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Sleep patterns of a newborn (0-3 months)
Newborn may sleep as little as 8 hours or as much as 16-20 hours a day. She may take several short naps during the day. At this stage your baby does not have a sense of day and night. Your baby's sleep pattern depends on when she feels hungry or when she is tired. This erratic sleep patterns are normal for first few months of life.
Sleep patterns of a baby (3-6 months)
Between 3-6 months of age a baby's sleeping pattern changes. Babies still require about 14 hours of sleep. This is good time to establish routines for a bath, then feeding, singing, and rocking that will help your baby fall asleep. During the day time nap let natural light into the room and during night keep the room dark but you may want to leave a dim night-light on.
Sleep patterns of an older baby (6-12 months)
By the time a baby turns 6 months that part of the brain that controls timing of sleep has developed. Now your baby will slowly develop a sleep schedule and you can help synchronize it with your family's sleep schedule. Your baby will start to sleep longer at nights and most babies will sleep through the night. Your baby will still continue to take two naps during the day, about 45-90 minutes each. You will also notice longer gaps between feedings due to which your baby sleeps for longer periods.
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