Newborn Sleep Schedule: Help your baby sleep longer (so you can too!)

Do you have a newborn? Are you getting ready to have a newborn?! Either way, you’re here because you have questions about your newborn’s sleep schedule. Take a deep breath and let us help get your baby on a sleep schedule that works for you, your baby and the whole family.

Why should I put my newborn on a sleep schedule?

As a newborn care agency who has supported thousands of families, we strongly believe that scheduling helps the whole family. When your baby has a rhythmic, predictable day, then you can rule out if they are hungry or tired, and understand if they are fussy for other reasons. Sleep schedules typically help parents become more in tune with their babies.

It also typically makes for happier babies! When babies’ needs are being met, when they are fed in a regular pattern, when they aren’t over or under tired and they are being understood- they are, understandably, in better moods! [Wouldn’t you be!?]

HOW do I get my 1-4 month old on a sleep schedule?

Don’t just think of this as your newborn’s sleep schedule. What matters is your newborn’s entire schedule for the day and night. We recommend a 3-hour Eat Play Sleep newborn schedule.

Eat Play Sleep incorporates both age appropriate awake times and age appropriate feeding stretches. You plan for a baby to wake up when they are hungry right at the three hour mark. [Hence why this is often called the three hour schedule].

This schedule limits missed feeds or your baby cutting a nap short because they wake up hungry.
Eat Play Sleep is best practiced during 12 “daytime” hours of the day. The other 12 hours at night are basically just the eat, and then the sleep…over and over. [Skip the play at night please!]

When can I put my newborn on a sleep schedule?

Right from the get go! Lead with feedings and the rest will follow. Brand new babies need to eat 8-12 times a day, and sometimes they cluster-feed, and fall asleep feeding…and that is all NORMAL!

An example I like to give parents is that if a baby needs 24oz in 24 hours [example for easy math], they are happy to have 1oz every hour, 2oz every 2 hours, or 3oz every 3 hours! If you can get your baby to eat every 2.5 hours then they will be able to have awake time and a nice nap in between feeding times. This is called an eat, play, sleep schedule.

Babies won’t go down for a nap at predictable times of day until anywhere between 4-9 months of age. When you are working on a sleep schedule with newborns, you are focusing on feeding rhythms, and appropriate wake windows.

Your baby will wake up in the morning or from a nap and be awake for a predictable amount of time [Wake Window!] and then they will show sleepy cues. 

Sleepy cues are when your baby is trying to communicate with you that they are either getting tired, or are overtired! When a baby starts to get tired their eyes get heavy, they yawn, they get fussy. Sometimes they will get red eyebrows and/or rub their eyes. Ways to know that your baby is overtired is that they might actively cry, rub their eyes excessively and might actually become overly active and alert, with wide frantic eyes.

When they show sleepy cues, you put them down for a nap and wham-o. That’s a sleep schedule for a newborn.

Newborns unfortunately don’t follow a clock. They won’t fall asleep at the same times every day, and they won’t wake up at the same times every day. You can’t keep a newborn awake until their next “set” naptime if it’s outside of a natural wake window.

Parents that do well with a little more advice might love the huckleberry app, it predicts when your baby will need their next nap for you! If you need more than that, we offer virtual 1:1 sleep support in 30 day increments where we hand over hand support you in tweaks, recommendations and encouragement. Virtual support involves regular texts or email check-ins, or weekly phone calls to review progress and create new goals.

One month old sleep schedule

*30-90 minute wake windows*

This is an EXAMPLE of a one month old sleep schedule. All newborns are different and all days are different.

• The baby wakes up at 7am and has their first feeding
• They play until 7:45
• They take their first nap from 7:45-10
• They then wake up at 10am and feed again
• They play until 11
• Sleep 11:00-1
• Wake up at 1pm and feed
• Play until 2pm
• Sleep 2pm-4pm
• Wake up at 4pm and feed
• Play until 5pm
• Sleep 5pm-5:40pm, this time of day is usually a catnap
• Play until 620pm
• Feeding at 620pm
• Sleep 640-720 Another cat nap
• They Play for the last time until bedtime, usually the longest time awake
• Last feeding and bedtime routine at 8-830
• And finally Bedtime at 840pm

Night wakings not included!

Two month old sleep schedule

*60-90 minute wake windows*

This is an EXAMPLE of a two month old sleep schedule. All newborns are different and all days are different.

• Baby wakes up for the day at 7am and feeds
• Baby plays and then is showing signs of being tired at 8am
• Baby naps 8:10am-10am
• Baby feeds at 10am
• Baby plays until 11:15 then starts showing signs of being tired
• Baby is still sleeping at 1:15 so the parents go in, turn off the sound machine and keep the door open to let in light and sound
• Baby wakes naturally at 1:25 and feeds
• Baby is awake until 3:10, the parents were making dinner and missed the baby’s cues and the baby is now overtired and alert. Parents cuddle and feed the baby to sleep.
• Baby sleeps 3:30-4:20
• Baby wakes to play until 520 and is showing tired cues
• Baby naps from 530-6
• Baby wakes up and plays
• Parents start bedtime routine at 630
• Baby is offered last feeding at 640 and baby is put to bed for 7pm

Night wakings not included!

Three month old sleep schedule

*60-120 minute wake windows*

This is an EXAMPLE of a three month old sleep schedule. All newborns are different and all days are different.

• Wake at 6 and feed
• Play until 7:30am
• Nap 7:30-9
• Feed at 9
• Play until 10:30
• Nap 10:30-12pm
• Feed at 12pm
• Play until 1:30
• Nap 130-3
• Feed at 3:00
• Play until 430
• Cat Nap 430-5
• Play until 6:30 [this is usually the longest stretch of awake time]
• 6:30 feed and start bedtime
• Bedtime at 7

Night wakings not included!

How to fix my newborn’s sleep schedule

*On your own you can work on a: Eat. Play. Sleep schedule.

You can pay attention to nap routines.

You can work on consolidating feedings.

If you’re looking for more detailed video tutorials, Baby Care Classes for step by step, week by week instructions on how to get your baby into an ideal sleep routine.

Prefer hands on support? Hiring an expert either virtually or in person to teach you!