Baby & Toddler Sleep Schedules by Age
Every baby is different, but the ranges are a real starting point — wake windows, nap counts, and total sleep, newborn through toddler.
These are ranges, not a schedule to force. Every baby is different, and a wake window or nap count that's off by 15-20 minutes from the range below isn't a problem — it's just where your baby happens to be. Use this as a starting point, then watch your baby's actual cues over the schedule on paper.
0-3 months
Wake windows are short — often just 45-90 minutes before a newborn is ready for another nap. Expect 4-5 naps a day with no predictable pattern yet, totaling roughly 4-5 hours of daytime sleep, plus another 10-12 hours overnight broken up by frequent feeds. At this age, following your baby's sleepy cues matters more than any clock.
4-8 months
Wake windows stretch to roughly 2-4 hours. Most babies are still on 3 naps a day around 4-5 months, transitioning toward 2 predictable naps by 6-7 months, for a total of about 3-5 hours of daytime sleep. Nighttime sleep starts consolidating, though night feeds are still normal through much of this window.
9-14 months
Most babies settle into a consistent 2-nap schedule, with wake windows extending to roughly 3-4 hours. Total daytime sleep is typically 2.5-3.5 hours, and many babies in this range start sleeping longer overnight stretches with fewer feeds, though this varies widely baby to baby.
15-24 months
The 2-to-1 nap transition typically happens somewhere in this window — often a bumpy stretch where a toddler seems to be between schedules for a few weeks. Once settled on a single nap, expect roughly 1-2.5 hours of daytime sleep in the early afternoon, plus 10-12 hours overnight, with a consistent bedtime routine mattering more than ever for a toddler who now understands anticipation.
How to actually use these ranges
- Start with the age-based range, then adjust in small increments (10-15 minutes) based on how your baby actually sleeps — a nap that's consistently too short or a bedtime that's consistently a battle are both signals to adjust
- Watch tired cues over the clock — rubbing eyes, fussiness, staring off — especially in the newborn stage, where the range is widest
- A consistent bedtime routine (bath, book, same order every night) matters more than hitting an exact bedtime, and helps at every age in this range
- Growth spurts, teething, illness, and travel all disrupt sleep temporarily — a few rough nights isn't a signal to overhaul the whole schedule
Turn this into a printable system
Every post pairs with a binder or checklist you can actually put on the fridge.
Take this with you: the free New Baby Prep Checklist for Canadian Parents
A printable PDF of the full checklist, emailed to you. Everything a Canadian family needs to line up before baby arrives — medical, financial, gear, baby-proofing, postpartum recovery, and the first month home.
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Frequently asked questions
Most babies are transitioning toward 2 predictable naps by 6-7 months, after being on 3 naps a day around 4-5 months. The exact timing of this transition varies significantly baby to baby.
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