Figuring out when your baby should sleep, and for how long: is one of the hardest parts of the first year. Every few months, everything changes. The routine that worked last week suddenly stops, and you're back to square one.
This guide covers baby sleep schedules from newborn to 12 months, with hourly sample routines, wake windows, nap transitions, and regression coverage for every stage. All recommendations follow Red Nose Australia, Tresillian, and Karitane guidelines: written by one Aussie mum who's been through every stage.
Your baby's sleep isn't just about being tired: it's driven by biology, and that biology changes dramatically over the first 12 months. Understanding what's happening behind the scenes makes it much easier to work with your baby's natural rhythms rather than fighting against them.
In the first three months, your baby has no circadian rhythm. They don't produce melatonin: the sleep hormone: in a day-night pattern. This is why newborns sleep in short bursts around the clock and can't tell day from night. According to the Raising Children Network, the circadian rhythm starts developing around 3–4 months and is largely mature by 6 months.
Sleep cycles also change. A newborn's sleep cycle is roughly 50 minutes: half the length of an adult's 90-minute cycle. This means newborns surface into light sleep (or wakefulness) twice as often. By 4–6 months, sleep cycles mature to the adult-like 90-minute pattern, which is why the 4-month regression hits: your baby's brain is literally rewiring how it sleeps.
Because of these biological shifts, sleep schedules need to change every few months. A routine that works beautifully at 8 weeks will fall apart at 16 weeks, and that's normal, not a sign you've done something wrong.
Understanding your baby's sleep cycles is the key to understanding why they wake so often, and why the schedules below change every few months. Adult sleep cycles run about 90 minutes: you drift into light sleep, descend into deep sleep, then surface briefly before starting the next cycle. Most adults barely notice these brief wakings. Babies are different.
A newborn's sleep cycle is only 50–60 minutes long, roughly half the adult length. This means your baby surfaces into light sleep (or full wakefulness) twice as often as you do. According to the Raising Children Network, these short cycles are developmentally normal: your baby's brain is building neural connections at a staggering rate, and lighter sleep supports that work.
There are two main phases of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement, or active/light sleep) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement, or deep/quiet sleep). Babies spend about 50% of their sleep in REM, compared to around 20% for adults. During REM, your baby's brain is intensely active, processing new experiences, forming memories, and wiring up neural pathways. You might see twitching, eye movements, or irregular breathing. This is not restlessness; it is brain development in action.
At the end of each sleep cycle, every human (baby and adult alike) experiences a brief arousal. For adults, this lasts seconds. For babies, the arousal is more pronounced, and if your baby hasn't yet learned to self-settle, that brief arousal becomes a full wake-up with crying. This is why a baby who is rocked or fed to sleep will call out for that same help at the end of every cycle, all night long.
Sleep cycles mature in a predictable pattern:
Tresillian emphasises that every baby develops at their own pace (these are averages, not deadlines). The age-specific schedules below are built around these biological realities. When you see a 4-month-old's schedule listing multiple naps, that is because short cycles make it harder to get long, consolidated sleep. When you see a 10-month-old managing two longer naps, that is because their cycles have matured enough to sustain deeper, longer sleep blocks. Understanding sleep cycles turns confusion into clarity.
In the first six weeks, forget schedules: your baby feeds frequently and sleeps in short bursts. Watch your baby, not the clock: yawning, eye-rubbing, or grizzling is your cue to settle.
For the hour-by-hour sample schedule, wake window table, and settling routine: see the full 0–3 Month Sleep Schedule Guide →
At 4 months the sleep regression hits: a permanent neurological change as your baby's sleep cycles mature to adult-like 90-minute cycles. It lasts 2–6 weeks and won't pass on its own.
For the full sample schedule, wake window table, and the 4-to-3 nap transition walkthrough: see the full 4–6 Month Sleep Schedule Guide →
The busiest stage: crawling, sitting, and the 8-month regression, driven by separation anxiety, motor milestones, and teething. Unlike the 4-month regression, this one is behavioural and usually lasts 2–4 weeks.
For the full sample schedule, wake window table, and the 3-to-2 nap transition plan: see the full 7–9 Month Sleep Schedule Guide →
Nearly through the first year. Expect the 11-month regression (cruising, a language burst, another wave of separation anxiety) and the early signs of the 2-to-1 nap transition.
For the full sample schedule, wake window table, and the one-nap readiness checklist: see the full 10–12 Month Sleep Schedule Guide →
Toddler sleep deserves its own guide, and we've written one. Here's a quick overview of what to expect from 12–36 months.
Sleep regressions don't stop at 12 months. The major ones:
Toddlers need 11–14 hours of total sleep per 24 hours. The "toddler stall": those elaborate bedtime delay tactics ("one more story," "I need water," "my toe hurts"): peaks between 2–3 years. The fix: a firm but warm bedtime routine, a clear boundary ("two stories, then lights out"), and consistency. Giving in one night and holding firm the next teaches your toddler that persistence pays off.
For the full toddler sleep picture: including cot-to-bed transitions, naps dropping, the 18-month regression deep dive, and handling bedtime battles: see our complete Toddler Sleep Guide.
Everything you need: regressions, nap transitions, bedtime battles, and cot-to-bed: in one complete guide.
Read the Full Toddler Sleep Guide →Safe sleep isn't just for newborns. Every sleep stage has its own safety considerations. Here's what Red Nose Australia recommends at each age:
For the complete safe sleep checklist: including SIDS risk reduction, room temperature, and product safety: see our Safe Sleep & SIDS Prevention Guide.
Need more sleep resources? We've put together a directory of Australian sleep support services: including free Tresillian and Karitane helplines, state-based child health services, and online resources. Visit our Guides hub for more Australian baby sleep content.
Wake windows are the time your baby can comfortably stay awake between sleeps: starting at 30–90 minutes for newborns and stretching to 3–4 hours by 10–12 months. Watch for tired signs (eye rubbing, yawning, grizzling) as the window ends, and start settling before overtiredness hits. Tresillian recommends using wake windows as a rough guide while following your baby's cues first.
Thirty to 60 minutes in the first 4–6 weeks, extending to 60–90 minutes by 8–12 weeks. In the early weeks, your baby may only manage 30–45 minutes: including feeding time: before needing sleep again. Watch for tired signs (jerky movements, staring, grizzling) rather than watching the clock.
Yes, it's linked to your baby's sleep cycles maturing from 50-minute newborn cycles to 90-minute adult-like cycles. Babies wake more fully between cycles and struggle to link them without help. It typically lasts 2–6 weeks. Stay consistent with your routine and avoid introducing new sleep associations during this phase.
For most babies, yes. The 2-to-1 transition usually happens at 13–18 months. Nap refusal at 11 months is more likely the 11-month regression than true one-nap readiness. Try capping the morning nap at 45–60 minutes before dropping naps entirely.
A nighttime feeding guideline: wait 5 hours after bedtime before the first night feed, then 3 hours, then 3 hours. This helps distinguish hunger from habit waking. It's generally used for babies 4+ months with GP or child health nurse approval. Always respond to genuine hunger during growth spurts.
Most babies are ready between 6–9 months. Signs: consistently fighting the third nap, bedtime pushing past 8:00 PM, early waking despite good naps, or managing 2.5–3 hour wake windows. Drop the third nap, push the first two naps later, and expect a 6:00–6:30 PM bedtime during the 1–2 week transition.
If your baby is happy, rested, and feeding well, the schedule is working: even if it doesn't match the textbook.
