How long do babies sleep?

When a baby is born, she tends to sleep a lot. This sometimes worries new parents who aren't quite sure how much sleep is too much. The following chart lists the typical amount of time a baby will sleep in a day:

      
           Typical Number of 
        Hours a Baby Will Sleep

Age         Nighttime  Daytime    Total
------------------------------------------   
1 week        8.5         8        16.5
1 month       8.5         7        15.5
3 months     10           5        15
6 months     12           4.25     16.25
9 months     11           3        14
1 year       11.25        2.5      13.75
18 months    11.5         2        13.5
2 years      11.5         1.5      13
3 years      11           1        12

Source:

Ferber, Richard: Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1985.

lavender eyelids droop,
belying her exhaustion.
tiny wails of protest in my ear.

she fights sleep with balled fists,
lets out yawns bigger than herself,
rubs at big cerulean eyes.

her head hits my shoulder,
reaching around my neck
to hold on as sleep arrives.

i sink into the rocking chair,
a small sigh let out in my hair.
my heart is so full of her
i can’t imagine anything more.