5-6 Month Old Sleep

Overview

Around this age, babies typically sleep for 12-14 hours altogether in every 24 hours. Your baby will typically have 2 naps a day of up to 2 hours each nap.  Your baby may also have longer stretches of sleep every night. Babies this age may still wake at least once each night.  As your baby gets closer to 12 months, they are more likely to sleep through the night on some nights.

Example 5-6 Month Old Routine

Morning:

• Feed: As your baby wakes, watch for hunger cues. It is typical at this age, that once babies wake, they will need a feed to start their day.
• Play: After your baby has a feed, they will enjoy some playtime. Your baby may start reaching, grabbing for things, and start rolling. Playtime on the floor is a great way to help your baby continue to develop these new skills. Keep talking, singing, and reading with your baby. Your baby loves to hear you talk to them about your day together.
• First Nap: Your baby may start to show some tired signs, like rubbing their eyes or yawning, at around 1.5-2.5 hours of being awake. Be responsive to their tired cues and put your baby down gently for their first nap.

Midday:

• Feed: As your baby wakes, watch for hunger cues. It is typical that once babies wake they will need a feed. 
• Play: After a feed, they will love to have another play. Tummy time and age-appropriate toys will continue to support their development.
• Second Nap: After another 2-2.5 hours of being awake, your baby will start to show some tired signs and will be ready for a second nap.​

Afternoon:

• Feed: As your baby wakes, watch for hunger cues. It is typical that once babies wake, they will need a feed. 
• Play: After a feed, they will love to have another play. It’s almost the end of the day, your baby might enjoy gentle interactions like singing and reading at this time. Be guided by your baby and what they might enjoy. 
• Third Nap (Optional): Watch your baby for tired signs during play, some babies still need a short nap in the late afternoon; aim for 30-45 minutes if needed.

Evening and Bedtime:

• Bedtime Routine: Include a bath, story, or quiet cuddle to help signal bedtime.
• Sleep: Put your baby down for sleep drowsy but awake. Many babies at this age sleep for longer stretches at night.

Settling Tip:
If your baby wakes during the night, give them a moment to resettle before going in. If they need help, comfort with minimal stimulation to encourage self-settling, use soft words, gentle pats, or a soothing shush to calm them. 

Flexibility is Key

• Any routine needs to be flexible as circumstances can change. For example, on a hot day your baby may need extra feeds. 
• Sometimes short-term changes are needed, for example your child is unwell, teething or you are travelling or returning to work. When the short-term change is over, begin putting the routine back in place as soon as possible. This may take time, consistency and patience to help them return to their previous routine.

Do I need a bedtime routine?

Patterns are helpful for babies. Patterns, like feed, play, sleep patterns, help babies to expect what’s coming next. As they grow they will learn to associate certain events with sleep time. Following flexible patterns, which are responsive to your baby’s cues is also important to meet the needs of your baby. It is helpful for babies to have simple patterns that signal time for sleep. Being consistent with these patterns is what helps your baby learn it is time for bed. Some examples of what your sleep routine could include are:

• A warm bath
• A gentle massage after their bath
• Wearing pyjamas
• Reading together and speaking softly as you wind down
• Playing a lullaby
• Lots of cuddles
• A familiar phrase that signals it’s time for sleep -  something like “sleepy time baby, mummy loves you”
• Placing your baby on their back in their cot ready for sleep.

Responsive Settling Techniques

Being responsive to your baby’s cues is important to help them feel safe and secure. This helpful resource can help you be responsive to your baby’s needs for settling to sleep. 

Responding to your baby as your baby wakes:

• When your baby wakes during the night, pause to see if they will settle themselves. If they don’t, enter the room quietly and provide comfort with minimal stimulation—no bright lights or active interaction. Use soft words, gentle pats, or a soothing shush to calm them​
• Over time, watch your baby's cues and allow them time to settle themselves.  For example, you might like to try to start by shortening how long you stay in the room or reducing the amount of physical touch as your baby calms down while settling. 
• Responsive settling ensures that your baby feels supported, and can help your baby to start to learn to settle themselves with time, helping your baby to have longer stretches of sleep at night.

We acknowledge that it can be hard initially when making any sort of change. When settling, an upset baby or toddler, regularly question how you and your baby are coping.  Keep baby safe and notice if you are getting frustrated or angry. Try taking deep breaths, slow speech, lowering your voice, and using only gentle pats. Use positive self-talk or put your child in a safe place and take a short break to calm yourself and get support when you need to. Lean on support from family and friends and reach out for help if you need to. Judgement-free support is available to you from Karitane.