and settle back to sleep after a few minutes⁴.

What may help

No routine guarantees a full night, but the AAP suggests a few habits³⁴:

• Keep night feeds and changes dim, quiet, and boring.
• Keep your baby awake and playing more during the day.
• From about 4 months, put your baby down drowsy but awake.
• When your baby stirs, give them a little time before stepping in. You can still feed, change, or comfort them when they need it.
• Use the same steps, in the same order, at every nap and bedtime.

Night feeds when you're exhausted

When you're very tired, it's tempting to let your baby sleep with you in bed or on the sofa, and that puts your baby at risk³. Avoid feeding on a couch or armchair, clear bedding away if you might doze off, and if you do fall asleep while feeding, put your baby on their back in their crib or bassinet as soon as you wake³⁵. Every sleep, including the 3 a.m. one, belongs on the back in a bare crib or bassinet⁵.

Taking care of yourself

Broken nights are hard. Nap when your baby naps, go to bed soon after the last feed, and accept help when it's offered³. If you're worried you might have postpartum depression, talk to your doctor. You can also call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)³.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your baby's doctor about your own baby.