6 week old sleep schedule: Bedtime and nap schedule

At 6 weeks, expecting the unexpected is likely still the name of the game when it comes to your newborn’s sleep. Babies at this age don’t have predictable sleep schedules — that’s normal! Both short and long naps are common and your little one will need to wake multiple times overnight for feedings and comfort. Closer to 3 - 4 months old is when you may expect your child to have a more predictable 24-hour cycle of sleeping and eating. 

In the article, we’ll go over what you may expect when it comes to 6 week old naps and overnight sleep and reassure you that you’re doing everything “right” to ensure your baby is getting the rest they need. 

IN THIS ARTICLE: 

How much should a 6 week old sleep?

Naptime schedule for 6 weeks

Bedtime for 6 week olds

6 week old baby sleep FAQ

How much should a 6 week old sleep?

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that newborns sleep for about 16 - 17 hours per day [1]. At 6 weeks, sleep is likely still pretty unpredictable — naps may be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours long, for example. Newborns also typically wake multiple times overnight for feedings and comfort. While this schedule (or lack of schedule) can be exhausting for caregivers, babies aren’t developmentally ready for a regular sleep and eating cycle until around 3 - 4 months of age.  

Before your child is ready for a schedule, it can be especially helpful to pay attention to how long your little one can comfortably stay awake. At 6 weeks, wake windows are usually around 30 - 90 minutes before a baby is ready for sleep again. This is often enough time for a feeding, diaper change, a little tummy time, and then a snooze.

When caring for a newborn it can be easy to get caught up in sleep totals and hitting a specific number of naps. Of course, new parents want to be sure they’re doing everything they can for their young baby! However, keep in mind that every child is different and these sleep time recommendations are just estimates. Paying attention to your baby’s overall mood and energy levels can be a more effective way to determine if they’re getting enough rest overall. 

Top sleep tip for 6 week old

If you’re feeling a bit trapped by your little one’s erratic nap schedule (where one nap is 30 minutes then the next is 2 hours), consider taking advantage of their ability to sleep on the go at this age. Run that daytime errand [2], even if they end up dozing off while you’re out and about. Just be sure to move your baby to a firm surface on their back as soon as possible, in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ [3] safe sleep recommendations. 

Sleep fact for 6 week old babies 

At 6 weeks, paying attention to sleepy cues and wake windows can be the best way to gauge when your little one is ready to sleep. A typical wake window may be around 30 - 90 minutes at this age. At 2 months old, wake windows may expand to around 45 minutes - 1.75 hours. 

Note it’s common for children to have the shortest stretch of awake time in the morning, before their first nap. Awake periods usually lengthen as the day goes on, which means your baby’s longest period of awake time may be before bedtime. This may not always be the case and that’s perfectly normal too. Newborn sleep is still pretty irregular at 6 weeks and will continue to be until closer to 3 - 4 months.  

Along with wake windows, sleepy cues are a useful tool for determining when your child may need to snooze next. Check to see if you can spot your child rubbing their eyes or rubbing their face on you, staring off into space, yawning, or becoming fussy — these are generally clues that your baby is ready for some shuteye. However, these signs can be fleeting and easy to miss, so we recommend offering sleep if your child has been awake for over 1.25 hours and hasn't shown sleepy signs.

Naptime schedule for 6 weeks

How long should a 6 week old nap?

At 6 weeks, you may be hoping that your little one falls into more of a schedule. However, naps will likely still be all over the place at this age since timing and sleep durations can greatly vary for the first few months of your child’s life. Babies aren’t born with predictable or organized sleep cycles [4] and we won’t expect a more regular nap pattern until closer to 3 - 4 months. 

It’s not uncommon to see short naps and long naps at this point. Sometimes naps will be 30 minutes and other times they may be 2 hours — both would be considered normal at 6 weeks. 

How many naps for a 6 week old?

You likely won’t be able to rely on a specific number of naps or a set sleep schedule when your baby is 6 weeks old. At this point, sleep is largely controlled by sleep pressure and hunger since their circadian rhythm [5] is still developing. 

Bedtime for 6 week olds

What time should a 6 week old go to bed?

Since your little one’s sleep is likely still pretty irregular, their longest stretch of sleep in a 24-hour period may begin around 9:00 or 10:00 PM — or sometimes later. And that’s OK! Babies may be ready for an earlier bedtime at around 3 - 4 months. 

Due to an immature circadian sleep-wake system, sleep will likely be pretty evenly distributed between day and night. However, you may find that your newborn is still confusing night and day [2] at 6 weeks and wanting to stay awake for long periods overnight and sleep longer during the day. This day/night reversal typically resolves by 8 weeks. However, if you want to help “fix” it faster, there are a couple of tricks to try. 

We recommend keeping your child’s environment noisy and bright during the day and then quieting it down at night to set the tone for sleep. As much as possible, avoid stimulating [1] or waking your baby when you feed or change them at night.  

We don’t recommend trying to keep your baby awake for extra long stretches during the day in hopes of an earlier bedtime and more overnight sleep. Doing so can backfire and often leads to overtiredness that makes it harder for a newborn baby to fall asleep and stay asleep. Instead, aim for adequate daytime sleep and rest assured that this exhausting period won’t last forever.