Sample 6 Month Old Sleep Schedule and Tips

Looking for a good 6 month old sleep schedule for your baby? See this sample sleep schedule and tips to help your family sleep well.

Happy half birthday to your little babe!

There’s a lot going on in your 6-month-old’s life these days. Playtime is more active. And there are plenty of milestones to celebrate.

Your baby may even be sleeping through the night or sleeping a big long stretch at night. Now that’s something to celebrate!

But regardless of whether you’ve gone through a sleep training method yet, 6 months can be a pretty tricky age for sleep.

Let’s talk about a 6 month old sleep schedule to keep your baby’s sleep on track.

To help you better, start by downloading my free baby sleep calculator to see when nap time and bed time should be based on your baby’s age. Click here to grab that, it’ll be super helpful.

How Long Can a 6-Month-Old Stay Awake?

A 6-month-old wake window will range between 2.25 and 2.75 hours. The shortest wake time of the day is typically in the morning. 

For example, your baby’s wake windows throughout the day may look like this:

• 2.25 hours in the morning
• 2.5 hours awake time after the first nap
• 2.75 hours right before bedtime

If your baby stays awake for too long in between sleeps, they will get overtired. That majorly impacts their quality and length of sleep at night.

Keep reading to see a sample sleep schedule using those wake windows.

What Time Should a 6 Month Old Go to Bed?

I usually recommend bedtime for your little one being between 7 and 8 p.m.

However, getting your 6 month old to fall asleep at those times will require a little more work on your part.

Let’s see what a 6 month old sleep schedule looks like and how bedtime fits into that equation.

How Many Naps Should a 6-Month-Old Take?

At 6 months old, most babies take two naps and a catnap. This typically looks like two 90-minute naps and a 30-minute nap in the later afternoon.

As your baby gets closer to a 7 or 8 months, they may be ready to transition from 3 to 2 naps.

Sample 6-Month-Old Sleep Schedule

Here’s an example of a 6-month-old sleep schedule.

While each baby’s sleep schedule can look different from baby to baby, wake windows help provide a predictable guide to the flow of the day.

This schedule uses wake windows that get progressively longer throughout the day (2.25 hours / 2.5 hours / 2 hours / 2.75 hours).

The time before the catnap is shorter because we just need a quick nap here to take the edge off until bedtime, so the sleep pressure doesn’t need to be as strong.

7:00 am Wake up + nurse or bottle

9:15–10:30 am: Nap

10:30 am: Feeding

1–2:30 pm: Nap

2:30 pm: Feeding

4:30–5 pm: Catnap

5 pm: Feeding

7:15 pm: Start bedtime routine / Feeding

7:45 pm: Bedtime

Some babies may do better with a slightly longer wake window before bedtime, while other babies may need this shorter. Watch your baby and track it to see what works best.

The 6-Month Sleep Regression

If your baby’s sleep has been off track and their wake windows are on track, you may be dealing with the 6-month sleep regression.

Sleep regressions are a natural part of your baby’s development. The 6 month sleep regression happens because of your baby’s natural cognitive and physical growth.

Some causes of the 6 month sleep regression include:

• Newly developed separation anxiety
• More mobility (like scooting, or even crawling!)
• Teething
• Rolling (particularly rolling in their sleep)
• Learning to put sounds together and vocalize more
• Learning to sit up independently
• Introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet

If you’re experiencing a sleep setback, try to stay consistent with the habits you’ve established and know that the regression will disappear as quickly as it came on.

If your baby isn’t able to fall asleep without parental assistance, consider sleep training.

Six months is a great age to start teaching your baby how to fall asleep without help from you and can help everyone in your family get more rest.

How Many Times Should a 6-Month-Old Wake Up at Night?

Your 6 month old is capable of sleeping through the night and sleeping 10–12 hours at night.

Just because your 6-month-old is capable of sleeping through the night, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will. 

It is not uncommon for your 6-month-old to wake up in the middle of the night, especially if you haven’t gone through a sleep training method yet.

But developmentally speaking, those nighttime feedings are no longer about sustenance. Your baby is capable of filling their tummy to fullness before bed and that should last them through the night.

If your 6 month old is waking at night, it’s not necessarily because they need something. They are just looking for comfort.

That’s why developing independent sleep habits at this age is so helpful. Once your 6-month-old is able to self-soothe, they don’t really need you in the middle of the night.

If you want help teaching your baby how to fall asleep without assistance and sleeping through the night, check out the Baby D.R.E.A.M. System. We’ll walk you through the process of sleep training and provide support along the way!

Frequently Asked Questions about the 6 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Can My 6 Month Old Be on A 2-Nap Schedule?

If your baby is sleeping 11 to 12 hours at night, they may be ready to make the 3 to 2 nap transition sooner rather than later.

Here’s an example of a 6-month-old sleep schedule for a baby who has transitioned to two naps. This schedule uses wake windows that get progressively longer throughout the day (2.5 hrs / 3 hrs / 3 hrs).

7:00 am Wake up + nurse or bottle

8:30 am Solids/breakfast

9:30-11:00 am Nap

11:00 am Nurse or bottle

12:00 pm Solids/Lunch

1:30 pm Small nurse or bottle (if needed)

2:00-3:30 pm Nap

3:30 pm Nurse or bottle

5:30 pm Solids/dinner

6:00/6:30 pm Start bedtime routine + nurse or bottle

6:30/7:00 pm Bedtime

Night feeds as needed (but not necessary).

How Do I Know It’s time to Extend Wake Windows?

If your 6 month old is struggling with sleep, and you’re looking for signs that they need to increase their wake windows, here are some signs to look for:

• Bedtime has become a huge battle.
• All of a sudden, your baby is waking up early in the morning, perhaps much earlier than they used to.
• It’s taking longer than usual (more than 15 minutes) for your baby to fall asleep at nap time or bedtime.
• Your 6 month old only naps 30 or 45 minutes at a time and consistently wakes up early from their nap.

Consistently seeing any of these signs means it’s time to start increasing those wake windows for your 6-month-old.

What Milestones is My Baby Working On?

There is so much going on around 6 months. Your baby may be rolling over, crawling, and even starting to sit up. This is also the time when many parents start to introduce solid food.

Is there a 6 Month Sleep Regression?

With all of these new physical changes your baby may experience a 6 month sleep regression. Make sure to give them plenty of time during the day to practice working on their new skills.

Is 6 Months a Good Age to Sleep Train?

When to start sleep training is up to you. Six months is a great age because feeds have typically been established and baby’s schedule is a little more predictable. Get a step-by-step approach to sleep training with the Baby D.R.E.A.M. System.

Questions about the 6 month old sleep schedule? Leave them in the comments and we’ll try to help you troubleshoot.