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6-month-old sleep schedule: 6-month-old sleep, naps, and wake windows

As babies grow, their sleep cycles become more like those of toddlers and older children. This means your 6-month-old is likely sleeping for longer stretches at night and spending more time awake during the day. At this age, babies are capable of sleeping through the night, but many won't. Still, by being consistent and patient, you can teach your little one healthy sleep habits that will serve them well throughout their childhood.

At 6 months old, your baby is sleeping more thanks to their maturing sleep cycles and their ability to go for longer stretches without eating. Of course, sleep patterns can vary greatly from baby to baby and some babies won't sleep through the night at 6 months old. 

At this age, your baby is also reaching developmental milestones that can cause a sleep regression, or a temporary disruption to your little one's sleep. But with a consistent routine and good habits, it's very possible to work toward getting more rest at night. 

Here's what you need to know about sleep for your 6-month-old baby.

How much should a 6-month-old sleep?

At 6 months old, your baby will sleep an average of 14 hours each day. For most babies, this will include 10 hours of nighttime sleep and four hours of daytime sleep. During the day, your baby will take two or three shorter naps. Since babies this age are capable of sleeping for longer stretches at a time, you can expect to (hopefully) get more sleep at night. 

Many babies will still take three naps each day, but at this age some consolidate their daytime sleep down to two naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Your baby will be awake for longer periods during the day. At 6 months old, your baby's wake windows (the time they spend awake during the day) will last about two or three hours.

Many babies sleep through the night by 6 months. If your baby now sleeps for six or more hours at night without waking up and crying, it likely means they've figured out how to soothe themself back to sleep. 

But if your baby isn't yet sleeping for 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 to do). Other babies simply need more practice settling back down after waking up. 

Babies this age don't necessarily wake up because they're hungry – it may just be a habit. 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, they'll cry when they wake up during the night, even if they're not hungry.

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You can encourage self-soothing by giving your baby a few minutes when they wake to fuss or cry on their own. See if they can fall back asleep without your help. 

If this doesn't happen, you can quietly and quickly respond to their cries. Reassure them you're near, lay them back down if they're sitting or standing in their crib, and then see if they'll settle back to sleep.

Should I put my 6-month-old baby on a sleep schedule?

If you haven't already put your baby on a sleep schedule, you can start one at 6 months old. Create a routine by looking to your baby's regular patterns, and keep in mind that many babies this age can sleep from six to eight or nine hours without waking at night and will take two or three naps of about four hours.

A sleep schedule is beneficial because babies thrive on consistency. Getting enough sleep powers their days, supporting them during growth spurts and development leaps. A sleep schedule can help you avoid an overtired baby, too. A well-rested baby is likely to sleep better, while overtired little ones may resist sleep. 

Worth noting, of course, is that you can benefit from a dependable sleep schedule, too. Getting enough rest and time to yourself will give you the chance to recharge so you can be your best self when your baby is awake and active.

Here are a few ideas for getting started with your baby's sleep schedule:

• If your baby isn't sleeping longer stretches or can't self-soothe, try sleep training. Take some time to research the different methods and choose one that's right for your family: Cry it out, fading, gentle, and Ferber are some options. (Sleep training doesn't necessarily mean letting your baby cry for extended periods of time!)
• Create a consistent bedtime routine that involves calming rituals like a soothing bath, reading before bed, and snuggles in a rocking chair before moving them to their crib for the night.
• Whenever possible, but your baby in bed drowsy but awake. It's important for them to have plenty of calm and positive experiences in their crib so they'll get more comfortable falling asleep by themself.
• Help them differentiate between night and day. Keep the house bright and engaging during the day, then pull the shades and calm the environment in the hours leading up to bedtime.
• Don't rush to comfort your baby the moment they wake up and cry during the night. Let them fuss for a few minutes to see if they'll calm down by themself.
• Make sure your baby's needs are met during the day. Spend lots of time connecting with them when they're awake. This gives babies a sense of security that may help them sleep better at night.

Some babies might start sleeping through the night and then have a sudden setback in their sleep routine. This is called a sleep regression, and it's a normal developmental milestone seen in many, but not all babies.

These regressions can last a few days or a few weeks, and can be exhausting and frustrating. The most important thing is to stick to their schedule as best you can to provide them with plenty of opportunities to catch up on sleep. A sleep regression will usually pass in a few days or weeks, so it's usually a matter of waiting it out.

What a 6-month-old sleep schedule may look like

Every baby is different, and so are their sleep schedules. However, at 6 months old, it's realistic to start working on a more uniform and predictable sleep schedule. Here's what a typical day in the life might look like:

• 7 a.m.: Wake up for the day, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by some solid food for breakfast.
• 9:30 a.m.: Morning nap.
• 11:30 a. m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by solid food for lunch.
• 2 p.m.: Afternoon nap.
• 4 p.m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by playtime.
• 5 p.m.: Solid food dinner.
• 6:15 p.m.: Start the bedtime routine with a bottle or breastfeeding and calming rituals.
• 6:30 to 6:45 p.m.: Bedtime.
• 10 p.m.: Dream feed, then right back to sleep. (Your baby may not need this.)
• 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: May wake up, but doesn't need to eat and is learning to settle back to sleep on their own.

If your baby is still taking three naps, here's what their sleep schedule might look like:

• 7 a.m.: Wake up for the day, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by some solid food for breakfast.
• 9:30 a.m.: Morning nap.
• 11:30 a.m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by solid food for lunch.
• 12 p.m.: First afternoon nap.
• 1:30 p.m.: Wake, breastfeed or have a bottle followed by playtime.
• 4 p. m.: Second afternoon nap.
• 5 p.m.: Solid food dinner.
• 6:15 p.m.: Start bedtime routine with a bottle or breastfeeding and calming rituals.
• 6:30 to 6:45 p.m.: Bedtime.
• 10 p.m.: Dream feed, then right back to sleep. (Your baby may not need this.)
• 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.: May wake up, but doesn't need to eat and is learning to settle back to sleep on their own.

Learn more:

• Your 6-month-old's growth and development
• Feeding schedules for 6-month-olds
• Expert sleep tips
• Sleep safety

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Child's daily routine, nutrition, development at 6 months

04/19/2019

37

Approximate daily routine of a child

6 months

The daily routine of a 6 month old child is becoming more and more stable:

Some babies are comfortable with two naps during the day, others sleep three times a day until 8-9 months.

It is worth paying attention to the duration of daytime sleep - morning and afternoon sleep should be at least 1-1.5 hours long so that the child's body has a good rest. The third dream may remain short, it is better to start it between 15.00-16.00. Make sure that it does not end too late, otherwise the time for evening bedtime will shift. Morning and afternoon naps are recommended to be done at home, the third nap can be spent outside in a stroller.

When going to bed early, the best time to wake up in the morning is 06.30-07.00.

• Regular bedtime appears

A six-month-old baby is already physiologically ready for early bedtime. The optimal time for leaving at night will be between 18.00-20.00. You will have a clear bedtime ritual that will help the child relax and make the process of bedtime easier. The ritual must be repeated daily. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete it.

• The period of wakefulness of the child increases

Now, when forming the daily routine, one should focus primarily on the recommended waking time - in six months it increases to 2. 5 hours with an established regimen with three daytime sleeps. Signs of fatigue in a child are already harder to notice, so you can miss the moment when the baby is ready for bed.

Total amount of sleep

Now the child needs to sleep 13-14 hours a day. Night sleep is 11-12 hours with awakenings for 2-3 feedings while breastfeeding. The number of night awakenings in formula-fed babies will be less. The total duration of daytime sleep at this age is about 2.5-4 hours.

Monitor your baby's condition and follow the main recommendations of the table to understand how many hours of sleep he needs and correctly build a daily routine that will suit your six-month-old baby.

A table on the sleep and wakefulness of a child at 6 months will help you with this:

You can adjust the regime and adapt it as your baby grows in the Club MODE FROM A TO Z - read more.

What affects baby's sleep:

1. By 6 months, your baby has already learned to roll over from back to stomach and back. Now he is gradually mastering new skills: he learns to pull himself up at the support, get on all fours, sit on his own and actively prepare for crawling. The baby can continue to practice new skills both during the day and in the crib during sleep. At such moments, he often wakes up and sleeps restlessly. This is part of the natural development of the child.

To help him get used to the new possibilities of his body, practice new skills while you are awake. Show how you can lie back down from a sitting position. And if before the child did not mind spending a lot of time in the stroller, now he needs time and space for active play during wakefulness. After 7-14 days, the child’s sleep will improve.

2. Skipping naps and going to bed too late at this age can lead to overtiredness, protests before bed and frequent nighttime awakenings. To prevent this from happening, try to follow a clear daily routine.

3. At six months, the baby may show the first signs of separation anxiety. Having become more independent, he realizes that he is not one with her. And the baby develops fear and anxiety that the mother will leave and will not return. If you find your baby won't let go of you during bedtime, extend the ritual to include carrying, massages, hugs, and kisses. Offer your child a sleep toy that smells like you and "guards" their sleep. It is also worth spending more time with the child one on one, without being distracted by other things.

4. Teething is another factor that affects the sleep of children of this age. In the acute period, help the baby in every possible way, use teething toys and anesthetic gel as recommended by your pediatrician. As soon as the acute period passes, return to the previous sleep conditions and daily routine.

Watch the free workshop MY BABY SLEEPING BADLY AT NIGHT: 3 SOLUTIONS if your child is having trouble sleeping at night.

Child's diet

6 months

Breast milk and infant formula are still your baby's main complete food, from which he gets important nutrients.

But at 5-6 months you will notice that he has begun to show interest in adult food - watching you eat, following the spoon with his eyes, opening his mouth and smacking his lips. At six months, it is important to maintain this food interest in him, gradually expanding the child's nutrition. For this purpose, complementary foods are introduced. It is from the age of six months that WHO recommends including adult food in the diet of a breastfed child.

Complementary foods can be started with vegetable puree. Choose zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli. Then gluten-free cereals are introduced. If the child is not gaining weight, then complementary foods usually begin with cereals.

Water is also added to the diet from 6 months. But modern pediatricians do not recommend giving juices to a child in the first year of life.

The volume of complementary foods is small - in the first days, half a teaspoon of puree is enough for a baby, then the serving volume gradually increases over 10 days to the required norm. Feed one food and see how your baby reacts. The best feeding time is the first half of the day.

By the age of 6 months, the feeding regimen is formed. The child eats on awakening and shortly before bedtime up to 5-6 times a day. Attachments to the breast are short, as the child is often distracted during feeding. The most frequent feedings are in the evening and active sucking is shifted to the last 2-3 hours before waking up.

The amount and frequency of feedings should be discussed with the pediatrician.

Development of the child

Thinking

The baby now distinguishes well between friends and strangers and can show his displeasure, being left without a mother.

Be prepared that the child will not want to let you go if you want to leave him with his grandparents.⠀

Communication

The baby is already turning around at his name, listening to the voice of an adult and pronouncing syllables in response to your voice.

Say his name as often as possible and name toys when communicating with your baby to develop his vocabulary.⠀

Physical development

Most likely your baby has already learned to roll over, master the skill of sitting and getting ready to crawl. Also, the child begins to transfer weight to the legs and can stand with the support of both hands. He stretches both hands to his mother, expressing a desire that she take him to her. You may also notice that during feeding, the child rests on you with his arms and pushes away. This behavior is normal - he is testing his new bodily capabilities.

While playing with your baby, clap your hands, squeeze toys, use taps. He will repeat after you and improve motor skills, wielding a toy.

Share in the comments, what questions and difficulties did you encounter when organizing a baby regimen at 6 months?

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Votes: 347

Baby sleep at 6 months - how much baby sleeps at 6 months

06/22/2015

538791

790

and sleep norms

3-6 months 6–9 months

Article

Elena Muradova

Elena Muradova

Head of the Babysleep, first consultant for SNO in Russia, SNOS author of the BabySleep methodology

Mother of three children

The first six months of a baby's life are behind him, he knows a lot and pleases you with new skills almost every day. Sleep also changes. During the day, the child sleeps less and stays awake longer. Night sleep is not yet the same as that of a one-year-old baby: a six-month-old baby still needs nightly feedings, he cannot sleep all night without waking up.

It can be difficult to put a child to daytime or nighttime sleep: this is due to the increase in wakefulness, and with the characteristics of the developmental stage, and with the beginning of the transition from 3 to 2 daytime sleep.

The child is developing rapidly, becoming very active. It is important to sleep well in order to fully recuperate. Quality sleep for a baby at 6 months helps to learn new skills faster.

Child crisis calendar

0007

A six-month-old baby still needs to sleep almost as much as a newborn: the norm of sleep by age is from 13 to 16 hours a day. About six months, a change in sleep patterns usually begins - a transition from 3 daytime sleep to 2. When and how this happens depends on the individual characteristics of each child. On average, babies start sleeping 2 times during the day at 6-8 months.

The total time of a child's daytime sleep is about 3-4 hours, nighttime - 10-12 hours. Waking time at the beginning of the 6th month is typically 2 hours 15 minutes to 2.5 hours. Remember that it includes not only games, but also getting ready for bed, feeding, laying down and the process of falling asleep, which also takes time.

By the end of 6 months, you may notice that it becomes more difficult to put your baby to sleep - the time to fall asleep increases, and there may be resistance to lying down. This is usually associated with age-related increase in the time of wakefulness. By the end of the first half of the year of a child's life, it increases to 2 hours 45 minutes - 3 hours.

Children at this age develop and grow very rapidly, their capabilities increase rapidly, including the increase in wakefulness. Therefore, the child's sleep pattern often changes. So far, this is not a clear mode with reference to the clock, but a more or less constant rhythm of sleep and wakefulness - quite predictable, but flexibly adapting to the child.

Professor M. Weissbluth, a recognized specialist in children's sleep, notes that at this age there is usually a formation of a more or less stable afternoon nap around 12-2 pm, which usually lasts up to 3 years, as well as the inconstancy of the third daytime sleep around 15-17 hours.

Breastfeeding and 6-month-old sleep

6 months is the recommended time to start introducing complementary foods. But this does not mean that the baby no longer needs breast milk or formula. This is still the time for the baby to get acquainted with new tastes and textures, and not for a full meal that can replace breastfeeding. Most babies only eat enough solid food by the age of one. Be wary of advice to cut down on daytime feedings - a hungry baby will "fill in" the missing calories at night.

As far as the night is concerned, most babies at this age reduce the number of night feeds, the baby begins to sleep for longer periods.

It is considered normal for a 6-month-old baby to have 1 to 3 nightly breastfeedings and 1-2 formula feedings. Some children at this age may sleep one or even two continuous 5-hour intervals.

Poll

Who, apart from mother, can put your baby to bed?

(you can choose one or more options)

• Dad
• Grandmother
• Any member of the family
• Nanny
• Nobody, only mom

Voted: 16641

Stage of development

Physical development

How can I help my child?

• While awake, show your baby how to lie down "back" from a sitting position.
• Practice the new skill as much as possible during the day so that the baby quickly gets used to it.
• Educational games.

Mental development

At this age, the child is approaching a new stage of mental development. The "World of Relations" opens up to him - the realization comes that the surrounding objects are at a certain distance and each occupy its own place. Discovering this phenomenon, the baby feels tiny and helpless, he is scared and confused.

The period of anxiety may begin as early as 5 months, and this may affect the child's sleep: he begins to sleep restlessly, anxiously. Constant physical and emotional contact with the mother during this period will restore the baby's confidence and calmness.

Fear of separation from mother

Perhaps you began to notice that the child began to react painfully to your absence: a mother’s attempt to leave the room even for a minute can end in tears. The child refuses to sleep alone in the crib, does not want to stay with someone other than his mother.

This is normal. The kid grew up and realized that his mother is a separate person and can leave, leaving him alone. He's really scared! Now is not the right time to “develop independence”, it is important to show the child that you are always there and will always return if he gets scared. The first peak of separation fear usually occurs around 7–9 months, the second around a year, but in emotional, sensitive children this period can last from 6 to 18 months. Read how you can reduce a child's fear of being separated from their mother.

New skills can not only please, but also greatly excite the child, so during a developmental leap:

Many children get tired faster than usual, so you need to reduce the time of wakefulness.

Tip of the month

Create comfortable conditions for sleep: remove everything interesting, distracting, exciting; darken the room. Complete darkness is not needed - when the baby sleeps during the day, it is enough to create a slight twilight. If your child sleeps for 30-45 minutes, prolong naps in any comfortable way. Or help your baby learn to fall asleep and prolong sleep on his own so that he gets enough sleep for his age and sleeps well.

At this age, physiological awakenings after the first cycle of daytime sleep (approximately 45 minutes) can become a problem if the awakened child finds himself in a different environment in which he was used to falling asleep. If a child falls asleep only in his mother's arms, in a sling, at the chest, with motion sickness, in a moving stroller, then, having woken up in 45 minutes in the crib, he will not be able to fall asleep again on his own and continue his sleep.

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