6 Month Old Sleeping at Night

Updated on July 09, 2010
M.W. asks from Elkridge, MD
11 answers

I thought my six month old was doing pretty well for sleeping through the night, until I read a bunch of different articles stating that by the age of 6 months, a baby should be getting 11-12 hours of sleep at night-- and that most will sleep that 11-12 hr stretch without waking for any feedings! My daughter goes to bed at 9:30pm (we've tried to get her to bed earlier but it doesn't last), and wakes up at 6:30am like clockwork-- thats only an 9 hr stretch. Like I said, I thought this was GREAT... how do I get her to get her 11-12 hour stretch??

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S.H.

answers from Richmond on

Not the news you probably want to hear but everyone is different. She may be someone that doesn't need as much sleep. So long as she doesn't seem lethargic or sleepy still when she gets up, I think she's fine.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

No... that is only a generalization.
NO baby is a template.

6 months old, is ALSO a major growth-spurt period... and they get hungrier and need more intake... 24/7. And during the night.

Your baby, IS "sleeping through the night." For a BABY... .sleeping through the night, means, sleeping for 5-6 hour stretches. Your baby IS doing that.
He is normal.

Next, anytime a baby goes through growth-spurts (which occurs every 3 months) and hits developmental changes, or teething or illness, it tweaks their sleep.
Sleep is not static or finite in pattern. It changes.
NO baby, sleeps the same.... all their lives. It changes or they have phases of changes.

Our Pediatrician says, that for the 1st year of life, a baby needs to be fed on-demand. It is a "building-block" time of growth and development and brain development etc., and they grow so rapidly. Their hunger and intake needs, changes too, daily. And per growth-spurts.

A baby will not sleep according to our clock... your baby is sleeping great.

My kids as babies, woke up about every 3 hours. For feedings. They had GINORMOUS appetites and grew like weeds... and I breastfed. So it was arduous...but that is the way it is.

A baby this age, should ALSO be napping daily... often 2-3 times a day.
PLUS, sleeping at night.

Your baby... is sleeping VERY well.

As an adult... could you sleep for 11-12 hour stretches... without waking? Would you be able to sleep, if you were hungry?

My kids, didn't sleep ALL night without waking, until they hit 2 years old. It was a natural normal developmental occurrence.

Here is a link:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-chil...

2 moms found this helpful
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B.

answers from Augusta on

That completely misleading.
Neither one of mine slept through the night at 6 months. In fact it's normal for even a 12 month old to wake at night.
6 months you are seeing a growth spurt.
930pm-630am is GREAT for a 6 month old. Do not get wrapped around the axle on these articles and "normal" baby things.
Every baby is different and these " normal" baby ranges are a generalization.
To give you something to think about , my oldest didn't sleep through the night till she was 3 yrs old , but she crawled at 5 months and walked at 8 months, WAY early. My son though slept through the night at around a year , which is "normal" and walked about a week after his first birthday.
Two totally different kids , like night and day, raised the same way, slept through the night at VERY different times. You can't force them to sleep that's one of the few things they actually have control over.
It sounds like she's doing well to me
Good Job mom!

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J.R.

answers from Washington DC on

Oh sweetie! Throw away those articles!!! You ARE doing great! My guy never slept 11 - 12 hours at a stretch. At night he slept about what your baby is doing, then had a 1 hour morning nap, then a 3 hour afternoon nap. If you, baby and daddy are happy and healthy, keep on keepin on! I'd ask your pediatrician if you're still worried, but as for me, you're doing awesome!
J.

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L.S.

answers from New London on

This is fine and very normal for a 6 month old. You could try to get her to go back to sleep after her 6:30 feeding then she will get the extra 2-3 hours that she needs. My daughter 8 months goes to bed at 9 wakes up at 1:30 am and then again at 7:00. She'll go back to sleep each time. So count your lucky stars that she sleeps this long already at 6 months!! :)

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A.G.

answers from Washington DC on

My son is also 6mths old and he goes to bed around 10:30pm and gets up around 8am. So what thats about 10 hrs.....i dont think it matters how long they sleep as long as its enough for you. They take plenty of naps throughout the day so dont worry shes getting plenty of rest and won't be effected by not getting enough sleep at night. My daughter was a rough lil sleeper and she prolly hardly got 11-12 hrs and shes 3 now and smarter than your average 5 yr old so like i said if your getting enough sleep than be glad shes sleeping through the night at all good luck ooo and about ur question just dont let her take any naps during the day and keep her up so she'll be plenty tired that night and just start a routine after that good luck

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K.H.

answers from Norfolk on

That is Great that she is sleeping that long at night. My daughter is 9 months old and goes to bed around 8:30 and gets up around 6:30 and there are some nights that she will wake up eariler and eat and then go back to sleep till 6:30 or 7. Every baby is different and as long as it is working for you guys then I would not try and change it.

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C.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Every child is different. Just like adults some kids need more sleep than others. My son didn't sleep thru the night til much later than that and when he did it never seemed to be what the magazines recommended but his dr said he was fine. Looking back and from what he tells me now, his brain just won't shut off. He was walking at 8 months and I think he just had a hard time relaxing. He never seemed to have any symptoms of not getting enough sleep. I had a friend whose daughter slept 12 hours at 4 months old but when the 2nd kid came around she did the same things with him that she did with her 1st and she was happy to get him to sleep thru the night by age 1. If what she is sleeping works for you...then great. Don't worry about it especially if your daughter is happy and seems to be getting the sleep she needs. Good luck.

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W.S.

answers from Norfolk on

I agree, you are fine and so is your baby. A total of 11-12 hours per day is fine, and if your baby is self regulating the night sleep and taking good naps, and is healthy otherwise, don't sweat it. Toss those articles/books and follow your instincts.

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E.K.

answers from Washington DC on

I love those articels, they always made me feel like I was doing something wrong. As long as ALL of you are sleeping regularly, not over tired, continue doing it YOUR way. Every person is different, there are 6 people in my family and we all sleep on different schedules, especially in the summer.

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J.B.

answers from Denver on

All babies are different. It's possible you may be misreading her sleep signals and she's pushing through to a second wind. My toddler goes to bed at 8 and sleeps till 7-7:30. My infant goes to bed around the same time and sleeps till around 7:30-8 most days. There are always some exceptions to this. When she's getting teeth the sleep is poor. Otherwise- pretty consistent. The best advice I have for you is to get this book: "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It is by far the best sleep book I've read. I've used tips and tricks from it and I have 2 babes that sleep well consistently.

Best luck!

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