When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night? What's Actually Normal
"Is she sleeping through the night yet?" might be the most stressful question a new parent gets. Here's the reassuring truth from the research: lots of perfectly healthy babies still wake at night well past 6 months, and many still do at their first birthday.
The short version
- In research, "sleeping through the night" usually means a 6 or 8 hour stretch, not 12 hours.
- At 6 months, 38% of babies in a large study weren't sleeping 6 hours straight. At 12 months, 28% still weren't.
- Those babies developed just as well, and their moms weren't more depressed.
- A consistent routine, full daytime feeds and a dark, calm room help stretches get longer over time.
What "sleeping through the night" really means
When researchers say a baby sleeps through the night, they usually mean one unbroken stretch of 6 or 8 hours. So a baby who goes down at 7 and wakes at 1 a.m. technically counts. If you've been comparing your baby to a mythical 7-to-7 sleeper, give yourself a break.
What's normal by age
| Age | Typical nights | Total sleep (24 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 months | Waking every 2 to 4 hours to feed. Days and nights still mixed up. | About 14 to 17 hours |
| 4 to 6 months | Some longer stretches appear. Many still wake 1 to 3 times. | 12 to 16 hours, including naps |
| 6 to 12 months | Longer stretches for many. Teething, new skills and regressions cause bumps. | 12 to 16 hours, including naps |
What the big study found
A McGill University team followed hundreds of babies and published their results in Pediatrics. At 6 months, 38% weren't sleeping 6 hours in a row, and 57% weren't sleeping 8. At 12 months, 28% still weren't sleeping 6 hours, and 43% weren't sleeping 8. The babies who woke more developed just as well as the ones who didn't, and their moms' mood was no different.
Gentle ways to help longer stretches
- Fill the tank by day. Full, regular daytime feeds mean less need to make up calories at night.
- Same routine, same order. Bath, massage, feed, book, bed. Repetition is a powerful sleepy cue. Here's our 20-minute routine.
- Practice drowsy but awake. Laying your baby down a little awake, some of the time, helps them learn to drift off on their own.
- Keep nights boring. Dim light (a red night light is ideal), quiet voice, no play.
- Watch the wake windows. An overtired baby often sleeps worse. See our wake windows chart.
When to talk to your pediatrician
Bring it up if your baby snores loudly or pauses in breathing, isn't gaining weight well, suddenly starts waking much more with fever or pain, or if the lack of sleep is wearing you down. Your wellbeing counts too.
What we use
Little Sleepers Dream Cream
Our magnesium Dream Cream for 3 months and up. We massage it onto little legs and feet as the last step of our bedtime routine. Organic, gentle and made for little skin.
Shop Dream CreamThis article is for general education and isn't a substitute for advice from your pediatrician or healthcare provider. Always check with them about your child's health, and call right away for a fever, rash, trouble breathing or anything that feels off.
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