From 6 months on, your baby is more alert, more curious, and more opinionated about everything, including sleep. Wake windows are longer, naps are becoming more predictable, and overnight sleep is probably consolidating into something that resembles a real night's rest.
But this era also brings two things that can undo that progress without warning: the 3-to-2 nap transition, which happens somewhere in this window and requires some active navigation, and the 8/9-month sleep regression, which is driven by one of the biggest cognitive leaps of the first year. Understanding both will make the harder weeks feel less like setbacks.
Use the sections below to find the range closest to your baby's current age.
6–7 months: Sample Schedule
Wake windows: 2-2.5 hours
Naps: 2-3
Total sleep: 12-15 hrs/24 hours (day + night combined)
Overnight: 1–3 wake-ups common; longer stretches more consistent
At 6 months, most babies are still on 3 naps, but the third one — a short late-afternoon catnap — is becoming increasingly optional. Wake windows are solidly 2 hours and starting to push toward 2.5. Overnight sleep is consolidating, and many babies are producing their first longer overnight stretches.
This is also when object permanence begins to develop — your baby is starting to understand that things (and people) exist even when they can't see them. That's a big cognitive leap, and it starts showing up at bedtime: Your baby now knows you're somewhere else when you leave the room.
If your baby consistently resists the 3rd nap for several days in a row, that's a signal that the 3-to-2 nap transition is beginning. Move bedtime 30–45 minutes earlier on days when the 3rd nap is skipped.
7–8 months: Sample Schedule
Wake windows: 2.5-3 hours
Naps: 2
Total sleep: 12-15 hrs/24 hours (day + night combined)
Overnight: 1–2 wake-ups typical; some babies sleeping longer stretches
By 7–8 months, most babies have moved to 2 naps — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Wake windows are pushed to 2.5–3 hours, naps often lengthen now that there are only two of them, and total nap time typically settles around 2.5–3 hours per day. For many babies, this can be the most settled stretch of the first year in terms of sleep.
The 3-to-2 nap transition can take 2–4 weeks to settle. During the adjustment, bedtime may need to move earlier (6:00–6:30 PM) to prevent overtiredness. This is normal and temporary.
8–9 months: Sample Schedule
Wake windows: 3-3.5 hours
Naps: 2
Total sleep: 12-15 hrs/24 hours (day + night combined)
Overnight: Variable — regression may be active
The 8/9-month sleep regression arrives for many families in this window, and it's closely tied to the same cognitive development that's making your baby so much more interesting to be around: Object permanence fully emerging, spatial exploration ramping up, and separation anxiety appearing at bedtime and overnight. Your baby now knows you're in the next room. They know you could come back. And they'd very much like you to.
Wake windows continue to lengthen — 3 to 3.5 hours is the norm by 9 months. The schedule is otherwise similar to 7–8 months; what changes is the behavioral layer on top of it. Don't worry, the sleep regression is temporary!
If overnight wake-ups have increased significantly, the 8/9-month regression is likely.
Read: Sleep Regressions Explained →
About the 3-to-2 nap transition
This transition typically occurs between 6 and 9 months and is one of the more disruptive schedule changes of the first year, as it can take a few weeks to settle. Signs your baby is ready: consistently fighting or refusing the 3rd nap for 5 or more days, taking longer to fall asleep at night, waking early in the morning, or suddenly resisting the first nap of the day.
The transition itself is gradual — some days you'll do 3 naps, some days 2. That's normal. The main lever to pull during the transition is bedtime: earlier is almost always better on days when the 3rd nap doesn't happen.
A few things to keep in mind
Object permanence is a developmental milestone, and it also helps explain some of the sleep challenges in this window. When your baby wakes between sleep cycles at night — as all babies do — they now notice you're not there in a way they didn't before. This isn't a sleep problem; it's a cognitive leap showing up at 2 am.
A consistent bedtime routine matters more than ever. Same sequence, same room, roughly the same time. At this age, routines become reliable sleep signals. Your baby's brain begins to associate the cues with what's coming, which makes settling easier.
Nap length variability also smooths out during this window for most babies. By 8–9 months, naps of 60–90 minutes or longer are common, which is a true shift from the unpredictable, shorter naps of earlier stages.
What's coming at 9–12 months
The 2-nap schedule settles firmly after the transition period and remains stable through most of the rest of the first year. Wake windows continue to grow — by 12 months, most babies are managing 3.5–4 hours comfortably. The next guide covers the consolidated 2-nap life and the signs of the 2-to-1 nap transition that appear around 12–18 months.
Read: 9–12 Months Sleep Schedule →
Keeping sleep safe
The same AAP safe sleep guidelines apply throughout this stage:
- Always on their back to start, for every sleep, until their first birthday — even if your baby can roll
- A firm, flat surface — crib, bassinet, or play yard — with nothing else in it. No blankets, pillows, positioners, or stuffed animals
- Your baby's sleep space in your room, but not your bed, for at least the first six months
- If your baby can roll both ways and moves to their stomach during sleep, you do not need to reposition them — but always place them on their back to start
- A pacifier at sleep time is associated with reduced SIDS risk
