The 24-Hour Sleep Budget
Your baby has a total amount of sleep they need in 24 hours, and it is divided between daytime naps and nighttime sleep. If too much sleep is allocated to daytime, nighttime suffers — and vice versa. Most schedule problems come from this balance being off.
Age-Appropriate Total Sleep
- 0-3 months: 14-17 hours total (flexible schedule)
- 4-6 months: 14-15 hours total (3-4 hours of naps)
- 6-9 months: 13.5-14.5 hours total (2.5-3.5 hours of naps)
- 9-12 months: 13-14 hours total (2-3 hours of naps)
- 12-18 months: 12.5-13.5 hours total (2-2.5 hours of naps)
- 18-24 months: 12-13 hours total (1.5-2.5 hours of naps)
- 2-3 years: 11-12.5 hours total (1-2 hours of naps)
Signs the Schedule Is Wrong
Too Much Daytime Sleep
- Split nights (long, happy night wakings)
- Bedtime resistance — baby is simply not tired
- Early morning wakings
- Taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime
Too Little Daytime Sleep
- Overtired meltdowns by evening
- Falling asleep instantly at bedtime (within 1-2 minutes)
- Frequent, distressed night wakings
- Short, fragmented naps in a cycle of overtiredness
Adjust the schedule in small increments — 15 minutes at a time. Give each change 3-5 days before evaluating. Large, sudden changes often backfire.
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