How much should a baby sleep at 6 months: daytime and nighttime sleep norms

In order for your baby to grow healthy and cheerful, you need a proper daily routine. Knowing how much a child should sleep at 6 months, it is easy to distribute this time between periods of night and daytime rest. The baby needs more and more time to develop and get to know the world around him; the total sleep time per day now rarely exceeds 14 hours. It’s becoming more and more difficult for mom: if before the baby spent almost all day and night sleeping, and the woman could do a lot of things, now during the day he requires more attention. But it became possible to have a good rest at night; by this time, children usually sleep until the morning, without waking up, if nothing bothers them.

Sleep norms for a six-month-old baby

The concept of normal has changed greatly over the past decades: modern pediatrics recommends that parents rely on and listen to the needs and individual characteristics of the child.

Pediatricians say that on average a 6-month-old baby sleeps 13-14 hours. Of these, 9-10 hours are spent sleeping at night, the rest of the time the child rests during the day.

On average, a six-month-old baby sleeps 2-3 times a day, but there are toddlers who at this age already switch to one nap. If the child is healthy, cheerful and cheerful, this is the norm.

Maria, mother of one-year-old Lisa: “Lisa was active and inquisitive from birth. It was difficult to put her to sleep, and she quickly woke up again, ready to explore the world around her. It was hard, but I saw from the child that this regime suited her. At six months old, she slept twice during the day for 2 hours, she didn’t need more. At the same time, we gained weight well, sat confidently at that age, and soon began to crawl. The pediatrician advised not to worry about the amount of sleep she was getting, it was enough for her.”

How much should a 6 month old baby sleep: daytime and nighttime sleep

Daytime sleep takes no more than four hours. The routine developed over five months is maintained. A child has three sleeps per day:

• The first is in the morning (sleep duration is one hour),
• Second at lunchtime (longest sleep) up to two hours
• Third sleep (several hours before bedtime) lasting up to one hour.

Most children at six months of age begin to erupt their first teeth (lower incisors).
They can cause restless sleep. If a “joyful event” is accompanied by the baby’s whims and worries, you can help him in simple ways and make teething easier.

Spend more time playing with your child, walk in the fresh air, look at color pictures in books and read funny fairy tales, sing songs, play with bright toys.

To facilitate teething, there are special devices - “rodents” or teethers, toys in the form of rings, flat balls and animals, filled with gel or plain water. The water in the toy will freeze at low temperatures (in the refrigerator) and will help relieve itching and swelling of the gums. You can massage your gums by lightly massaging them.

For most children, intensive tooth growth occurs in the evening; as a rule, children sleep peacefully at night. The duration of night sleep is 9-10 hours. The baby can easily withstand six to seven hours of sleep without a break for night feeding.

If you observe the temperature regime - the children's room should be warm (but not hot), dress the baby in light, spacious pajamas or a bodysuit made of natural fabric and a diaper, cover with a warm blanket if necessary, then a healthy, sound sleep for the child is guaranteed.

Daytime sleep of a six-month-old child

There is no clear answer to the question of how much a 6-month-old child sleeps during the day; most children remain on three days' rest at this age. Boys and girls have no differences in the quantitative norm of sleep, except that it is easier for the latter to put them to bed.

But sometimes six months is a transition period when the baby only has two naps during the day. This happens in the following sequence: the baby stops going to bed for the evening rest, but due to fatigue he goes to bed earlier at night, so morning sleep also shifts. This leaves only two naps during the day.

Amount of day rest

In total, a child aged 6 months sleeps approximately 5-6 hours during the day. If the baby sleeps 3 times, then the distribution is as follows: 1.5 hours in the morning, 2-2.5 hours in the afternoon and another 1.5 hours in the evening. Children who switched to two naps a day rest longer, 2-2.5 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Sleeping outside during a walk lasts longer than resting at home in a crib.

Length of day rest

Average standards are the starting point for six-month-old children. If a child sleeps longer or less, you should not immediately change the baby’s life and habits. It is important to make sure that the child has enough time.

As a rule, small children wake up early - at 6-7 o'clock in the morning. The child wants to eat, demands to change the night diaper, and then in a good mood is ready to play and spend active time with his parents. Therefore, after 2-3 hours the baby will want to sleep again. Morning sleep often begins at 9-9.30 and lasts 1.5 hours.

The baby again spends the next period of wakefulness in games and activities. It is important to pay maximum attention to the child while focusing on his development. You can even do household chores together with your little one, and go out into the fresh air for a long nap during the day. Rocking in a stroller, the baby will sleep for 2.5-3 hours from approximately 12 to 15 hours.

Evening sleep is considered a short-term rest; children fall asleep at about 18 hours and after 1-1.5 hours they are active again and ready for evening procedures and activities. You can go for an evening walk with your baby while he is awake. 30-40 minutes in the fresh air, bath, massage and feeding will ensure a deep and restful night's sleep for the baby.

6 month old baby's sleep schedule

Six months is a difficult period in a child’s life: he becomes more active and excitable, and begins to show character. It becomes difficult to put him to bed; if he doesn’t want to, he won’t fall asleep. At the same time, teeth are being cut and complementary foods are introduced into the diet of babies who previously only ate mother’s milk. At 6 months, the daily routine also changes: now some children switch to sleeping twice a day during the day. Mom needs to be patient and not be nervous about the baby’s whims. It’s also not easy for him to get through this period. Support the baby with your calm and affection. Your confidence that everything will get better very soon will be transferred to the baby, and he will become calmer.

At six months, the child is awake approximately as much as he sleeps - about 10-12 hours a day. If you correctly distribute periods of activity, by the right time the baby will get tired and will fall asleep easily. Create a daily routine for your baby so that it fits into the lifestyle of the whole family. Don't put him to bed too late in the evening; doctors believe that the best sleep occurs before midnight.

For example, you can organize a child’s vacation like this.

• From 21:00 to 6:00 – night sleep.
• From 9 to 10 o'clock - morning rest.
• From 13:00 to 15:00 – afternoon “quiet hour”,
• From 17 to 18 hours - evening rest.

During the day, it is better to combine sleep with a walk. It’s good if you live outside the city, you can put a cradle on the site and do housework. Leaving the baby alone on the balcony is dangerous: a smoldering cigarette butt can be thrown on top, some liquid can be spilled, and the wind will carry everything into the stroller.

Advice

A little trick will help wean your baby off night feeding. If his mother comes up to his cry, the baby smells delicious milk, his appetite flares up, and he asks for food. Let dad come to the crib, cuddle him, give him a pacifier or a bottle of water. There is no smell of breast milk, which means there is nothing to ask for, the baby will fall asleep peacefully. After a few days, he will get used to the fact that there is no tasty smell at night and will not wake up.

The baby sleeps soundly if he played well while awake and gained new impressions. Don’t be happy that your baby sits quietly alone in the crib and doesn’t interfere with your business. If a child is bored, he may not cry, but he is half asleep and does not expend enough energy to get tired and want to go to bed. During a walk, do not try to immediately lull your baby to sleep; let him look at people, trees, birds, cats and dogs. Now there is an intensive process of accumulating information, let the baby gain new impressions, in a dream they will take the right place in his memory.

Do I need to switch my baby to two naps a day at 6 months? Mom’s best adviser in this matter will be her powers of observation. Children are not robots, they have different temperaments and different needs. If the baby categorically protests against the previous regime, wants to play rather than go to bed, try changing the daily routine. At night, a 6-month-old baby sleeps for about 9 hours, during the day - 3-4 hours. Spread this time over 2 or 3 periods. At six months, many children fall asleep on their own when they are tired. Observe at what time this usually happens and adjust the regimen to suit your baby's individual needs.

Baby's night sleep at 6 months

By the first half of the year, the baby's feeding schedule has been established, and most children at this age can sleep through the night without waking up to eat. Night sleep becomes sound, long and restful. If the baby has had a walk in the evening and eaten a hearty meal at 10 p.m., he can rest peacefully until 6 a.m.

Amount and duration of night sleep

On average, a child sleeps 7-8 hours at night, although some children have a long sleep duration. If the baby goes to bed at 9-10 o'clock and sleeps until 7-8 o'clock in the morning, he most likely woke up at night, but managed to fall asleep. Such sleepyheads sleep much longer during the day than other peers.

For active restless people, 8 hours is too much time to rest. They wake up at night, demand feeding, and then fall asleep again for a short time, and at 5-6 in the morning they are ready to explore the world.

To understand that the child has enough night and day rest, you need to observe him. If he continues to eat actively and with pleasure, falls asleep calmly and wakes up without tears, and is cheerful and active while awake, then a short period of sleep is enough for him to regain his strength.

Each child is individual, and the norms for the amount and duration of sleep should be taken only as a starting point.

Developing through play - activities with a 6 month old baby

A six-month-old baby amazes with its joy, energy, facial expressions and beginning babble, which delights loved ones. A baby at this age can be captivated by bright toys, musical and rustling objects for a long time.

• Voiced, squeaking, moving toys are very interesting for six-month-old babies. The parent who is working with the baby should voice the object that he gives to the child - this is how the child trains his memory, and will soon distinguish new toys from those with which he has already played;
• Sensory and motor skills of the hands are well developed by objects made of different materials: wood, fabric, plastic, rubber. Feeling the differences between surfaces, the baby learns new tactile sensations. The concept of softness, hardness, elasticity is learned precisely in such games;
• Fine motor skills are also well learned by the child in games with objects of different shapes. A standard pyramid with rings, wooden cubes, toys - spirals - playing with them will have a beneficial effect on the mental development of your baby;
• Old, forgotten games with fingers - “magpie-white-sided”, “ladushki” - give a six-month-old baby not only pleasure from communication, but also develop the sense of touch and hearing.

Watch another example of a child’s daily routine and development at 6 months in video format:

Is your child sleeping poorly?

There are times when the baby goes to bed at the appointed time, but often wakes up and hardly rests, looks tired, and is capricious. Such signs logically lead parents to believe that the baby is not getting enough sleep, or that the quality of this rest does not meet the child’s needs. In this situation, it is important to take a closer look at the child, analyze his daily routine, consult with a pediatrician about his health and take steps to solve the problem.

You can’t ignore your baby’s whims and tantrums. As the famous Japanese Masaru Ibuka, the creator of innovative methods for raising and teaching young children, the author of the book “After Three It’s Too Late”, put it: “When a child cries, it means that he is asking for something, and leaving his request unanswered is means depriving him of communication from the very beginning.” A child should be heard at any age!

What you need for a good sleep

If your baby’s health is fine, his teeth and tummy are not bothering him, but he doesn’t sleep well, you need to reconsider the conditions for his rest. There are several recommendations from pediatricians regarding improving children's sleep:

1. The child should sleep in a well-ventilated, clean room. The room temperature should not exceed 24 °C.
2. A suitable size bed, a comfortable mattress and clean bed linen made from natural fabrics.
3. The baby should be fed and put to bed in a new diaper so that he is not bothered by hunger or discomfort during sleep.
4. The baby should have certain rituals and procedures before bed, repeated every day.
5. Two hours before bedtime, you must stop all active games and activities.

Creating suitable conditions for a child to relax and rest is not difficult, and the result will not be long in coming.

Co-sleeping with parents

Pediatricians and child psychologists call an effective and proven way to ensure a child a restful sleep - sleeping together.

Feeling the mother’s warmth nearby, hearing her smell, and feeling protected, the child, if he wakes up at night, will again fall into deep sleep.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of co-sleeping between a baby and his parents, so parents will have to make their own decisions about which recommendations to follow. When making a decision, you can find out more information on this topic and approach the issue carefully. Although it is much more correct to listen to intuition and maternal instinct.

William and Martha Sears, in their book “Raising a Child from Birth to 10 Years”, make several compelling arguments: “Our more than twenty years of observations of pediatricians, familiarization with research on the issue of co-sleeping between mothers and babies, and finally, our personal experience in the case of one of our as a child led us to the conclusion that all the child’s physiological systems work better if he sleeps next to his mother. The activity of both the heart and the respiratory apparatus is more orderly and experiences less stress, which means the child is less stressed and physically more prosperous.”

The famous pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky continues this idea with another important addition. He claims that the main criterion for the sleep of the whole family is the state when all members have slept and rested. And if the baby lying between mom and dad in bed interferes with sleep, it’s worth considering other options. Therefore, in order to make the right decision, it is worth hearing all opinions and jointly deciding how to sleep.

How else to improve your baby's sleep

Other methods for improving children's sleep include:

1. Active pastime during the waking period, games, educational activities and definitely walks outside.
2. Throughout the day, it is important to provide the tactile contact necessary for the child, hug him more often, take him in your arms and spend time together.
3. Prepare a comfortable, warm and clean place to sleep.

If your baby doesn't sleep well, something is bothering him. It is important for parents to understand what exactly it is and try to eliminate this factor.

Sleep-wake schedule

In order for your baby to sleep well and soundly, day and night, it is important to organize his waking hours rich and active.

Of course, a six-month-old baby will not play or study for two hours, but lying in a crib watching toys on a mobile phone is not interesting.

You can diversify the baby's waking periods with walks - one to sleep, the other to explore the world around him, massage and exercises, including on a fitball, games and activities to develop auditory and visual perception, and communication with adults. If the child’s activity is at a sufficient level, his sleep will become sound and long, because the baby will need time to recuperate.

Sleeping while walking

Parents are interested in why it is important to spend the child's nap in the stroller in the fresh air. This is an effective remedy for active children who find it difficult to put them to sleep at home. The steady rocking of the stroller, muffled ambient noise, and fresh air can put any fidget to sleep.

Sleeping in the fresh air strengthens the body and prevents the occurrence of diseases. Even a walk in light rain or cloudy weather is beneficial for the baby.

Mothers prefer to put the baby to bed at home and have time to do some things and take care of themselves. But for the sake of the child’s health and peace of mind, it’s worth letting him sleep in the stroller. A leisurely walk in the fresh air is also beneficial for mom.

Olesya, mother of two-year-old Nikita: “Nikita was a calm child only for the first two months, then we started having problems with our tummy, then teeth started appearing. Nikita slept poorly and had even more difficulty falling asleep, so sleeping in the stroller was a salvation and hours of rest for him and for me. Sometimes I went out with him myself, he could sleep soundly and peacefully for 2-3 hours while we were driving somewhere. Sometimes I asked my family to take him for a walk during bedtime, while I could rest or do something around the house.”

How much should a 6 month old baby sleep: Table

At six months, the child’s body no longer requires additional night nutrition.
Kids can wake up “for old times’ sake” and demand food. You can try giving a bottle of water; besides, the baby still does not know how to distinguish between hunger and thirst. In this way, you can speed up the process of weaning off night feeding. Mothers who do not want to experiment may not do this. Over time, the child himself will refuse to eat at night and switch to continuous, long sleep.

And another six months are marked by the introduction of complementary foods.

It is not recommended to introduce new foods into a child’s diet before bedtime. Complementary feeding for children is unfamiliar food and the body’s reaction to it can be the most unexpected. It’s better to make the “acquaintance” in the first half of the day, in a great mood, and then sleepless nights are certainly not guaranteed.

Sleep hygiene

An important factor influencing the duration and quality of sleep of a six-month-old child is sleep hygiene. These are a few rules and recommendations, the implementation of which ensures a calm, deep immersion in sleep, and a rested, cheerful baby after waking up. These include the desire of pediatricians and specialists to put the child to bed at the same time. The body gets used to the regime and schedule, which means it will fall asleep faster.

The atmosphere in the room is important. In addition to the fact that it needs to be ventilated before going to bed, the baby should sleep in a quiet and dark room. The air temperature should not exceed 24 degrees, and humidity should not be less than 40%.

Having provided harmonious and comfortable conditions for your baby’s sleep, you can begin the procedure of getting ready for bed.

Creating evening rituals for a child

From the birth of a child, it is important to create rituals in his life that will become a habitual pastime and will signal the baby about specific events. Getting ready for bed is considered an important ritual. The process should occur in the following sequence:

1. An evening walk in the fresh air, after which all active games and activities stop.
2. Bathing with chamomile or chamomile infusions, which have a calming effect, massage with baby oil.
3. Reading books to the baby, changing into pajamas or a sleep suit.
4. Feeding. At this moment, the children's room needs to be ventilated, and the baby needs to be fed in another room.
5. A lullaby or a story told by mother.

If you repeat these actions every evening, the baby will get used to it, and after a while he will begin to understand that he is getting ready to sleep already at the bathing stage.

Somatic problems

Any diseases not related to the pathology of the nervous system can disrupt night rest for a long time. What ailments are most common at this age? Why does a 6 month old baby sleep poorly at night?

• Colic (increased gas formation begins to bother you by two months and continues until the child’s intestinal microflora is fully formed).
• Teething (fangs are especially painful, although everything is individual for children).

Teething pain can negatively impact your baby's sleep

• Rickets (impaired calcium and vitamin D metabolism causes increased excitability, pain in the limbs, and occurs in infants up to one year old).
• Intensive weight gain only in some cases leads to pain in muscles and bones, and, as a consequence, sleep disturbance.
• Increased intracranial pressure (babies born naturally are more likely to suffer; the pressure usually normalizes by 6 months).
• Increased body temperature (fever caused by viral diseases almost always disrupts a baby's nighttime sleep).

Listed above are only the most common reasons why a child’s sleep is disturbed. In fact, there are many more somatic diseases. If a 6 month old baby does not sleep at night, this is bad for his growth and development. In order to be aware of the health status of their baby, parents should not ignore preventive examinations of infants up to one year old. This is the only way to prevent most diseases.

Correct daily routine for a 6 month old baby

An important factor influencing the duration and depth of a child’s sleep is adherence to a certain daily routine. By the age of six months, it should not only be clearly established, but also gradually change as they grow older.

Table of approximate daily routine for a 6 month old baby

Depending on the characteristics and temperament of the baby, parents can adjust the regime and add some individual activities. It is important that the child gradually gets used to a certain schedule.

Approximate daily routine for a child

6 months

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

• A routine with predictable periods of daytime sleep is formed.

Some children are comfortable with two naps during the day, while other babies sleep three times a day until they are 8-9 months old.

It is worth paying attention to the duration of daytime naps - morning and afternoon naps should last at least 1-1.5 hours so that the child’s body gets proper rest. The third nap may remain short; it is better to start it between 15.00-16.00. Make sure it doesn’t end too late, otherwise your evening bedtime will be delayed. Morning and afternoon naps are recommended to be done at home; the third nap can be spent outside in a stroller.

If you go to bed early, the best time to wake up in the morning is 6.30-7.00.

• A stable evening bedtime appears

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

• Increases the child's waking time

Now, when creating a daily routine, you should focus primarily on the recommended waking time - in six months it increases to 2.5 hours with an established regime of three daily naps. Signs of fatigue in a child are already more difficult to notice, so you may 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 when breastfeeding. The number of night awakenings in bottle-fed babies will be less. The total duration of daytime sleep at this age is about 2.5-4 hours.

Monitor your child’s condition and follow the basic recommendations in the table to understand how many hours of sleep he needs and correctly build a daily routine that suits your six-month-old baby.

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

What affects a child's sleep:

1. By 6 months, your baby has already learned to roll over from his back to his stomach and back. Now he is gradually mastering new skills - learning to pull himself up against a support, get on all fours, sit independently and is actively preparing to crawl. Baby can continue to practice new skills both during the day and in the crib during sleep. At such moments, he wakes up more often and sleeps restlessly. This is part of a child's natural development.

To help him quickly get used to the new capabilities of his body, train new skills while he is awake. Show how you can lie back down from a sitting position. And if previously the child did not mind spending a lot of time in the stroller, now he needs time and place for active play while awake. 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 of the child, protests before going to bed and frequent awakenings at night. To prevent this from happening, try to maintain 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 begins to fear and worry that his mother will leave and not return. If you are faced with the fact that the child does not let go of you while laying him down, extend the ritual by including carrying, massage, hugs and kisses. Offer your child a sleep toy that will have your scent and “guard” his sleep. It is also worth spending more time with your child one on one, without being distracted by other things.

4. Teething is another factor that affects the sleep of children of this age. During the acute period, help your 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 your previous sleep conditions and daily routine.

Recommended materials on the topic

To read more and find out as much useful information as possible about the quantity and quality of sleep for a 6-month-old baby, you can use the following books:

1. "Your child. Everything you need to know about your baby - from birth to age two." William and Martha Sears
2. "Raising a Child from Birth to 10 Years" by William and Martha Sears
3. “The first year of a child’s life”, Wallman B., Thomas R.
4. “The beginning of your child’s life”, Komarovsky E.O.

Physiological factors leading to sleep disorders

In humans, sleep consists of fast and slow phases, which change each other during the night. In the fast phase, we see dreams, the eyeballs, eyelids move, the heartbeat and breathing quicken. It takes up approximately 20-25% of the total sleep duration. Small children have very shallow and sensitive sleep, and are easily awakened by the slightest noise. The rapid phase in children takes up more than 30% of sleep time, unlike adults. The duration of a complete sleep cycle is much shorter (40 minutes instead of 90!).

The sleep norm for a 6-month-old baby is about 16 hours a day, with 10-12 being night rest.

After three months of life, babies' motor activity increases. They begin to hold their heads, roll over onto their stomachs or back, bend their arms and legs, and become interested in surrounding objects. It is not surprising that while sleeping, a child can inadvertently wake himself up, scare him, for example, by pulling his ear.

Pediatric neurologists believe that the causes of sleep disturbances in children aged 6 months in 80% of cases are physiological factors: imperfections of the nervous system, structures of the hypothalamus, pineal gland, hippocampus, increased muscle tone of the limbs.