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7-12 Month Old Sleep

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.

A sleeping baby boy

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 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. As your baby will have started solids around 6 months of age, solids will be offered in the morning during their morning wake period. 

Play: After your baby has a feed, they will enjoy some playtime. Your baby is starting to do all sorts of things like babbling and being more mobile (rolling, crawling, and cruising around furniture). 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, they will enjoy babbling back and imitating sounds.

First Nap: Your baby may start to show some tired signs, like rubbing their eyes or yawning, around 2.5-3 hours approximately of being awake. Be responsive to their tired cues and put your baby down gently for their first nap, Babies at this age might sleep 1-2 hours for their morning naps

Midday:

Feed: As your baby wakes, watch for hunger cues. It is typical that once babies wake they will need a feed.  Solids will also be offered during the midday wake period. 

Play: After a feed, they will love to have another play. Play on the floor and with age-appropriate toys to support their development. 

Second Nap: After another 2.5-3.5 hours of being awake, your baby will start to show some tired signs and will be ready for a second nap.​ Babies at this age might sleep 1-2 hours for their second naps of the day

Afternoon/Evening:

Feed: As your baby wakes, watch for hunger cues. It is typical that once babies wake, they will need a feed.  Solids will also be offered during the afternoon/evening wake period.

Play: After a feed, your baby 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.

Bedtime Routine:

Use the same steps each night to signal bedtime, such as a bath, reading, or singing a lullaby.

Sleep: At this age, your baby will most likely have a similar bedtime each night. Many babies at this age sleep for longer stretches at night.

 

Settling Tip:
To support self-settling, place your baby in the cot while drowsy but awake. If they wake up, use calm, brief reassurance. This approach helps them learn to self-soothe and works towards your baby learning to self-settle. 

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 will take consistency, patience and time. 

Do I need a bedtime routine?

Having patterns, like feed, play sleep patterns, can help babies to expect what’s coming next and 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 can help 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 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 reduce 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.

Sleep and development:

Your baby is learning so many new things between 7-12 months that at times, their developmental milestones may make it tricky for them to sleep. Some developmental milestones around this time include:

  • Babies at this age are so aware of their environment and are interested in what happens around them. It might be helpful to choose a quiet room for them to sleep, away from noise and with dim lighting so it is easier for your baby to sleep.
  • Babies are starting to learn that things exist, even when they can’t see them and are out of sight. When you leave the room, you may notice that your baby might cry or call out to you. Your baby may also do this when they wake after sleep.
  • Separation anxiety happens when babies get upset when they do not see you. Separation anxiety may affect sleep as your baby may not want to go to sleep without you nearby. Your baby may also wake more often and cry or call out to you as they wake. Separation anxiety is a typical part of how a baby develops. As your baby grows, they will experience separation anxiety less. 
  • As your baby learns to move, crawl, and pull to stand more, their sleep habits may change. They may wake and need your help to re-settle to sleep if they get into an uncomfortable position.

As your baby grows and keeps developing, it's important to note that these factors will get better over time.

Karitane Tip - Solids as part of your baby’s routine:
As your baby is starting solids at around 6 months, your baby will require their milk feed first and their solid meal around 30 minutes after their milk feed. When your baby is around 9 months, your baby will transition to have the solid meal first and then require their milk feed around 30 minutes after their solid meal. These times are only a guide, watch your babies hunger cues and be guided by your baby when offering milk and solid feeds. Read more on our starting solids page.

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.

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