What 12–15 hours means for a 6-month-old
At 6 months, a baby is in the National Sleep Foundation’s infant group, which runs from 4 to 11 months. The recommendation is 12 to 15 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including naps. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine gives a similar 12–16 hours for this age.
The NSF lists 10–11 or 16–18 hours as “may be appropriate” for some babies. The highlighted row below applies to a 6-month-old.
| Age group | Ages | Recommended | May be appropriate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 0–3 months | 14–17 h | 11–13 or 18–19 h |
| Infant | 4–11 months | 12–15 h | 10–11 or 16–18 h |
| Toddler | 1–2 years | 11–14 h | 9–10 or 15–16 h |
| Preschooler | 3–5 years | 10–13 h | 8–9 or 14 h |
| School-age child | 6–13 years | 9–11 h | 7–8 or 12 h |
| Teenager | 14–17 years | 8–10 h | 7 or 11 h |
| Young adult | 18–25 years | 7–9 h | 6 or 10–11 h |
| Adult | 26–64 years | 7–9 h | 6 or 10 h |
| Older adult | 65+ years | 7–8 h | 5–6 or 9 h |
Asleep-by times for common wake-up times
Many 6-month-olds sleep around 10 to 12 hours at night, with naps making up the rest. The table counts back from the time your baby usually wakes, for 12, 11 or 10 hours of night-time sleep. Naps come on top.
| Wake up | 12 h sleep | 11 h sleep | 10 h sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM06:00 | 6:00 PM18:00 | 7:00 PM19:00 | 8:00 PM20:00 |
| 6:30 AM06:30 | 6:30 PM18:30 | 7:30 PM19:30 | 8:30 PM20:30 |
| 7:00 AM07:00 | 7:00 PM19:00 | 8:00 PM20:00 | 9:00 PM21:00 |
For a 6:30 AM wake-up, being asleep by 7:30 PM (19:30) gives 11 hours overnight, a common pattern at this age.
Naps at 6 months
Most 6-month-olds take 2 or 3 naps a day, often totalling around 2 to 4 hours. Some drop the third, late-afternoon nap between 6 and 9 months. Night feeds are still common at this age, and some babies wake more as they learn to roll and sit.
Rolling and safe sleep
Keep putting your baby down on their back for every sleep. Once they can roll from back to front and front to back on their own, the American Academy of Pediatrics says you can leave them in the position they choose. Keep the cot clear of pillows, blankets, bumpers and soft toys.
Do solids or teething change sleep?
Many babies start solid food at around 6 months. It’s a common belief that solids help babies sleep longer, but there is little good evidence for this, so it’s best not to start solids early just to improve sleep. Follow your doctor’s advice on when and how to start.
Teething can make some babies more unsettled for a few nights. Comfort your baby and keep the routine the same. If they are very unsettled, have a fever, or don’t seem themselves, check with your doctor rather than assuming it’s teeth.
Illness, travel and clock changes can also knock sleep off course for a while. Returning to the usual routine as soon as possible usually brings it back.
More answers
- How much sleep a 3-month-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 9-month-old needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a newborn needsNearby answer
- How much sleep a 1-year-old needsNearby answer
- Bedtime for a 4 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:15 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:30 AM wake-upRelated answer
- Bedtime for a 4:45 AM wake-upRelated answer
Frequently asked questions
What time should a 6-month-old go to bed?
It depends on when they wake. For a 6:30 AM (06:30) wake-up, being asleep between 6:30 PM (18:30) and 8:30 PM (20:30) gives 10–12 hours overnight. Many families choose a bedtime around 7:00–7:30 PM.
Is it normal for a 6-month-old to wake at night?
Yes. Many 6-month-olds still wake at night, some for feeds. Night waking usually becomes less frequent over the following months.
How many naps should a 6-month-old take?
Usually 2 or 3 naps a day. The total across naps and night matters more than the exact number.
Related calculators
Sleep needs by age
See the recommended hours of sleep for any age, from newborns to older adults.
Bedtime calculator
Enter any wake-up time to see bedtimes that let you wake between sleep cycles.
Nap calculator
Plan a 10-, 20- or 90-minute nap and see when to set your alarm.
Sleep debt calculator
Add up the last seven nights and see how far you are from your sleep target.
Sources
- Hirshkowitz M, et al. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary. Sleep Health, 2015;1(1):40–43. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010.
- Paruthi S, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: A Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016;12(6):785–786. doi:10.5664/jcsm.5866.
- Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics, 2022;150(1):e2022057990. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057990.
When to seek help
Contact your baby’s doctor or health visitor if they:
- are unusually hard to wake, or too sleepy to feed well;
- have pauses in their breathing, breathe noisily, or seem to struggle to breathe while asleep;
- are feeding much less than usual or have fewer wet nappies (diapers);
- seem unwell, floppy or unusually irritable. If you are worried, get help straight away.