Your 6 month old’s sleep: what is normal, what is hard, and when to get help

Changes happening at 6 months

The CDC’s 6-month milestones include rolling from tummy onto back, propping on the hands to help with sitting, recognizing familiar people, and laughing. With sitting and rolling come brand-new skills to rehearse at 2 a.m.

A few things also taper off around this point. According to the AAP, babies generally outgrow periodic breathing of infancy by roughly the middle of the first year, and colicky crying, which can continue up to 6 months, has usually ended. Separation anxiety may start in the second half of the first year, and the AAP points out that nightmares can begin as early as 6 months.

Many babies are physically capable of a long stretch of sleep by 6 months, so when a 6 month old still needs a parent at each waking, it usually reflects a sleep habit rather than a need. Most families who reach Actually Sleeping at this age have already experimented on their own. Dr. Sam writes your baby a plan that teaches independent sleep. How night feeds are handled depends on your baby’s age and is set in your custom plan.

Plenty of 6 month olds nap 3 times a day and are moving toward 2. That is a common pattern rather than a rule.

The toughest parts for parents

• Waking every 2 hours. Short wakings are normal; needing a full rescue each time generally comes back to how your baby falls asleep at bedtime.
• Sitting up in the crib without knowing how to get back down.
• Deciding about room-sharing. The AAP’s minimum is nearly up. Some families move the crib now and some later. Either is reasonable as long as the sleep space is safe.
• Starting new foods, which can bring a few unsettled nights or changes in digestion.

Keeping sleep safe at 6 months

• Keep placing your baby on their back until the first birthday. Once they roll both ways, you can leave them in whatever position they settle into, with nothing else in the crib.
• Although the NICHD reports that more than 90% of SIDS deaths occur before 6 months, both it and the AAP say to keep up safe sleep practices until age 1.
• Drop the mattress before your baby can sit without help, and to its lowest setting before they can stand.
• Keep bottles out of bed. As part of its advice on preventing tooth decay, the AAP recommends against putting a baby to bed with a bottle.

Feeding at night

Some healthy 6 month olds still have a night feed. Your pediatrician decides whether it stays, shrinks or goes, and any change should follow their guidance. The sleep plan is shaped around that decision, never the reverse.

Reasons to see the pediatrician

• Regular snoring, gasping, or noisy or labored breathing during sleep. Snoring and sleep apnea appear on the AAP’s list of common childhood sleep problems.
• A fever over 101°F (38.3°C), or waking up with a fever and tugging at the ears.
• No rolling, or no reaching for toys, by 6 months.
• Any questions about starting solids or how your baby is eating.

Next steps

When a baby wakes frequently and needs you to fall back asleep, the change that makes the difference usually happens at bedtime, and the right way to make it depends on your baby’s temperament and feeds. Actually Sleeping puts that change into a written plan, with bootcamp-style coaching ahead of night one and daily 1:1 check-ins. We guarantee that your baby will sleep 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days of consistent, correct implementation of your sleep plan. Families tell the story in their own words on our 4 to 6 month reviews. See also a 6 month old waking every 2 hours, the 6-month schedule, and night weaning. Book a free consultation with Dr. Sam and get a plan for your baby.