Baby sleep schedules by age: sample routines from 3 to 12 months

Sleep · Updated July 2026 · All articles

Every family with a baby has heard the phrase "sleep when the baby sleeps." But what does a helpful sleep schedule actually look like at 3, 6, or 12 months? The answer changes significantly across the first year, because wake windows, nap counts, and total sleep needs all shift with development. This guide offers sample schedules at each key stage along with the reasoning behind them, so you can adapt the principles to your own baby rather than following a timetable that may not fit your life.

How to use sample schedules

Sample schedules are frameworks, not strict timetables. Real life involves cluster feeds, car journeys, developmental leaps, and days when nothing goes to plan. The most useful thing a sample schedule gives you is a set of target wake windows and nap counts for the age, not specific clock times that must be followed to the minute.

Wake windows, the amount of time a baby is awake between sleep periods, are the engine behind any schedule. A baby put to bed before their window closes is likely to be difficult to settle. A baby put to bed well past their window is often overtired and harder to settle too. Sample schedules work best when you use them alongside your own baby's tired signs rather than as a replacement for reading your baby's cues.

Treat the times below as starting points. Shift them earlier or later based on your baby's cues, your family's routine, and what is actually working. A schedule that reduces everyone's stress is the right schedule, regardless of whether it matches the sample exactly.

3-month sample schedule

At 3 months, a "schedule" is more of a loose rhythm than a fixed routine. Most 3-month-olds have wake windows of about 60 to 90 minutes and take 4 to 5 naps across the day. Bedtime is often quite late, between 9pm and 11pm, because the circadian rhythm has not yet fully matured and sleep pressure does not build in the same way it will later.

Sample rhythm (times are approximate): wake around 7am, first nap around 8:30am, second nap around 11am, third nap around 1:30pm, a short catnap around 4pm, and bedtime between 9:30pm and 10:30pm. Total sleep across 24 hours at this age is typically 14 to 17 hours, including night feeds.

The most important thing at 3 months is responding to your baby's tired signs rather than watching the clock. Night feeds are normal and expected. There is no pressure to have a fixed schedule at this stage; gentle observation of patterns is enough. If your baby seems to be getting tired sooner or later than the sample times suggest, follow their lead.

4-month sample schedule

Around 4 months, many babies go through what is often called the "4-month sleep regression," which is actually a permanent shift in sleep architecture. Sleep becomes more structured into lighter and deeper cycles, meaning babies are more likely to wake between cycles at night and at the end of naps. This is a developmental milestone, not a setback, and it tends to settle as the schedule becomes more reliable.

Wake windows at 4 months stretch to around 75 to 90 minutes. Most babies still take 4 naps, though some are beginning to consolidate into 3. An earlier bedtime, between 7:30pm and 8:30pm, often works better than the very late bedtimes of the newborn stage, because the earlier cortisol window starts to establish itself.

Sample schedule: wake at 7am, nap 1 at 8:30am (45 to 60 minutes), nap 2 at 11am (45 to 90 minutes), nap 3 at 1:30pm to 2pm (45 to 60 minutes), a short catnap at 4:30pm (20 to 30 minutes), and bedtime between 7:30pm and 8:30pm. If the last catnap gets resisted, try pulling bedtime slightly earlier.

6-month sample schedule

Six months is often the point where things start to feel more predictable. Wake windows have stretched to around 2 to 2.5 hours, and many babies are consolidating into 2 to 3 naps. The first reliable overnight stretch often becomes more consistent around this age, particularly after solids are introduced.

A 3-nap day or a 2-nap day are both normal at 6 months. If your baby is still having 3 naps, the third is usually a short bridge nap of around 20 to 30 minutes to make it to bedtime without overtiredness. If they have moved to 2 naps, each one tends to be longer and more restorative.

Sample schedule for a 2-nap day: wake at 7am, nap 1 at 9:30am (60 to 90 minutes), nap 2 at 2pm (60 to 90 minutes), bedtime at 7pm to 7:30pm. Total daytime sleep target is around 2.5 to 3.5 hours. If your baby is consistently taking shorter naps, they may still benefit from a 3-nap structure for a little longer.

8-month sample schedule

By 8 months, most babies are settled into 2 naps with wake windows of roughly 2.5 to 3 hours. This is also the age of the "8 to 10 month developmental burst," when babies are learning to pull to standing, crawl, and babble more complex sounds. This developmental stretch can temporarily disrupt an otherwise well-established schedule, and that is entirely normal.

Sample schedule: wake at 7am, nap 1 at 9:30am to 10am (60 to 90 minutes), nap 2 at 2:30pm to 3pm (about 60 minutes), bedtime at 7pm to 7:30pm. The gap between the last nap and bedtime is where most scheduling problems arise at this age. Aim for a wake window of around 2.5 to 3 hours before bed.

If the second nap ends after 4pm, bedtime may need to shift slightly later to avoid a too-short awake window before sleep. If it ends before 3pm, the window before bed can become long enough to cause overtiredness. Watch both ends of that window and adjust as needed.

10-month sample schedule

At 10 months, wake windows stretch to around 3 to 3.5 hours. Some babies begin to show signs of approaching the one-nap transition: taking longer to fall asleep at the start of naps, or skipping one nap on some days. However, the majority of 10-month-olds still need 2 naps, and it is worth protecting both until at least 12 to 15 months in most cases.

Sample schedule: wake at 7am, nap 1 at 10am (45 to 75 minutes), nap 2 at 2:30pm to 3pm (45 to 60 minutes), bedtime at 7pm to 7:30pm. The total daytime sleep target at this age is around 2 to 3 hours.

If your 10-month-old is consistently refusing one of the two naps, try capping the first nap at 45 to 60 minutes rather than eliminating it entirely. This often resolves the apparent resistance to the second nap by preventing an overly long morning nap from eating into afternoon sleep pressure.

12-month sample schedule

At 12 months, many babies are hovering on the edge of the one-nap transition, though most are not fully ready to make the switch until 13 to 18 months. The transition period can last several weeks and involves some messy days where neither a one-nap nor a two-nap structure feels quite right.

Sample schedule for a 2-nap day, still needed by many babies at this age: wake at 7am, nap 1 at 10am (45 to 60 minutes), nap 2 at 2:30pm to 3pm (45 to 60 minutes), bedtime at 7:30pm to 8pm. Total daytime sleep target is around 2 to 3 hours.

If your baby seems ready for a one-nap trial, start with a midday nap at around 12pm to 12:30pm and an earlier bedtime of 7pm or slightly before on those days. Many babies need an alternating approach during the transition: some days one nap, other days two, depending on overnight sleep and how the morning went. Follow the cues rather than committing to a fixed structure before your baby is ready.

Signs the schedule needs adjusting

The schedule is working well when your baby falls asleep within 15 to 20 minutes at each sleep period, wakes in a reasonable mood, and has a fairly consistent bedtime. It likely needs adjusting when you see consistent bedtime battles (more than 20 minutes to settle most nights), very short naps every day (under 30 minutes across the board), early morning waking before 6am, or long unpredictable stretches of wakefulness overnight.

The most common cause of a schedule that needs tweaking is wake windows that have grown with the baby but the schedule has not kept up. As babies get older, the windows stretch and the nap count reduces. A 6-month-old schedule applied to an 8-month-old will produce increasing friction. Adjust one variable at a time and give it 3 to 5 days before assessing the result.

If your baby is going through a developmental leap or recovering from illness, give the schedule a rest for a few days and return to it when things have settled. A temporary regression is not a sign that the schedule was wrong; it is a sign that your baby is developing. Be patient with yourself during those stretches.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start following a sleep schedule?

Before 3 months, a strict schedule is not realistic or necessary. Newborns feed and sleep on demand. From around 3 months, you can start to watch for patterns and gently nudge toward more predictable nap times by following wake window cues. A true schedule, where naps happen at roughly the same time each day, becomes more achievable from around 4 to 5 months when wake windows are more consistent.

What is a wake window and why does it matter?

A wake window is the amount of time a baby can comfortably stay awake between sleep periods before becoming overtired. At 3 months it is roughly 60 to 90 minutes; by 12 months it stretches to around 3 to 4 hours. Matching nap timing to wake windows, rather than watching the clock, tends to produce better sleep because you are putting the baby down when they are biologically ready to sleep.

Should I follow a schedule or watch for tired signs?

Ideally both. A rough schedule that reflects the right wake windows for your baby's age gives you a predictable structure. But watching for tired signs such as eye rubbing, slowing down, losing interest in play, or the classic glassy stare lets you fine-tune the timing. Putting a baby down slightly before the tired signs become obvious (when they are approaching but not yet past their window) tends to work best.

My 8-month-old keeps dropping one nap. Is this normal?

An 8-month-old dropping a nap entirely is usually a sign of overtiredness rather than genuine readiness to reduce naps. Most babies need 2 naps until at least 12 to 15 months. At 8 months, if naps are being skipped or very short, the most likely causes are wake windows that are too long, a schedule that has drifted, or the 8 to 9 month developmental burst temporarily affecting sleep. Keeping to the schedule and protecting both nap windows usually resolves this.

How long should each nap be?

Ideal nap length varies by age. In the early months, naps of 30 to 45 minutes are common for shorter naps and 1 to 2 hours for longer ones. By 6 months, one substantial nap per day of at least an hour is worth protecting. By 12 months, total daytime sleep is typically around 2 to 3 hours, usually split across two naps. Very short naps (under 30 minutes) across the board often indicate an underlying scheduling issue rather than just how the baby is wired.

What signs tell me the schedule needs adjusting?

The most useful signals are: your baby is consistently taking longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep at nap time (wake window may be too short), is waking early from naps and unable to resettle (possibly overtired or undertired), is fighting bedtime every night (wake window before bed may be too long or too short), or is waking before 6am regularly (often an overnight sleep debt or a schedule drift). Adjust one variable at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before assessing the effect.

This article is for general information only. If you have concerns about your baby's sleep or health, speak to your health visitor or GP.