Age: Newborn
Total Hours A Day: 16 to 20
What You Can Do: Newborns are sleep experts. They get as many winks as they need for their brain development, sleeping in about two-hour intervals that are linked to hunger and feeding cycles. So follow their lead and let sleeping babes snooze.

Age: 3 to 4 months
Total Hours A Day: 15 to 16
What You Can Do: Babies are usually ready to sleep through the night now. They also have morning and afternoon naps. To encourage the new routine, expose your infant to sunlight and play during the day and avoid stimulating contact after dark.

Age: 6 months
Total Hours A Day: 14 to 15
What You Can Do: Most infants wake four to six times at night. Many go right back to sleep, while others cry out for their parents. Put babies to bed when they're drowsy but awake. That way, they'll learn to soothe themselves to sleep.

Age: 9 months to 1 year
Total Hours A Day: 14
What You Can Do: Around this time, babies start to develop separation anxiety, which may account for a temporary rise in night awakenings. Keep middle-of-the-night contacts brief and boring. Avoid picking babies up or treating them to nighttime snacks.

Age: 18 months to 2 years
Total Hours A Day: 12 to 13
What You Can Do: Toddlers often have trouble winding down at night. Establish a calming routine that may include a story, song, or backrub. If she comes to your bedroom at night, keep walking her back to her own room. She'll eventually stay put.

Age: 3 to 5 years
Total Hours A Day: 11
What You Can Do: Preschoolers tend to develop nighttime fears. Encourage sleep by adding low-level nightlights to the bedroom.