Newborn sleep schedule

Newborns have no working body clock yet, so sleep comes in short blocks spread across day and night, set mostly by hunger. The "schedule" below is an illustration of one possible day, not a plan to follow. Feed on demand.

Naps
Many (often 6–8 sleeps)
Wake window
35–60 min
Total sleep / 24 h
14–17 h
Night
Short stretches of 2–4 h between feeds
Daytime sleep
Spread across the day
Bedtime
No set bedtime yet; often 9–11pm

Feed on demand. Newborns shouldn't be kept to a feeding or sleep timetable. The AAP advises waking a newborn to feed if they go longer than about 4 hours in the early weeks, until they are back to birth weight, unless your pediatrician says otherwise.

Adjust this newborn schedule

Plan the day from
Wake windows
45 min → 45 min → 50 min → 50 min → 55 min → 55 min → 1 h → 1 h
Daytime sleep
6 h 40 min
Night in bed
10 h 20 min
Typical 24 h total
14–17 h

Your day at a glance

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Night sleepNapsAwake
  1. 7:00amWake up for the day
  2. 7:45am–8:45amNap 1 · 1 h
  3. 9:30am–10:30amNap 2 · 1 h
  4. 11:20am–12:35pmNap 3 · 1 h 15 min
  5. 1:25pm–2:25pmNap 4 · 1 h
  6. 3:20pm–4:20pmNap 5 · 1 h
  7. 5:15pm–6:00pmNap 6 · 45 min
  8. 7:00pm–7:40pmNap 7 · 40 min
  9. 8:40pmBedtime · start routine 8:10pm

A flexible guide built from typical ranges. Watch your baby's sleepy cues and shift by 15–30 minutes as needed. Every sleep: on the back, in a clear, flat crib (AAP).

Sample newborn schedule

7-nap day, 7am wake-up

7:00amWake up for the day
7:45am–8:45amNap 1 (1 h)
9:30am–10:30amNap 2 (1 h)
11:20am–12:35pmNap 3 (1 h 15 min)
1:25pm–2:25pmNap 4 (1 h)
3:20pm–4:20pmNap 5 (1 h)
5:15pm–6:00pmNap 6 (45 min)
7:00pm–7:40pmNap 7 (40 min)
8:40pmBedtime

Wake windows: 45 min, 45 min, 50 min, 50 min, 55 min, 55 min, 1 h, 1 h.

What helps at this age

  • Keep days bright and nights dim and quiet so the body clock can start to form.
  • Watch the clock loosely: after 45–60 minutes awake, most newborns are ready to sleep again.
  • Every sleep, day or night: on the back, in a clear, flat crib or bassinet in your room.

These are typical ranges. If your baby seems unusually sleepy, is hard to wake, snores loudly, pauses in breathing, or isn't feeding or growing well, talk to your pediatrician.

Newborn sleep questions

How many naps should a newborn take?

Typically many (often 6–8 sleeps) naps a day, adding up to about Spread across the day of daytime sleep.

What is the wake window for a newborn?

Usually 35–60 min. The first wake window of the day tends to be the shortest and the stretch before bedtime the longest.

How much sleep does a newborn need?

About 14–17 h in 24 hours, with short stretches of 2–4 h between feeds. Needs vary widely at this age; the National Sleep Foundation describes 14–17 hours as typical.

What time should a newborn go to bed?

No set bedtime yet; often 9–11pm. A fixed bedtime usually isn't realistic yet; focus on dim, calm evenings.