Baby sleep basics: 6 to 9 months
Baby sleep basics: 6 to 9 months Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: February 2007 Typical sleep at this age
By age 6 months, most babies sleep a total of 11 1/2 to 15 hours of sleep a day (between nighttime sleep and naps) and are capable of sleeping for long stretches at a time.
Between the ages of 6 and 9 months, many babies consolidate their daytime sleep into two naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Don’t be concerned, though, if your baby continues to take three naps a day. Keeping consistent times for bedtime and naps will help regulate his sleep patterns.
Ready for sleep training If your baby hasn’t yet settled into a sleep pattern that fits your family life, now might be a good time to try some type of sleep training. Sleep training methods can help your baby go to sleep more easily, sleep for longer periods at night, and keep more regular hours.
Sleeping through the night If your baby now sleeps for nine or ten hours at night, it means he’s figured out how to settle back to sleep — a sign that you’re raising a good sleeper.
If your baby isn’t yet sleeping at least five or six hours straight, you’re not alone. Many babies still wake up at night for feedings in the 6- to 9-month stage — though most are ready for night weaning, if that’s what you choose. But babies this age don’t necessarily wake up because they’re hungry.
We all wake up several times every night for brief periods of time. And as adults, we put ourselves back to sleep each time — so quickly we don’t even remember it in the morning. If your baby hasn’t mastered this skill, he’ll wake up and cry during the night even if he’s not hungry.
Waking up again Babies who were great sleepers may suddenly start waking up at night or have difficulty falling asleep between 6 and 12 months of age. Why? Sleep disturbances often go hand-in-hand with reaching major milestones in cognitive and motor development and with separation anxiety.
At 6 to 9 months, your baby may be learning to sit up, crawl, or possibly even cruise or walk — quite a list of achievements! Not surprisingly, he may not want to stop practicing his new skills at bedtime and may get so excited that he’ll wake up to try sitting up just one more time.
Separation anxiety could also be the cause of your baby’s wake-up calls. Waking up and finding you not there may cause some distress. But he’ll probably calm down as soon as you enter the room and greet him.
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