3 Month Old Wake Windows & Sleep Schedule

See how long your 3-month old wake windows should be as well as a feeding and sleeping schedule you can use for your 3-month old!

3 month old playing with mom during wake windows

If your baby is three-months old, you’re starting to come out of the fourth trimester and into baby land! Some people love the newborn days, but I really enjoyed it once my baby was able to be a bit more interactive and mobile.

Three months old is the start of more fun and better sleep, and part of that is your baby being able to handle longer wake windows.

Keep reading to find out good wake windows for your three-month old and get a feeding and sleep schedule you can follow.

To help you better, download my free sleep calculator to see when naptime and bedtime should be based on your baby’s age. Click here to grab it, it’ll be super helpful.

When Should You Start Using A Wake Window?

I recommend using wake windows from the very beginning. Your baby will also show sleep cues when they’re getting tired—such as yawning, avoiding eye contact, and even red eyebrows—but I also like to be aware of how long your baby has been awake so you can help prevent an overtired baby.

Newborn wake windows are especially short! Those tiny babies are only able to stay awake for a feed before they need to go to sleep again!

As your baby grows, his wake windows will grow too!

Soon he’ll be able to stay up for longer periods of time and take fewer naps. But for now, your 3-month old’s wake window is still pretty small and should be protected to keep your baby from getting to that overtired and overstimulated baby state.

How Long Should A 3-Month Old Be Awake Between Naps?

At 3 months old, your baby can stay awake for about 90 minutes in between naps. This hour-and-a-half is usually the sweet spot for babies from about 11 to 14 weeks old.

As your baby reaches 16 weeks, you’ll extend your baby’s wake times again to line up with a 4-month old wake window of closer to two hours. When your baby gets closer to 20 weeks, you can extend again to a 5-month old wake window of 2.5 hours!

Now is also a great time to start a nap routine with your little one. Something short and sweet that will cue to your baby’s brain that sleep is coming!

How Long Should 3-Month-Old Naps Be?

Naps can still be sporadic at this age, especially if your little one struggles with the 45-minute intruder. If you have a good napper, you might get up to 90 minutes of nap time. The 90-minute wake window and 90-minute nap time put your baby on a perfect 3-hour feeding routine.

If your baby needs to eat more frequently, your naps may be up to 60 minutes. Wake windows include the time your baby spends feeding as well.

Eliminate Short Naps with a Predictable Sleep Routine

Take away the stress of figuring out your baby’s sleep needs. With the Baby Sleep Schedule Binder, you’ll get sleeping and feeding schedules that you can implement for every age, even if you currently have no routine in place. Check out the Baby Sleep Schedule Binder here.

Can A 3-Month Old Put Himself to Sleep?

If you’ve been practicing independent sleep skills like eat play sleep and follow a consistent routine, then a 3-month old can absolutely put himself to sleep.

Not all 3-month olds can though and not all of the time! Even independent sleepers might need a little help here and there. As your baby grows and nears the 4-month mark, you can consider using a sleep training method if your baby is still struggling.

3-Month Old Sleep Schedule

Here’s a sample schedule you can use for your 3-month old. This sample schedule has 3 hours in between feeds and has the 90-minute wake windows.

7:00 am – Wake up and feed

8:30–10 am – Nap

10:00 am – Feed

11:30 am–1:00 pm – Nap

1:00 pm – Feed

2:30–4:00 pm – Nap

4:00 pm – Feed

5:00–5:30 – Nap (Can be a contact nap or stroller nap)

6:30 Feed / Baby’s bedtime routine

7:00 – Bedtime

Night feeds as needed.

Notice how the wake window before the evening catnap was only 60 minutes. Sometimes you can do a shorter wake window if you just need a quick nap to help your baby make it to bedtime.

Around 3 months old, some babies are able to extend their night sleep and some may even be sleeping through the night! Many things can affect your baby’s night sleep, including routine, development, weight, and sleep habits.

You’ll also want to stop swaddling your baby around 12 weeks if you haven’t transitioned them yet.

Let me know if you have any questions about your baby’s sleep or your baby’s wake windows!