1 month old sleep schedule
At 1 month there is no clock schedule yet. Babies this young sleep 14 to 17 hours in 24 hours, in short stretches by day and by night. Here is the rhythm to follow and what to expect.
- Sleep in 24 hours
- 14 to 17 hours, naps included (National Sleep Foundation)
- Naps
- No set pattern yet. Around 2 months, 2 to 4 naps a day is typical.
- Awake between sleeps
- About 1 to 2 hours (a rule of thumb)
- Night feeds
- Babies this young still need to feed at night. A stretch of 5 or 6 hours counts as a long night at this age.
A daily rhythm for a 1 month old
- At this age there is no clock schedule. Follow a rhythm: feed, a short time awake, sleep, and repeat.
- Awake time: about 1 to 2 hours at a stretch, feeding included. This is a rule of thumb. Sleepy signs matter more than the clock.
- Sleep in 24 hours: 14 to 17 hours in total, in short stretches day and night (National Sleep Foundation).
- Naps: No set pattern yet. Around 2 months, 2 to 4 naps a day is typical.
- Keep the lights low and your voice quiet at night feeds, so nights feel different from days.
Awake times are a rule of thumb, not a medical rule. Go by your baby's sleepy signs first.
How much sleep does a 1 month old need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 14 to 17 hours of sleep in 24 hours for babies up to 3 months. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine gives no figure under 4 months, because normal sleep varies so widely at this age.
These are ranges for most children, not targets to hit. The National Sleep Foundation notes that an hour or two either side of its range can be appropriate.
Wake windows at 1 month
About 1 to 2 hours between sleeps. That is the range Cleveland Clinic publishes for this age.
Wake windows are a rule of thumb. They have not been tested in research and no medical body publishes a table of them. The first stretch of the day is usually the shortest and the last one before bed the longest.
Watch your baby as well as the clock. Yawning, staring and fussing are signs that sleep is close, and when the clock and your baby disagree, go by your baby.
Naps at 1 month
Naps follow no set pattern yet and their length varies a lot. Nationwide Children's Hospital says babies of 2 months take between two and four naps a day, and Nemours notes that by 3 months many babies have settled into 2 or 3.
Do not worry about short naps. In a study of 841 babies, naps got shorter between 1 and 5 months before they grew again, and day sleep settled into a pattern later than night sleep did.
Night feeds at 1 month
Babies this young still need to feed at night. A stretch of 5 or 6 hours counts as a long night at this age.
Feed your baby whenever they are hungry, day and night. Do not try to stretch or drop night feeds at this age. Keep night feeds dark and quiet, so nights feel different from days.
Can you sleep train a 1 month old?
No. Babies under 4 months are too young for sleep training. They still need to feed at night and their sleep has no regular pattern yet.
What helps now: a short bedtime routine, dark and quiet night feeds, and laying your baby down drowsy but awake once a day so that falling asleep in the crib becomes familiar.
Safe sleep
For every sleep, naps included: on the back, on a firm, flat surface that is not inclined, with a fitted sheet and nothing else in the crib or bassinet. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping the crib or bassinet in your room for at least the first 6 months and advises against sharing a bed with a baby.
Stop swaddling as soon as your baby shows any sign of trying to roll over. Do not use weighted swaddles, sleepers or blankets.
Get a plan for your 1 month old
Answer nine quick questions and get a routine, a daily rhythm and safe sleep steps for your baby's age. It moves to a clock schedule at 3 months and adds a step-by-step method at 4 months.
Related guides
Sources
- Hirshkowitz M, et al. National Sleep Foundation sleep time duration recommendations. Sleep Health, 2015.
- 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.
- Cleveland Clinic. What Are Baby Wake Windows? And How Long Should They Be? April 2024.
- Nemours KidsHealth. Sleep and Your Baby, by age; Naps.
- Nationwide Children's Hospital. Sleep in Infants; Sleep in Toddlers.
- Moon RY, et al. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics, 2022.
General information for parents, not medical advice. Independent, not affiliated with the American Academy of Pediatrics or any medical body. Talk to your pediatrician about your baby's health.