Are you searching for some straight-forward examples of a baby sleep schedule? I’ve got you covered with these sample baby sleep schedules from Newborn through baby’s first birthday!
I remember as a new mom thinking I could really use an owner’s manual for my newborn daughter.
How amazing that would be! What if there was a complete, step-by-step guide to troubleshooting any and all problems with your newborn?
I would have settled for a step-by-step baby sleep schedule to start!
There’s so much information out there about baby sleep schedules, but I could never find all of the information I needed all in one place.
And honestly, sometimes I was just way too tired to go hunting for it all.
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.
I felt like there were so many times in those early days when my sleep-deprived brain could have really used an at-a-glance schedule to keep our day on track!
That’s why I decided to create my own schedules to use with clients.
As a Pediatric Sleep Consultant, I’ve synthesized all my research, my favorite methods and schedules, my trials and errors, and my clients’ successes into baby sleep schedules that optimize sleep.
The best part is I’ve broken down each baby sleep schedule by age, so you can easily follow them from month to month as your baby grows.
Sleep and Feed Schedules for Every Age
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.
The following baby sleep schedules are examples you can use or adapt to your baby and lifestyle. I’ve incorporated an eat-play-sleep routine and age-appropriate wake windows, so your baby will get enough activity during the day and optimal sleep during naps and at night.
Wake windows can vary from one baby to the next, but in general most will fall within a similar wake window range based on their age. That’s why I’ve separated out each of these baby sleep schedules by month.
When Should I Start a Sleep Schedule for My Baby?
One of the biggest questions new parents have about their baby’s sleep is when to implement a more regular schedule.
The short answer is, it’s up to you and it’s never too late!
Those early weeks are a crazy, beautiful time when you can enjoy bonding with your sweet new babe and focus on recovering from labor.
Keep in mind that in the first 8 weeks or so of your baby’s life, the only predictable thing will be that things will be very unpredictable with their schedule.
On average, newborns will only be able to stay awake for about 45-60 minutes at a time. They might even still have their days and nights mixed up.
Should I Use a Sleep Schedule With My Newborn?
It’s not realistic to adhere to a strict schedule in those early newborn days.
Naps can be erratic. Short naps are common and baby is sleepy throughout the day.
Feedings are also frequent and it’s recommended to feed on demand, especially to help establish your milk supply in the beginning.
The biggest thing to be aware of when it comes to a newborn sleep schedule is to keep to your newborn’s wake windows.
Watch your clock and prioritize getting your baby down for a nap after she’s been awake for 45 to 60 minutes. (I know, it’s barely any time at first!).
You can see a sample 1 month old sleep schedule and 2 month old sleep schedule here.
3 Month Old Sleep Schedule
When your baby hits three months, they’re likely capable of handling up to 90 minutes of awake time. Your 3-month old will also start to become more interactive during their wake windows!
At this age, some babies will still need 1-3 feedings in the middle of the night, but others might sleep for longer stretches of time.
This example 3-month-old schedule uses 3 hours between most feeds, but some babies might do better at 2.5 hours between eating. Adjust to what makes your baby most content!
Short naps are normal at this age and it’s common for your baby to take 30 minute naps throughout the day. Not all babies will take an hour nap or longer.
Here’s a sample schedule:
7:00 am: Wake Up + nurse or bottle
8:30 to 10:00 am: Nap
10:00 am: Nurse or bottle
11:30 am to 1:00 pm: Nap
1:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
2:30 to 4:00 pm: Nap
4:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
5:00 to 5:30 pm: Catnap
6:30 pm: Start baby’s bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:00 pm: Bedtime
Night feeds as needed.
4 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Four months is one of my personal favorite ages! Babies tend to start developing a personality around this time, and they still have limited mobility.
You may or may not see signs of the four-month sleep regression around this time. If you’ve managed to avoid unhelpful sleep associations, this sleep regression might miss you completely!
I really liked the four month schedule. Naps started to get longer and our baby was able to go a little longer in between feeds.
At this age, many babies drop the fourth nap and move to 3 naps.
This sample 4-month-old schedule assumes that your baby is able to do 2-hour wake times and go 3.5 hours in between feeds. Some babies will need to eat sooner, so make sure you’re paying attention to your baby’s hunger cues.
7:00 am: Wake and nurse or bottle
9:00 to 10:30 am: Nap
10:30 am: Nurse or bottle
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm: Nap
2:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
4:00 to 5:30 pm: Catnap
5:30: Nurse or Snack bottle
7:00 pm: Nurse or bottle/bedtime routine
7:30 pm: Bedtime
Night feeds as needed.
5 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Your 5-month-old is ready to extend their wake windows once again and will continue to do so until they transition to two naps around the 7-month mark.
A good five month old wake window is between 2 and 2.5 hours in between naps. The first wake window of the day is typically the shortest.
Some parents choose to begin sleep training around the 5-month mark, once the potential 4-month regression has passed and feeding patterns are well established.
Here’s a sleep and feeding schedule you can try out on your 5-month-old:
7:00 am: Wake up + nurse or bottle
9:00 to 10:30 am: Nap
10:30 am: Nurse or bottle
1:00 to 2:30 pm: Nap
2:30 pm: Nurse or bottle
4:30 to 5:00 pm: Nap
5:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
7:00 pm: Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:30 pm: Bedtime
6 Month Old Sleep Schedule
Thanks to the introduction of solid foods and your baby’s continued growth, wake windows can extend to 3 hours when they’re around 6 months old.
Also around this age, your baby might be ready to drop a nap and go from 3 naps to 2.
Even better, plenty of babies are capable of going without a night feed at this age! That means those stretches of sleep at night can be long and glorious.
If your baby is having split nights at this age, they may need a little less day sleep.
As you’re making the adjustment from 3 naps to 2, I’ve found that some days your baby may take two solid naps and some days they may need three naps.
A sample schedule may look like this:
7:00 am: Wake up + nurse or bottle
8:30 am: Solids/breakfast
9:30 to 10:45 am: Nap
10:45 am: Nurse or bottle
12:00 pm: Solids/lunch
1:15 to 2:30 pm: Nap
2:30 pm: Nurse or bottle
4:30-5:00 pm: Catnap
5:30 pm: Solids/dinner
6:30 pm: Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:30/7:45 pm: Bedtime
7 and 8-Month Old Sleep Schedule
Once your baby is solidly in the “2 naps per day” camp, you may be able to maintain a fairly solid sleep schedule for the next few months.
My favorite baby sleep schedule is either 2.5 / 3 / 3.5 or 3 / 3 / 3, which refers to the number of awake time between naps. It’s easy to remember!
By 7 months or so, your baby will likely be able to handle transition to two naps. See a sample 7 month old schedule here and an 8 month old sleep schedule here.
Here’s what that can look like for your 7 or 8-month old:
7:00 am: Wake up + nurse or bottle
8:30 am: Solids/Breakfast
10:00 to 11:30 am: Nap
11:30 am: Nurse or bottle
12:30 pm: Solids/Lunch
2:00 pm: Small nurse or bottle (if needed)
2:30 to 4:00 pm: Nap
4:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
5:30 pm: Solids/Dinner
6:30 pm: Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:00 pm: Bedtime
9–11-Month Old Sleep Schedule
Here’s an example of a 9-month-old sleep schedule / 10-month old sleep schedule and 11-month old sleep schedule using wake windows that are 3 / 3.5 / 3-3.5 and naps that are 1.25 hours long:
7:00 am — Wake up + nurse or bottle
8:00 am — Solids/Breakfast
10:00 to 11:15 am — Nap
11:15 am — Nurse or bottle
12:15 pm — Lunch
2:15 pm — Small nurse or bottle (if needed)
2:45 to 4:00 pm — Nap
4:00 pm — Nurse or bottle
5:30 pm — Solids/Dinner
6:30 pm — Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:00/7:30 pm — Bedtime
Keep in mind that throughout these months, you might run into the 9-month sleep regression. It can actually happen anywhere from 8 to 10 months!
Do your best to stick to the routine, and don’t introduce any bad sleep habits during the regression. It will pass in 2-6 weeks.
12 Month Old Baby Sleep Schedule
As your baby reaches toddlerhood, they’ll be approaching another shift in their schedule. There’s so much change and growth that happens around their first birthday!
First of all, your baby might give you a gift for their first birthday, in the form of a 12-month sleep regression. How thoughtful of them!
I would encourage you to get through any regression before modifying the sleep schedule again.
Your one-year-old is also on the brink of dropping yet another nap! I try to coach my families not to jump to one nap too early. If you can hold off for another month or more, your busy toddler could benefit from the extra rest.
In fact, your new toddler will be better suited to transition to one nap between 13-18 months.
If your 12-month-old still naps twice a day, you’ll want to make sure that their last nap of the day wraps up at least 3 hours before bedtime.
You might try to extend their last wake window to 3.5 hours in preparation of them eventually dropping their second nap.
Here’s what that would like for your 12-month-old:
7:00 am: Wake up + nurse or bottle
8:30 am: Solids/Breakfast
10:00 to 11:30 am: Nap
11:30 am: Nurse or bottle
12:30 pm: Solids/Lunch
1:30 pm: Small nurse or bottle (if needed)
2:30 to 4:00 pm: Nap
4:00 pm: Nurse or bottle
5:30 pm: Solids/Dinner
6:30 pm: Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle
7:30/8:00 pm: Bedtime
I go over all of these first year schedules and even more in my Baby Sleep Schedule Binder. If you’re looking for more ideas or how to handle schedules from Newborn to 4 years, check them out!
My goal is to help tired parents get sleep, so the whole family can thrive!
- Test - April 18, 2024
- Newborns and Swaddling (Safety Tips) - March 19, 2024
- 25 Baby’s First Christmas Ornament Ideas - March 18, 2024
