Get the timing right (Schedule guidance for your baby's first two years)
When it comes to baby sleep, finding the right timing is paramount. When babies get the proper amount of daytime sleep, at age-appropriate intervals, and bedtime is on target, falling asleep and staying asleep becomes a more peaceful endeavor.
Overtiredness is your sweet baby’s biggest foe. The most angelic and happily cooing babe can turn on a dime when overtiredness sets in. Has your baby ever been cranky and exhausted, but taken FOREVER to fall to sleep no matter what you do? Or crashed and fallen asleep in seconds, but woken up screaming just minutes later? If yes, you likely had a case of overtiredness on your hands.
When babies -- and toddlers, and kids, and most parents -- are awake too long, it becomes harder for them to enter a deep sleep state due to a spike in cortisol production. It can also cause early rising, fussiness before bed, and shorter naps. It’s also harder to learn new skills (like falling asleep!!!) when overtired.
Finding the right timing is essential in any comprehensive strategy to improve your child’s sleep.
When babies yawn, rub their eyes, or start getting cranky, they are already on the way to overtiredness. Signs of sleepiness are subtle: movement slows down and they will often stare off in space or become very quiet. Cranky = overtired.
We also want to make sure that your baby isn’t going down too soon for naps or bedtime. This is much less common, but if a baby isn’t experiencing enough sleep pressure, or cumulative sleepiness, they won’t be able to fall asleep and may get very frustrated.
Here’s a run down of the baby’s first two years in sleep. Please keep in mind that these are typical sleep needs by age. They aren’t “normal” or “right” for all babies. Some babies need more, and some babies need less. To get a good sense of what your unique baby needs, consider logging naps and night sleep for a week or more so that you can get a sense of what’s “normal” for your baby. My favorite sleep tracker is the Huckleberry Sleep App.
0 to 2 months
Schedule tips:
Newborns thrive on routines, but are too young for schedules
You cannot spoil a baby and it’s quite natural for a baby this age to fall asleep after feeding
Keep it dark and quiet at night
Expose baby to light upon waking in the morning and between naps
Aim for super short periods of wakefulness — even shorter than you think!
After first four weeks, limit naps to two hours. Then: wake, feed, diaper, snuggle, back down within 45-90 minutes max
Bedtimes are usually late (10PM-12AM)
Sleep needs at 0 to 2 months:
7-9 hours of sleep at night
4-8 hours of nap sleep
45-90 minutes awake before sleeping again
3 months
Schedule tips:
Create a consistent bedtime routine
Wake baby at the same time every morning
Try to lay baby down awake at the end of the bedtime routine
Short naps are common and “normal”
The last nap often turns into an earlier bedtime at this age; but some babies keep an evening nap and later bedtime for another month or so
Sleep needs at 3 months:
10-12 hours of sleep at night
3-5 hours of nap sleep
1-2 hours awake before sleeping again
3-month sample schedule:
6:30 AM - wake up
7:30 AM- nap
10:00 AM - nap
1:00 PM - nap
4:00 PM - nap
6:00 PM - bedtime routine
6:30 PM - bedtime
4 to 5 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
Try to lay baby down awake at the end of the bedtime routine
Short naps are still common and “normal”
Nights may be worse than last month due to the 4 month sleep regression
Sleep needs at 4 to 5 months:
10-12 hours at night
3-4 hours of nap sleep
1.5-2 hours awake before sleeping again
4 to 5-month sample schedule:
6:30 AM - wake up
8:00 AM- nap
10:30 AM - nap
1:30 PM - nap
4:30 PM - nap
6:30 PM - bedtime routine
7:00 PM - bedtime
6 to 7 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
Most babies take three naps at this age, with the third being a 30-45 minute catnap
The schedule should be relatively consistent by now, so follow a combination of the clock plus following your babies cues
If your baby is waking a lot at night or the naps are very short, now is a great age for teaching sleep independence (which will vastly improve sleep in most cases)
Sleep needs at 6 to 7 months:
10-12 hours at night
3-3.5 hours of nap sleep
2-3 hours awake before sleeping again
6 to 7-month sample schedule:
6:30 AM - wake up
8:30 AM- nap
12:00 PM - nap
3:30 PM - catnap
6:30 PM - bedtime routine
7:00 PM - bedtime
8 to 9 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
It’s common to switch back and forth between two and three naps days up until about 8.5-9 months
Sleep regressions are common due to developmental leaps, teething, and separation anxiety
Sleep needs at 8 to 9 months
11-12 hours at night
2-3 hours of nap sleep
2.5-3.5 hours awake before sleeping again
8 to 9-month sample schedule
6:30 AM - wake up
9:30 AM- nap
1:30 PM - nap
6:00 PM - bedtime routine
6:30 PM - bedtime
10 to 12 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
Babies tend to stay solidly on two naps until about 15-18 months old (watch out for a nap regression around 11-12 months - do not drop to one nap yet!)
Sleep needs at 10 to 12 months:
11-12 hours at night
2-3 hours of nap sleep
3-4 hours awake before sleeping again
10 to 12-month sample schedule
6:30 AM - wake up
9:30 AM- nap
2:00 PM - nap
6:30 PM - bedtime routine
7:00 PM - bedtime
12 to 18 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
Babies tend to stay solidly on two naps until about 15-18 months old (some are ready sooner)
Signs of being ready for one nap after a baby has reached a year old include: sleeping less than 10 hours at night, extremely short naps for two or more weeks, and/or skipping a nap for two or more weeks
Once a baby has dropped down to just one nap, it should be evenly spaced in the middle of the day, about 5 hours after waking in the morning.
Sleep needs at 12 to 18 months:
10-12 hours at night
2-3 hours of nap sleep
3-5 hours awake before sleeping again
12 to 18-month 2-Nap sample schedule
6:30 AM - wake up
9:30 - 11:00 AM- nap
2:30 - 4:00 PM - nap
7:30 PM - bedtime routine
8:00 PM - bedtime
12 to 18-month 1-Nap sample schedule
6:30 AM - wake up
11:15 AM - 1:30 PM - nap
6:00 PM - bedtime routine
6:30 PM - bedtime
19 to 24 months
Schedule tips:
Keep the consistent bedtime routine
Continue waking baby at the same time every morning
Most toddlers are solidly on a 1-Nap schedule by now
Sleep needs at 19 to 24 months:
10-12 hours at night
2-3 hours of nap sleep
4.75-6 hours awake before sleeping again
19 to 24-month sample schedule
6:30 AM - wake up
11:30 AM - 2:00 PM - nap
6:30 PM - bedtime routine
7:00/7:30 PM - bedtime
Start Your Journey for Better Sleep
Are you stuck & tired & completely out of ideas?
At Little Dipper we give a full sleep analysis to help formulate a working sleep plan for your family.
We even connect you with a community of people struggling with sleep too.
Our North Star Package is your First Step to Better Sleep
Schedule considerations for babies 0 to 24 months:
Is your baby’s morning rising time consistent? Aim to keep your baby’s morning wake up time within a 30-minute range to stabilize the schedule and make falling asleep easier. Even if they wake up earlier, preserve the nighttime vibe until it’s time to start the day. That means that you should keep the room dark and uninteresting, just like you would in the middle of the night. Conversely, if your baby is still asleep at the typical rising time, let light and sound into the room to gently promote wakefulness.
What time of day is it? The amount of time that a baby can comfortably stay awake tends to be shorter in the earlier part of the day and the longer before bed. For example, a 6-month old baby may only be able to handle two hours awake before the first nap, but closer to 2.5 or even 3 hours before bedtime. A newborn, probably needs no more than a feeding and diaper change before the first nap! This is counterintuitive for most parents, since you’d imagine that a baby could stay awake longer after nighttime sleep.
Is your baby fussy or colicky? The crankier a baby is, the earlier you should start preparing them for sleep. If your baby needs your help to fall asleep, start soothing them about 15 minutes before the expected sleep time. If your baby falls asleep independently, lay them down awake about 10-15 minutes before the target sleep time.
How was your baby’s night or previous nap? If a baby didn’t sleep well the night before, or the previous nap was crummy, they may need to sleep again a bit sooner than expected.
How active was your baby preceding the nap? As babies become mobile, activity level starts to play into nap needs. If a baby has had a very active period of wakefulness, you may need to move the nap 10-20 minutes earlier.
Remember: avoiding overtiredness, following a regular schedule and routine, and keeping a consistent morning wake up time will lead to better sleep.