When Will My Baby Sleep Through the Night?

What does “sleeping through the night” mean?

It does not necessarily mean ten or twelve uninterrupted hours. Babies briefly wake as they move between sleep cycles, just as adults do. A longer stretch may mean that a baby wakes less visibly or settles again without a feed or prolonged help.

Because parents, researchers and baby apps may use different definitions, a single “sleeping through” age is misleading. The more useful question is whether your baby is feeding and growing well, sleeping safely and developing a night pattern that is changing over time.

When might longer stretches begin?

Some babies develop a longer first stretch of night sleep in the early months; others continue waking frequently. Temperament, feeding, growth, illness and prematurity can all affect the pattern. A baby who sleeps longer earlier is not more advanced, and a baby who still wakes at six months has not failed a milestone.

Should you wake your baby for a night feed?

There is no universal cutoff. A newborn who has not regained birth weight, was born early, has jaundice, is not gaining steadily or has another medical concern may need scheduled feeds. Follow the plan from your pediatrician or newborn care team even if your baby would otherwise keep sleeping.

If your baby is growing steadily and feeding well, your pediatrician may say that you no longer need to wake them for every overnight feed. Do not deliberately stretch feeds or remove night feeds from an online age chart alone. Ask the clinician who knows your baby's growth and health history.

How can you support a calmer night?

Keep nighttime feeds and diaper changes quiet, with low light and little stimulation. During the day, use natural light and ordinary interaction to help day and night feel different. A short, repeatable bedtime sequence—such as feeding, a clean diaper, a song and the sleep space—can become a familiar cue.

From about four months, placing your baby down drowsy but awake may give them a chance to practice settling. Respond when your baby needs feeding, comfort or care; a routine is a cue, not a reason to ignore them. Starting solids early or adding cereal to a bottle will not make a baby sleep through the night and can create safety and feeding problems.

Longer sleep does not change safe-sleep rules

Place your baby on their back for every sleep on a firm, flat, non-inclined surface in a safety-approved crib, bassinet or play yard. Keep pillows, loose blankets, bumpers, toys, positioners and weighted sleep products out. The CDC and AAP recommend room sharing without bed sharing for at least the first six months.

If you bring your baby into bed to feed, return them to their own sleep space when the feed is finished. Avoid feeding on a couch or armchair when you may fall asleep; these are especially dangerous sleep surfaces. A monitor, tracker or longer sleep stretch does not make an unsafe setup safe.

When should you call the pediatrician?

Call your pediatrician promptly if longer sleep comes with difficulty waking for feeds, a clear drop in intake or wet diapers, poor weight gain, repeated vomiting, fever or unusual limpness. For a baby younger than three months, a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38.0°C) or higher needs immediate medical advice. Discuss loud snoring, repeated pauses in breathing or persistent difficulty settling even when they are not an emergency.

Call 911 now for trouble breathing, blue or gray color around the lips or face, a seizure, unresponsiveness or a baby who cannot be woken. Do not wait for a sleep pattern to improve when your baby looks seriously unwell.

Related United States guides

The month-by-month guides place night waking alongside feeding, growth, development and the US well-child schedule.