🛌 Sleep: 6–12 Months

🌙 Overview

Between 6 and 12 months, many babies begin to sleep in longer stretches and settle into more predictable patterns. While sleep regressions and teething can interrupt progress, this age also offers a great window for building healthy sleep habits.

✅ What to Expect

  • 6–9 months:
    • Sleeps 12–16 hours/day (including 2–3 naps)
    • May sleep 6–10 hours at night without waking
    • Some still wake for 1 nighttime feeding
    • May experience a sleep regression around 8–9 months
  • 9–12 months:
    • May consolidate naps to 2 per day
    • Begins to sleep 10–12 hours at night
    • Increased mobility (crawling, standing) can cause temporary sleep disruption
    • Separation anxiety may affect bedtime
Sleep regressions are temporary. They’re signs of developmental progress, not failure.

🧠 Cognitive & Physical Sleep Challenges

  • Teething discomfort
  • Increased awareness of surroundings
  • New skills like crawling, standing, or cruising
  • Separation anxiety around bedtime or naps

🧩 Tips for Parents

  • Stick to a consistent bedtime routine (bath, book, bottle/breast, bed)
  • Use a wind-down window before naps and bedtime to cue sleep
  • Put baby to bed drowsy but awake to support self-soothing
  • Keep the room dark and cool with white noise
  • Try a lovey (small comfort item), if baby is old enough and it’s safe

🔁 Sleep Training Notes

  • Sleep training is a personal choice — it’s okay to use a method that fits your family
  • Common methods include:
    • Gentle fading: gradually reducing assistance at bedtime
    • Check-ins: offering brief reassurance without picking baby up
    • Extinction/Ferber: allowing longer periods between checks
Always talk to your pediatrician before starting any sleep training approach.

⚠️ When to Call Your Pediatrician

  • Baby wakes hourly or more after 6 months without improvement
  • Loud or labored breathing during sleep
  • Baby seems consistently overtired or difficult to wake
  • Significant regression that lasts longer than 2–3 weeks

📚 Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics. “Healthy Sleep Habits: Infants and Toddlers.”
  2. CDC. “How Much Sleep Do Babies and Kids Need?” – cdc.gov
  3. National Sleep Foundation. “Infant Sleep Patterns and Challenges: 6–12 Months”