Your baby has completed half of the year with you. So many sleepless nights and sleepy days have gone through. Your baby is growing up slowly. They can engage themselves with the environment around them. Most parents introduce solids to the little ones by the 6th month. You can notice an improvement in their appetite. A few babies may have started teething. This brings a lot of changes and ups and downs in a 6 month old baby sleep schedule.
As they develop themselves in all other aspects, there is a corresponding change in their sleep habits. But, what kind of change is tough to predict. They might become good night sleepers or fussy ones. In this article, we shall discuss what more you can expect from your little one in the sixth month. Let us get started.
In This Article
- How Much Should 6 Month Old Baby Sleep?
- Can You Sleep Train a 6 Month Old Baby?
- 6 Month Old Baby Sample Sleep Schedule
- What is 6 Month Old Baby Sleep Regression?
- Top Sleep Problems Expected From a 6 Month Old Baby
- Top Tips to Help Your 6 Month Old Baby Sleep
- When Should You Consider Calling a Doctor?
- FAQ’s
How Much Should 6 Month Old Baby Sleep?
Your 6 Month Old should get an average sleep of 15 hours in a day. This can be segregated into 10 to 11 hours of sleep at night and two or three naps of 30 minutes to 2 hours daily.
Some babies get into their sleep routine quickly and can give you more calm days. But, beware, you could get hit by the 6 month regression, which is very common during the 6th month of a baby’s life.
Can You Sleep Train a 6 Month Old Baby?
By the 6th month, you and the baby might have gotten into a sleep pattern. Gone are those days when your baby sleeps and wakes up randomly. By now, you can predict when your baby will go to sleep.
You can undoubtedly begin to sleep train your baby at the 6th month, but it is unnecessary. Sleep training can help your baby follow a perfect routine to go to sleep, especially if your baby is a poor sleeper or often finds falling asleep difficult.
Several types of sleep training methods involve minimal parental intervention or zero parental intervention. Choose the one that would suit your baby and the family.
Sleep training works for many babies but does not suit some. If your baby is having difficulty falling asleep, talk to your pediatrician about the sleep training methods.
[Read : When Can I Let My Baby Sleep Alone?]
6 Month Old Baby Sample Sleep Schedule
A 6 month old baby has many changes in their sleep pattern. Some may continue to have three naps in the day, while others might have dropped one. No one pattern can fit every baby, and it changes from baby to baby. Based on the number of naps taken by babies, the following are two samples of sleep schedules that you might want to consider for your 6 month old baby.
If your baby takes three naps in a day,
| Sample Time | Awake/Nap/Bedtime |
| 07:00 AM | Stays Awake |
| 08:45 AM | Nap Time |
| 10:45 AM | Stays Awake |
| 12:30 PM | Nap Time |
| 02:00 PM | Stays Awake |
| 04:00 PM | Nap Time(Tend to Plan a Short Catnap) |
| 04:30 PM | Stays Awake |
| 06:30 PM | Bedtime routine |
| 07:00 PM | Bedtime(with one Overnight Feeding) |
If Your baby takes two naps in a day,
| Sample Time | Awake/Nap/Bedtime |
| 07:00 AM | Stays Awake |
| 09:30 AM | Nap Time |
| 11:30 AM | Stays Awake |
| 02:00 PM | Nap Time |
| 04:00 PM | Stays Awake |
| 06:30 PM | Bedtime routine |
| 07:00 PM | Bedtime(with one Overnight Feeding) |
What is 6 Month Old Baby Sleep Regression?
Sleep regression is the condition where your baby might find it difficult to fall asleep. The primary sleep regression hits the 4th month. But it can come back again in the 6th month and more dreadfully.
Sleep regressions commonly occur when the baby has achieved a new milestone or is trying to achieve a new one. By the 6th month, your baby might have mastered the art of rolling over, babbling, sitting up, and crawling. While trying all these in the daytime, they might try them at sleep and wake up.
Going back to sleep might be very challenging for them. You might suddenly find that your baby has forgotten how to go back to sleep and might keep you sleep-deprived – Back to the good olden days of parenting. Well, this time, it might be sleep regression.
You can help your babies sleep by encouraging them to go back to sleep with the following tips.
- Have them follow a proper sleep routine
- Have a bedtime routine such as giving them a hot bath, reading a book, playing music, and many more.
- If they wake up crying at night, make sure you wait a minute before lifting them. Sometimes, the babies might self-soothe and go back to sleep independently. If they continue getting fussier, it’s time for you to soothe them.
Top Sleep Problems Expected From a 6 Month Old Baby
A 6 month old could find it difficult going to sleep at night and day. Suddenly, you may find them awake all the time, and it could be a developmental phase for them. The following are some of the sleep problems associated with a 6 month old baby.
1. Teething
Teething could be the primary culprit of the sleepless nights. You might not notice the white pearls yet, but they may give your baby a lot of trouble. If you find your baby drooling, pulling the ears, or simply crankier without any reason, try giving them a teething ring, and it can give a soothing effect and calm down your baby.
2. Night Wakings
Night wakings are when your baby wakes up in the middle of the night to practice newly learned skills. It’s just that they are growing and developing and follow a proper sleep time routine to help them go to sleep.
You may find that the little one is up early in the morning when it is usually the time for her to sleep. By 6 months, your baby will start responding to nature, and she might be awake because of the light that peeps through the curtains. Try keeping her room dark.
[Read : When do Babies Sleep Through The Night?]
Top Tips to Help Your 6 Month Old Baby Sleep
Even with so much fussiness, you need to help your baby go back to sleep. Here is how you can do it.
No matter what, try following her bedtime routine even if they are not following it. This is just a phase, and soon they will be back on a sound sleeping track.
- By 6 months, your little one is responding well to the environment. Gone are those days when they fell asleep in the middle of the noisy club. Now, they need their room to be dark and cozy. Make sure the room temperature is neither too hot nor too cold.
- Though the sleep might have reduced, they still sleep during the day. So, do not try to skip sleep during the day, and it will make them overtired and resist sleeping at night.
- Make sure you give plenty of time to your baby to practice all the new skills in the day. Give them a lot of tummy time, crawling practice, peek a boo, and other favorite games during the day, and keep them active. This may make them hit the bed right on time without any protest.
[Read : Signs And Cues That Your Baby Is Tired]
When Should You Consider Calling a Doctor?
If you find that your baby is getting uncontrollably fussier, call your doctor immediately for better advice.
It’s hard to get any sleep before a new baby arrives, but once the noise and feeding start, life becomes chaotic. It’s not like you can schedule your baby to take naps, and the 6 month old baby’s sleep schedule can be daunting. Follow our expert advice to teach your baby how to sleep through the night!
FAQ’s
1. What Should be the Number of Naps and Nap Duration For 6 Month Old Baby?
Your baby can take two or three naps of 30 minutes to two hours a day and 10 to 11 hours of sleep at night.
2. What Are the Average Daytime Sleep Hours For a 6 Month Old Baby?
The average daytime sleep for a 6 month old has to be 3 to four hours.
3. What Are the Average Nighttime Sleep Hours For a Six Month Old Baby?
The average nighttime sleep hours for a 6 month old could be 10 to 11 hours.
4. At a Stretch, How Much Should a Six Month Old Baby Sleep at Night?
The baby can sleep for 10 to 11 hours at a stretch during the night, and they might wake up for feeding once or twice during the day.
5. What is the Average Total Sleep Hours Per Day For a 6 Month Old Baby?
The total sleep hours could be 10 to 15 hours for a 6 month old baby in a day.
Read Also: 7 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule – Sample Schedule, Problems and Tips
