When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night? What Parents Should Expect
Share
There is no single age when every baby should sleep through the night.
Many babies begin sleeping for longer stretches during the first several months as their sleep-wake rhythms mature. Some babies achieve long nighttime stretches relatively early, while others continue waking during the night well into later infancy.
That variation can be normal.
Even the phrase “sleeping through the night” is not precise. In research, it has been defined in several different ways, including sleeping continuously for about 5, 6 or 8 hours.
- Newborns are not expected to sleep through the night.
- Infant sleep becomes more organized during the first several months.
- There is no universal month when every baby should stop waking overnight.
- “Sleeping through the night” can mean different things depending on how it is defined.
- Night waking can still be normal at 6 months and beyond.
- A baby can wake at night and still get an appropriate amount of total sleep.
- Feeding needs, development, temperament, illness and sleep habits can all influence nighttime waking.
- Never use an unsafe sleep position or sleep product to try to make a baby sleep longer.
What Does “Sleeping Through the Night” Actually Mean?
This is one of the reasons parents receive so much conflicting advice.
When someone says their baby is “sleeping through the night,” you may imagine a baby sleeping continuously from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m.
That may not be what they mean.
Researchers have used several different definitions of sleeping through the night.
One study published in Pediatrics evaluated three definitions: sleeping continuously from midnight until 5 a.m., sleeping for 8 uninterrupted hours, and sleeping during a family-oriented period from approximately 10 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Those definitions produce very different answers to the question of when babies “sleep through.”
So when another parent says their 3-month-old sleeps through the night, that baby may be sleeping for a 5- or 6-hour stretch—not necessarily for 10 or 12 hours.
What Should I Expect From a Newborn?
Newborns generally do not sleep like older babies, children or adults.
Their sleep occurs throughout the day and night in relatively short stretches.
Feeding is a major reason. Newborns have small stomachs and need frequent nutrition.
Their internal day-night rhythm is also immature.
HealthyChildren notes that newborns commonly sleep about 16 to 17 hours total per day but may sleep only 1 or 2 hours at a time.
During these early weeks, the goal should not be to force a newborn to sleep through the night.
The priorities are adequate feeding, healthy growth, safe sleep and gradually helping your baby develop a clearer distinction between daytime and nighttime.
When Do Babies Start Sleeping Longer at Night?
For many babies, nighttime sleep stretches gradually lengthen during the first several months.
Sleep organization matures as the nervous system develops and babies begin establishing more regular sleep-wake patterns.
HealthyChildren notes that regular sleep cycles develop during the early months, becoming substantially more organized by around 4 months of age.
Research following babies through the first year also found that one of the largest periods of nighttime sleep consolidation occurs during the first few months.
But this is a developmental progression—not a deadline.
A baby who sleeps a long stretch at 3 months is not necessarily more advanced than a healthy baby who continues waking at 5 or 6 months.
Should My Baby Sleep Through the Night by 6 Months?
Not necessarily.
By around 6 months, many babies are sleeping for longer nighttime periods and are increasingly capable of returning to sleep after brief awakenings.
But nighttime waking can still be completely normal.
The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically notes that it can be normal for a 6-month-old to wake during the night and then return to sleep after a few minutes.
Research also shows that a meaningful proportion of healthy babies still do not meet commonly used definitions of uninterrupted nighttime sleep at 6 months—and some still do not at 12 months.
That is why six months should not be treated as a pass-or-fail sleep milestone.
Do Babies Wake Even When They “Sleep Through the Night”?
Yes.
Like adults, babies naturally move through sleep cycles.
Brief awakenings between sleep cycles can occur without parents ever realizing it.
Some babies awaken briefly, move around and return to sleep without signaling.
Others cry or call for a caregiver and need help settling again.
This means the developmental goal is not necessarily that a baby never wakes.
Over time, many babies become more capable of moving between sleep cycles without needing as much help to return to sleep.
Sleeping through the night does not mean a baby never wakes up.
We all move between sleep cycles. Many babies who appear to sleep continuously are briefly waking and settling again without their parents knowing.
The important developmental change is often learning to transition between sleep cycles—not achieving 10 or 12 hours of complete unconsciousness.
Why Does My Baby Still Wake at Night?
A healthy baby can wake for many reasons.
Depending on age, those reasons may include:
- Hunger
- Normal transitions between sleep cycles
- Developmental changes
- Teething discomfort
- Illness or congestion
- A wet or soiled diaper
- Changes in routine
- Travel
- Separation anxiety in an older infant
- Needing help recreating the conditions used to fall asleep initially
Sometimes there is no obvious reason.
Infant sleep often improves for a period and then becomes temporarily disrupted again.
Do Breastfed Babies Wake More Often?
They may, particularly during early infancy.
HealthyChildren notes that breastfed babies commonly wake more often to feed during the first few months.
This does not mean breastfeeding is causing a sleep disorder or that parents should change feeding methods simply to obtain longer sleep stretches.
Nighttime feeding needs vary among babies and change with age, growth and feeding patterns.
If you are wondering whether your baby still needs nighttime feeds, consider your baby's age, growth and individual medical history rather than using another baby's sleep pattern as the standard.
When Can I Stop Night Feedings?
There is no single age that applies to every baby.
Whether overnight feeding is still needed depends on factors such as:
- Your baby's age
- Birth history
- Weight gain
- Feeding effectiveness
- Milk or formula intake during the day
- Prematurity
- Medical conditions
Young newborns may need to be awakened for feeding until adequate intake and weight gain are established.
Babies born prematurely or those with growth concerns may need an individualized feeding schedule.
If your baby is very young, premature, has not regained birth weight as expected, is gaining slowly or has another medical condition, talk with your pediatrician before intentionally eliminating nighttime feeds.
Will Starting Solid Foods Make My Baby Sleep Through the Night?
No good evidence supports starting solid food early as a sleep strategy.
HealthyChildren specifically advises parents not to introduce solids early in an attempt to make a baby sleep through the night.
Solid foods should be introduced based on developmental readiness and pediatric feeding guidance—not because the family hopes the baby will sleep longer.
What Can Parents Do to Encourage Better Nighttime Sleep?
During the newborn period, sleep is heavily influenced by biology and feeding needs.
As babies mature, parents can begin supporting habits that make nighttime more predictable.
- Keep nighttime feeds and diaper changes calm and relatively quiet.
- Use normal light, interaction and play during daytime awake periods.
- Develop a short, predictable bedtime routine as your baby gets older.
- Watch for tired signals.
- For babies around 4 months and older, consider giving your baby opportunities to fall asleep in their own sleep space.
- When appropriate, give an older infant a brief opportunity to resettle before assuming every sound requires intervention.
These approaches are not about ignoring a baby's needs.
Hunger, illness, discomfort and a dirty diaper still deserve attention.
The goal is gradually helping an older infant develop more independent transitions between sleep cycles when basic needs have already been met.
Safe Sleep Still Comes First
Parents who are desperate for a longer stretch of sleep are understandably vulnerable to products or techniques promising dramatic results.
But nothing that helps a baby sleep longer is worth compromising infant safety.
- Place your baby on the back to begin every sleep.
- Use a firm, flat, noninclined sleep surface designed for infants.
- Use only a fitted sheet on the sleep surface.
- Keep pillows, loose blankets, stuffed animals, bumpers and other soft objects out of the infant sleep area.
- Room-share without bed-sharing, ideally for at least the first 6 months.
- Do not use couches, armchairs, swings or inclined products as routine infant sleep spaces.
A baby sleeping longer does not make an unsafe sleep setup acceptable.
What About Sleep Regressions?
Parents sometimes describe a baby who was sleeping longer stretches and then suddenly begins waking again.
This can happen during periods of rapid development.
Sleep patterns may temporarily change with:
- New motor skills
- Changes in naps
- Separation awareness
- Illness
- Teething
- Travel
- Changes in routine
A temporary increase in waking does not mean your baby has permanently lost the ability to sleep longer.
When Should I Call My Pediatrician?
Discuss your baby's sleep with your pediatrician if:
- Your baby is difficult to awaken for feeds.
- Your baby is feeding poorly.
- Your baby is not gaining weight appropriately.
- Your baby snores loudly or regularly.
- You notice persistent labored breathing during sleep.
- You notice repeated pauses in breathing.
- Your baby seems excessively sleepy while awake.
- Your baby's sleep suddenly changes along with symptoms of illness.
- Night waking is accompanied by significant pain or distress.
- You are concerned that something beyond normal sleep development may be occurring.
When Is It an Emergency?
Seek emergency medical attention if your baby has severe difficulty breathing, turns blue or gray, becomes limp or unresponsive, has a prolonged pause in breathing, or cannot be awakened normally.
If your baby is unresponsive or is not breathing normally, call emergency services immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age do babies usually start sleeping longer at night?
Longer nighttime stretches often begin developing during the first several months as sleep-wake rhythms mature. The timing varies substantially from one healthy baby to another.
Should a 3-month-old sleep through the night?
Some 3-month-olds may sleep a longer nighttime stretch, but there is no medical rule that a 3-month-old should sleep through the night. Feeding and sleep needs still vary considerably at this age.
Should a 4-month-old sleep through the night?
Not necessarily. Sleep becomes more organized around this stage, but many healthy 4-month-olds continue waking overnight.
Is it normal for a 6-month-old to wake during the night?
Yes. The AAP notes that waking during the night can still be normal at 6 months. Some babies briefly wake and return to sleep without assistance, while others signal for a caregiver.
Does “sleeping through the night” mean 12 hours?
No. Research has used several definitions, including stretches of about 5, 6 or 8 hours. The phrase does not necessarily mean sleeping continuously from bedtime until morning.
Why did my baby sleep through the night and then start waking again?
Temporary changes are common. Development, illness, teething, separation anxiety, nap changes and disruptions in routine can all affect nighttime sleep.
Will starting cereal or solid food make my baby sleep longer?
Solid food should not be started early simply to improve sleep. The AAP advises that starting solids before a baby is developmentally ready does not reliably make babies sleep through the night.
Dr. G's Pearl
“Is your baby sleeping through the night yet?” is one of those questions that can make perfectly normal parents and babies feel as though they are behind.
There is no magic night when every infant is supposed to stop waking.
Look at your baby's whole picture: feeding, growth, development, total sleep and how your baby is doing while awake.
Those things matter much more than whether another family's baby sleeps from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Join the Parent Club
Practical pediatric guidance for the questions that come up after bedtime.
Join the Pediatric Parent Guide Parent Club for new articles, Dr. G's guidance and helpful resources for raising healthy children.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Getting Your Baby to Sleep. HealthyChildren.org. Updated June 4, 2024.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleep. HealthyChildren.org.
- Henderson JMT, France KG, Owens JL, Blampied NM. Sleeping Through the Night: The Consolidation of Self-Regulated Sleep Across the First Year of Life. Pediatrics. 2010;126(5):e1081-e1087.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057990.
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; AAP Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Evidence Base for 2022 Updated Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment to Reduce the Risk of Sleep-Related Infant Deaths. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057991.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need? HealthyChildren.org.
Related Parent Resources
Explore more pediatric guidance about infant sleep, night waking, safe sleep and sleep development in the Pediatric Parent Guide Sleep Library .