6 mo Sample Sleep Schedule

So here is a sample 6-month schedule.

Notice I say, sample? Not every child will follow this exact schedule of course, because babies are not robots. They are individuals with individual personalities!

Let’s look at it a bit closer.

1)        6-month-olds needs 12-16 hours of sleep in 24 hours

Hours of sleep-in 24-hour period: should range between 12-16.  I don’t know about you, but I am thinking that is a HUGE range!  That is a difference of 4 hours. But just like most ranges, most kids fall in the middle and there are a few on the low and high sleep-needs end.

2)        They are usually still on 3 naps/day

Most babies transition to 2 naps between 6.5 and 8 months of age. There are many signs a baby is ready to transition but that’s a whole other post. For the most part at 6 months a baby will still need two naps. Please note the 3rd nap is just a cat nap; only 30-60 mins!

3)        Wake Windows are 2-3 hours.

If you dissect my schedule notice my wake windows are as follows: 1.5/2/2.5/3. That means they are awake for 1.5 hours then down again for Nap #1. Then they are awake for 2 hours and down for Nap #2 and so on. Notice how the wake windows are longer through the day with the longest right before bed? I like to have the longest wake window right before bed because your baby needs a certain about of ‘desire’ or ‘need’ to go to sleep which is called sleep pressure.

There are dozens of things that influence this schedule. Are they sleeping through the night? Are they sick? Are they going through a regression? Any life changes?

They best part about working with a sleep consultant and getting your child to sleep through the night, is that when they do wake, you know they really need something. If they always wake very 3 hours, do they only need help falling asleep or is it something else?

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