Schedule / Routine
When I talk about how to help your babies sleep better, I often talk about wake up times, bed times, naps times, and the eat/wake/sleep cycle. I realized lately that I haven’t really talked about putting that all into action and finding a good schedule for your baby at a given age.
The sweet spot of scheduling is all about finding what works and learning what is most common for a baby at a certain age. Overall, this can help you develop a good baby sleep schedule that will best serve your child and your family.
Note: During the first 3-4 weeks of the newborn phase, there is no need to stress over implementing a schedule. You can simply try to do feedings every 2.5-3 hours at a minimum during the day and loosely try to follow the eat/wake/sleep cycle as described below.
1. Components of a good schedule.
First, let’s explore what a good schedule may involve. I like to lay out all the pieces and then place them where they seem to fit best.
- Morning wake up time
- Nap times
- Number of naps
- Feeding times
- Play times
- Bed time
2. Getting the eat/wake/sleep cycle down.
The eat/wake/sleep cycle is a great way to help your baby transition to a great schedule. First, the baby wakes from sleep and EATS a full feeding. Second, the baby is AWAKE to play for an approximate designated period of time. Lastly, the baby goes back to SLEEP for a nap or bedtime after showing a sleepy cue (e.g. a yawn, fuss or eye rub).
This cycle repeats itself throughout the day, and during the night (if the baby is still taking night feeds) the cycle is simply EAT/SLEEP. The baby would eat and then go back down to sleep until he needed another feeding.
For more on figuring out how long your baby should be awake (i.e. waketime duration), check out my post How to Lay your Baby Down Awake, but Drowsy where I elaborate on finding your baby’s sleep window in step number 1.
3. How does a schedule help sleep?
Routines and schedules help our children learn what to expect. Like I’ve said before, the world is a very chaotic place for children, and routines provide a sense of safety and security overtime. They also help your child feel confident and comfortable, knowing what comes next in a day to day routine. Routines also help cue children for sleep.
After a certain series of events (like play, then lunch, then pre-nap routine for example) a child will learn to expect sleep shortly thereafter if it is done similarly everyday. In addition, if your child goes to sleep for naps and bedtime at approximately the same time everyday, he will likely be tired around the same time everyday.
4. Sample schedules.
Here are just a few examples of schedules to help get you started. Ultimately you will need to look at what your baby is telling you with regards to wake time and duration of naps.
We have always preferred a 7:00 am wake up time and a 7:30 bedtime in our home. It is what serves our family best. So you will notice that is what my sample schedules revolve around. Use these schedules as a tool or guide to help you and then adjust the times so they best serve your child and your family.
Any wake up time between 6-8 am is ideal, and any bedtime between 6-8 pm is ideal. So go ahead and choose a morning wake up time and a bedtime and then fill in the naps and feedings throughout the daytime.
And lastly before we dive in, REMEMBER…always feed your baby when he is hungry, always add in more feedings when needed, and know all times are just approximate. Kids aren’t robots; flexibility is key!
2.5 hour schedule:
A schedule common anywhere from 1 to 3 months. Always add in more feedings if needed. For the first few months, I often cluster fed every 2 hours in the evening. My son was very fussy during that time, and regardless if he was truly hungry or not, I still nursed him to help get us through that tough part of the day for him.
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat, play
- 08:00 am nap
- 09:30 am wake, eat, play
- 10:30 am nap
- 12:00 pm wake, eat, play
- 1:00 pm nap
- 2:30 pm wake, eat, play
- 3:30 pm nap
- 5:00 pm wake, eat, play
- 6:30 pm bedtime routine, bath, bottle
- 7:00 pm bed, down for the night
- 10-11 pm Dreamfeed (if desired)
- 11 pm-7 am night feeds (as many as your baby needs)
Note: You can read more about the dreamfeed in my newborn baby sleep tips, but know that it typically becomes more disruptive than helpful after the 4 month mark. It is only intended to be helpful when your baby is still young. It’s up to you if you think it will help.
I’ve heard both pros and cons. We did it with our son, but I’m not 100% if we will do it in the future or not. Honestly, I think it could go either way.
3 hour schedule:
A schedule common from 2-6 months. Some babies can tolerate a 3 hour schedule earlier than 2 months old. It really depends on how much your baby weighed at birth, how long your baby can stay awake, and how many feedings your baby requires during the daytime. If you are feeding more frequently than every 3 hours during the night, you may want to stay on a 2.5 hour schedule for a bit longer until your baby drops a night feeding. The theory behind it is the more feedings your baby receives during the day, the less he may need during the night.
I believe I moved to the 3 hour schedule around the 7 week mark. Some babies are ready to move on to the 3.5 hour or 4 hour schedule around the 4 month mark, while other babies need to remain on a 3 hour schedule for a bit longer.
Again, listen to your baby and do what you think is best.
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat, play
- 08:30 am nap
- 10:00 am wake up, eat, play
- 11:30 am nap
- 1:00 pm wake up, eat, play
- 2:30 pm nap
- 4:00 pm wake up, eat, play
- 5:00-5:30 pm cat nap
- 7:00 pm bath, bedtime routine, eat, down for the night
- 10-11 pm dreamfeed (if desired)
- 11 pm – 7 am night feeds as needed
3.5 hour schedule:
A transitional schedule to use during the 3-6 month age range if needed before moving to a 4 hour schedule. Sometimes this is skipped all together and the baby is moved straight from a 3 hour schedule to a 4 hour schedule.
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat, play
- 08:45 am nap
- 10:30 am wake, eat, play
- 12:15 pm nap
- 1:45 pm wake, eat, play
- 3:30 pm nap
- 5:00 pm wake, eat, play
- 7:00 pm bath, bedtime routine, bottle, down for the night
- 10-11 pm dreamfeed (if desired)
- 11 pm – 7 am night feeds as needed
Use these printable (and adorable!) baby sleep routine cards to keep parents, grandparents and babysitters ALL on the same page.
4 hour schedule (3 naps):
A schedule common during the 4-6 month age range. The 4 hour schedule is a huge milestone! Once your baby reaches the 4 hour schedule, he will basically be on such a feeding schedule indefinitely. As adults, it is most common to eat about every 4 hours during the day. Once your baby is taking solids, you may end up adding 1-2 snacks during the day, which is totally fine.
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat (+solids if started), play
- 09:00 am nap
- 11:00 am wake, eat (+solids if started), play
- 1:00 pm nap
- 3:00 pm wake, eat (+solids, if started), play
- 5:00-5:30 pm catnap
- 5:30 pm possibly solids during dinner with the family
- 7:00 pm bath, bedtime routine, bottle, down for the night
- Dreamfeed: This is usually the age range when the dreamfeed is dropped as it becomes more disruptive to sleep.
- 7 pm – 7 am night feeds if needed
Note: During the 6-9 month age range your child should be able to drop the third nap (the cat nap) and you will be down to 2 naps per day.
4 hour schedule (2 naps):
A schedule common for 6+ months.
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat (+solids), play
- 09:00 am nap
- 11:00 am wake, eat (+solids), play
- 1:00 pm nap
- 3:00 pm wake, eat, play
- 5:00 pm dinner with family
- 7:00 pm bath, bedtime routine, bottle, down for the night
- 7 pm – 7 am night feeds if needed. Talk with your pediatrician about what age would be appropriate for night weaning.
Note: When your baby is ready (usually during 6-9 months) go ahead and drop for 3 naps to 2 naps. Then you will basically stay on this schedule (outside of maybe shortening naps and increasing wake time when needed) until your child is ready to transition down to one nap (typically during the 14-18 month age range).
4 hour schedule (1 nap):
A schedule common for 14+ months
- 07:00 am wake up for the day, eat breakfast, play
- 09:30 am possible morning snack if needed
- 11:30 am lunch
- 1230-1:00 pm nap starts
- 3:00-4:00 pm nap ends
- 3:30 pm snack (or whenever nap ends)
- 5:30 pm dinner with family
- 7:00 pm bath, bedtime routine, sippy or bottle with milk, down for the night.
Note: Once your child is ready to transition to one nap (typically during the 14-18 month age range), you will remain on a similar schedule until your child stops napping.
Print your free baby sleep checklist!
Chances are…you’ll love this handy checklist of baby sleep basics. This printable simplifies it! Plus, when you grab this printable, you’ll get instant access to my free 3-day baby sleep eCourse.
Download Your Free Printable
- Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable straight to your inbox, plus get my Free 3-Day Baby Sleep eCourse!
- Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
- Place it on your refrigerator. Use it as a quick reference and don’t forget a thing!
Want more on baby sleep?
- 8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know
- How to Get Your Baby to Take Longer Naps
- Why You Should Absolutely Wake a Sleeping Baby
I've created a free email series just for you! If you are struggling with finding a routine, rhythm or schedule, this email series will help you find one that will work for YOUR family. Yes, really. I've seen my sample routines work time and time again for parents. I know it can work for you too.
This free email series will help you:
- free sample routine for your child
- learn one easy routine that will help you get more done (and keep your child happy)
- get simple hacks for managing the day with mulitple kids
- get a sneak peak at a book containing 25+ sample routines and schedules
Sign up here or click the image below!
Lauren,
You’re so organized it blows my mind. Well done! It looks like this post is getting lots of pins, and it’s no wonder. Way to keep creating fabulous, informative content!
Brittany
Thanks for your encouraging words Brittany. I hope you have a great week!
Baby is Always special for a Mom But some time Baby disturb to Mom ! It happens with wit many young Mon & Married Mother ! While having Baby in life ! Life become very interesting & mom get so responsibilities with A Baby ! Baby always disturb to Mom ! So This is really amazing & nice post to learn about How to Find a Baby Sleep Schedule that Works ! I really love it 🙂
Lauren, this is awesome!! When I was a new mom, I had no idea what to do. I had so much advice and very little experience, but I was determined to get my girls on a schedule. Since I had two, I knew the only chance I had was to get them on a schedule together. I was determined. I was even sometimes stubborn, because people would come by and want to see the babies, and I would tell them no if it was nap time! Is that terrible? No, because it helped me survive and helped my babies develop a great routine. I must have done something right because my girls still have a great sleep schedule and I believe it is because I worked so hard in the beginning — and it was hard, but so worth it! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with other new moms. I wish I had you five years ago!!
Elizabeth, it’s so much fun to see you as a regular commenter around here! You are always so encouraging and it really keeps me motivated! It’s hard to know what readers are truly looking for, but this post has gotten a lot of positive feed back, I am wondering if maybe I should share more sample schedules. I was (and still am!) the same way as you. If it’s bedtime or naptime, he goes down regardless if we have visitors or not because it ultimately serves and prioritizes him first when I meet his sleep needs over desires to visit. We’ve made a reasonable amount of sacrifices to prioritize sleep, and I whole-heartedly agree, it is SO WORTH it!!
Your schedules are so helpful. I know when I was a new mommy finding a schedule to follow felt like a life saver!
I’m glad you found this post helpful, Katie. I love a good schedule!
These schedules are helpful. My son is still taking two naps. He is almost 14 months. For awhile around 11 months he was really fighting one of the naps, but I kept at it and he’s back to taking two. I fear for the day he drops to one nap. Do you have any experience with nap transitions? We didn’t have much problem going from three to two, but I worry about dropping to one. Plus, I have come to rely on the two naps to get things done!
Your comment finally came through, Tricia. I think dropping from one nap to two usually goes pretty well. For my son, it was just a matter of staying consistent once I dropped it. His naps were a bit short initially, but then extended out to 2.5-3 hours most days. It took about a week for everything to settle in.
I definitely love the name of your blog, Lauren! And I find your post pretty useful, I wonder if I can get into a schedule myself before doing it to any baby… hahaha!
Thanks Lily! Are you a military spouse too? Ha, ha…yes, maybe you can put yourself on a schedule 🙂 I love it.
I tried out your scschedule on our 6 week old yesterday and I cannot thank you enough. It is a complete turn around from the past few weeks in just one night. I know it can change but there’s hope now lol.
Oh my goodness, that is so incredibly exciting! Thank you for sharing that Martina! It’s always so encouraging to hear from readers. I’m currently working on a sleep eBook that should be done soon. So if you’re interested, I will be offering it to email subscribers for free 😀 Hope you have a wonderful day and things continue to improve.
Lauren
Just found your site — thank you for such great info regarding the schedules! It really helps me feel like we’re on the right track with our babies (5 month old twins!). We’ve been on a 3 hour schedule pretty much since birth (they were in the NICU for several weeks), and we’re currently using the exact same 3 hour schedule that you have written out. I just want you to know how helpful it is that you have the 3.5 hour and 4 hour schedules written out, because that’s what we’re aiming for in the future — I have looked up other schedules that people use, but you have really helped take the guesswork out of it! I will definitely be reading your other posts, especially the sleep-related ones! I’ve really enjoyed and appreciated everything that I’ve read so far!
Thank you for your wonderful comment and encouraging words. It’s great to have you along! I am not a parent of twins, however, I do have twin brothers who were born when I was 14. Oh my. I’ve never seen my parents so tired. I have the utmost respect for moms of twins. You are all amazing! Thanks for stopping by.
Lauren
Hi Lauren! Your info on sleep is quite helpful, but I was hoping for a bit more help regarding nap times to extend a bit. My daughter seems to nap for about 30-45 minutes and just wakes up. I try putting her back down to continue taking the nap, but she always fights it and seems to never fully go back to sleep. How can I get her to extend her nap times? She’s 4 months old now and I could really use a bit of consistency regarding her naps.
Ok. So this sounds just like a sleep cycle transition issue. Your baby is waking up mid-nap and doesn’t know how to get back to sleep. My son had the exact same problem. And similar to your daughter, lulling him back to sleep didn’t really work. So if you have a swing, I would put her in that for at least one nap per day. I used the swing for the second nap of the day and allowed my son to sleep for 2.5 hours usually. Since his other naps were so short, I felt confident extending out one nap. Next in her room, if you aren’t using room darkening curtains and white noise, I would feel confident starting that. If she is a light sleeper, she is going to struggle with transitioning from one sleep cycle to the next. So keeping the room darker and quiet will help encourage her to continue sleeping through light sleep. Lastly, has she rolled over yet? The only thing that cured my son of short naps was his ability to roll over and sleep on his tummy. Once he could sleep on his tummy, he could suck his thumb without it falling out and waking him up. So tummy and thumb sucking is what helped my so learn to transition from one sleep cycle to the next. All of these techniques and methods are shared in a lot more detail in my eBook if you are interested in that Or if you would like to chat in more detail (I am more than happy to help in anyway I can), feel free to email me at themilitarywifeandmom at gmail dot com. Hope this helps! Sounds like you are doing an amazing job!
Thank you for explaining this. I am having the same issue and as a person who thrives on schedules, it is driving me nuts that I can’t follow any of these traditional baby schedules due to my 11 week old son’s 45 minute cat naps. I have been trying to nap him in his crib for a few weeks for at least two of the four naps (the other two I’m usually out or I hold him). Do you think at this point I should try the swing for the mid day nap like you did with your son? I also have him swaddled and am wondering if he is ready for arms out (gradually) so that he too can find something to suck!
Hi Lauren thanks for this post, I find it really helpful! Two questions: do you actually wake your newborn at 7am to start the day? What if my newborn (7.5 weeks) wakes at 5am, do I give him a feed or try resettle until 7am?
Also, I’ve tried to start the schedule in the morning, but by midday I seem to be off…either he won’t sleep long enough or starts showing sleepy cues early so is in bed earlier than scheduled. What am I doing wrong?!
Thanks, Jess
Hello, thanks for the great blog. I have a question on the 3.5 hour routine. After baby’s last nap I see he eats at 5 then 7. We are currently feeding our son 6 oz bottles. So when he wakes at 5, would we give him 6 oz, and then another 6 2 hours later? Also, do you give the bottle right at 7 then straight into bed, or at like 6:40, so then he can be done and asleep by 7? My son is currently waking like 5, and then I can hold off on feeding him til almost 6, then bedtime routine and bed at 7. Then he wakes at 9:30 and 1 am to eat. If we fed him right before bed as well, that would be 42 oz a day
Hi,
I was just wondering what you recommend for premies? My little one was born 8 weeks early (he is currently 3 months 3 weeks corrected age – 1 month 3 weeks adjusted) and we are having difficulty finding the right schedule to try him on. I have tried the 4 hour one and he is just soooo fussy and generally wakes early from his naps and cries until I cave in and feed early or distract him as best I can. I am breastfeeding and during the nights he is getting a dream feed around 10pm and waking once at 3am for a feed than sleeping until 6:30am. Any suggestions for during the day? Thanks so much! Love your blog.
I would definitely keep him on the 2.5 hour or 3 hour schedule for quite some time. Some kids are ready for a 4 hour schedule at the very, very soonest 4 months. We did not move to a 4 hour schedule until about 6 months of age. So I agree with you that he isn’t ready for it and probably needs to eat more frequently during the day. Hope this helps 🙂 Sounds like he is doing perfectly at night!Waking only once to feed at 3 am is very good. I wouldn’t expect him to drop any more night feeds until 4 or 5 months of age at the very, very soonest.
Lauren
Hi Lauren,
My daughter just turned one this month and it seems as though from the start, I’ve never been able to get her on a consistent schedule! I’m a total stickler for routines and know how beneficial they are for getting babies to sleep well (totally helped with my first), but what do you do when the baby won’t follow them? I know babies aren’t robots and each have their own personalities, but I feel like I can’t find a schedule that’s working for her. We always struggled with her short naps on/off, even now, but now for a couple months she’s been waking up very early and not getting enough night sleep. I put her to bed around 7-7:30pm and she wakes up at 5-5:30am. I feel as though at her age she should be sleeping 11-12 hours at night. She’s had 12 hour night here and there but I haven’t seen that in a while. When she wakes that early, I leave her in there until 6am or later but she just stays awake babbling to herself. Do you have any advice for a strong willed baby?
I think it’s so normal for her to have early morning wakings! Keep doing exactly what you are doing. You really are doing all the right things. My son used to wake up early and talk to himself and we simply left him in his room until it was “time” to get up. Our wake up time is 7 am. So unless he is crying or something is wrong, he stays in bed until 7 am. Eventually he learned there wasn’t any excitement or benefit to waking early and he started sleeping later. So keep doing what you’re doing!
Just to clarify, your 7:00 PM time, is that when you start the bedtime routine, or when the baby should be asleep? I am a working mom, so I struggle with a 7:00 PM asleep time. Also, we found that our baby has more night wakings the earlier he goes to bed. Is this common and we should keep working at it, or is he just a night owl?
It is perfectly fine to do a 7:30 pm or 8 pm bedtime if that works better for your family. Personally, I would not go later than 8 pm because most kids need a minimum of 10 hour time window for night time sleep. It depends on your morning wake up time as well. You could email me at themilitarywifeandmom {at} gmail {dot} com if you would like to chat in more detail.
Hi Lauren. I just found.your blog and I love it. I have a soon to be 8 months old baby girl
I am a first time mother and i have struggle all.this time to.get my daughter in an schedule. I try to follow.the eat play routine for.the most part but I am confused for what you do if your baby don’t nap enough as per schedule Do you feed her right after waking up or wait to feed her until.the schedule time? Also do you keep her awake until.next nap schedule . I end up feeding when.she wakes up as well as when she fusses.to be feed. She is so unsettled while eating and do not.have a full feeding ( I breastfeed). She is having so much difficult.time.to keep sleep at night. I try the.modified CIO with comforting being.in the room with her.
It improved her awakenings for.a.couple.of.days but she started crying more and more over two.hour and getting louder and I end helping.her to sleep and.waking up more often. I decided I don’t want to try any CIO version but a gentle option. What do.you recomend.? Thanks
Hey Patricia, it sounds like you are doing an amazing job. I usually feed right after waking and just squeeze in another feeding if I need to during the day. I always err on the side of feeding more, rather than less. But at 8 months she most likely can make it through the day by nursing around 5-6 times. I would read this: https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/3-important-goals-consider-baby-sleep-training/. And maybe you’ve already checked my book out, but I go into a lot more detail in my book here: https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/sleep
Hi Lauren, Not sure i f you are still reading posts! Your blog is great! But we’ve been trying the ews cycle for a few weeks loosely and have now started full on sleep training last week with our 14 week old. He weighs 15+ lbs and we just felt he was def ready for sleep training. He currently will go down to bed between 830/9pm (takes about 21 min for him to fall asleep) with one MOTN feeding around 230/3am . So far our LO is doing pretty good! We are trying to get him on a 8am DWT, 8/9pm bedtime schedule, but he keeps waking up at 645am. With the time change coming I am super nervous this is going to turn into 545am! His naps are great and it takes him anywhere from 5-10 min to fall asleep on his own. Any pointers, our active schedule right now is:
7am Wake up/nurse ( I stall him if he wakes up at 645am unless he is fussing which he isnt too bad usually)
8:30-10:30am Down for nap 1 (Is this too long of a nap, should I wake him up at 1.5 hr nap to keep on schedule more so throughout the day?)
10:30am 5oz bottle BM
Noon-2pm Nap 2 (again he has been taking a 2 hr nap here, is this too long, i wonder if this will affect night sleep at all and bedtime?)
2pm 5 oz bottle BM
3:30pm-4:30pm – Nap 3 (usually only 45 min to an hour nap here)
4:30pm – 4 oz bottle BM (hasn’t been taking the full 5 oz here)
6-6:45pm Cat nap (not sure if this is too close to bedtime but he gets really tired at this time so I have to put him down)
7pm – Nurse plus give him 1oz in a bottle to make sure he is full
7:30pm bedtime routine ( diaper change, pjs, book)
8pm In bed (takes him 21 min to fall asleep, and sometimes he’ll wake up 10 min later, then go back to sleep within 10 min, and then an hour later, but back to sleep in 10-15 min for the night)
Haven’t quite gotten the bedtime routine down to find the sweet spot of when he will go down best. This has been our schedule for the past two days though. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!
Hi there! Great blog article! New mom of a 6 week old here, trying to get him on a schedule. We were previously just going on demand, but he has naturally been falling close to your 3 hr schedule, so we’re going to try to make it a little more solid.
2 questions: do you do diaper changes before or after feedings? And, what do you do if your LO wants to snooze after a feeding? Our boy seems to be awake after some feeds and sleepy after others.
Thanks!
Hi! I love your blog, it’s so helpful! But what do I do if my 8 week old is waking up at 5:30 crying and hungry? Do I try to hold her off or do a feeding and then have her slee until 7 and feed her again?
I would definitely feed her. It’s always okay to feed a hungry baby 🙂 For early morning wakings you may just want to give her a half-feeding (one breast if your breastfeeding or half a bottle). Then if she is able to return to sleep, feed her again at 7. Hope that helps! Lauren
Hi! I have a question about scheduling times. I have an almost 4 month old bf baby that is currently on a 3.5 hour schedule. He’s getting closer to being ready to be on a 4 hour schedule. The only problem is we have to wake him up at 6 every morning to eat to get him to daycare before we go to work, and I’m struggling to figure out a new schedule that doesn’t put him to bed at 6pm. Any suggestions?
I Love your blog! I’m a first time mama to a 5 month old baby girl, and the transition into motherhood hasn’t been the easiest for me (I don’t do well on such little sleep! Haha). I’m excited to implement a 7-7 schedule and have some time to spend with my hubby in the evenings again! Thanks beautiful! Feel free to check out my blog if you feel like it http://www.thehappinessprojectxo.com
I have a question about the 3 hr schedule. My LO has been on a Babywise schedule from the very beginning, sleeping through the night at 7 weeks with a dreamfeed. He just turned 4 months and is now awake longer and able to go longer without food. My husband and I figured he’s ready for 3 hrs and today is our first day! For the “catnap” am I putting him in his crib and hoping he sleeps until the 7pm feeding? If he wakes, do I just grab him and play with him until 7pm? Babywise always says that it should be a feed-wake-sleep cycle so I don’t want to turn it into a wake-feed-sleep cycle. Help!
What would you recommend for 2 hour feedings? My 2 month old is still underweight and the Dr recommends feeding every 2 hrs during the day.. She is EBF until I go back to work at 14 weeks. Need help and routine in my life!! 🙂