4 Month Old Daily Schedule
Your Baby’s Sleep Needs During the 4-Month Regression
As a mom of 4 and a sleep consultant my opinion is that 12-16 weeks is one of the most difficult times in parenting. I like to call it the “in-between” phase. They’re no longer a newborn but they’re also still needing 3-4 naps a day and are inconsistent with nap length and bedtime. I work with a lot of 4-5 month old families in private coaching because it’s just so dang hard.
At this age they’re just getting old enough to start to really structure your day so here is a sample daily schedule. If you want a printable version grab in on my Free Resources page!
Eat, Play, Sleep Schedule with Rise & Rest
Morning:
7:00 AM – Wake Up & Feed: Start your day with intention, even if your night was tough. Open the blinds, let the light in the room and greet your baby with a big smile. Let them understand it’s morning now. Change diaper and head into the living room for the first feed of the day.
9:00 AM – Nap #1: 15-18 weeks a 1.5-2 hour wake window works well. I lean more toward watching wake windows than a set schedule but hopefully nap time will fall around the same time each day. If your little one needs a top off feed before naptime try to feed 30 minutes before they will go down for a nap and keep them WIDE awake.
10:00 AM – Wake Up & Feed: An hour nap is considered a win, if it’s shorter oh well. If it’s longer, hallelujah.
12/12:30:00 PM – Nap #2: Time for nap 2 about 2 hours after waking up. If nap #1 was short this wake window may also be shorter.
Afternoon:
2:00 PM – Wake Up & Feed: This nap is typically the longest nap of the day. Feed about 10 minutes after waking.
4:00 PM – Nap #3: You’ll most likely need the 3rd nap until close to 6 months old. This nap is typically short and needs to end by 5:30 pm to ensure baby is ready for bed by 7:30.
Evening:
5:00 PM – Wake Up & Feed: I hate to wake up sleeping babies but it’s more important to honor bedtime in the evening. My general rule is no sleep after 5:30 pm. Wake up baby and get a good full feed then try to avoid feeding again until bedtime.
7:00 PM – Bedtime Routine: Start the bedtime routine about 30 minutes before you want to lay your baby in their crib. A good routine for this age could be bath, pj’s, feed, stories, in the bed.
7:30 PM – Bedtime: With a 2 hour wake window before bed and the last nap ending at 5 or 5:30 bedtime should fall right about 7:30. Do your best to keep your baby awake during the feed. Keep the lights on, feed in the diaper, talk to them during the feed.
Learning Gentle Independent Sleep Skills with Rise & Rest
- Consistency is Key: Rise & Rest provides a step by step daily schedule and sleep plan for every family. There is no guesswork when we work together. Consistency is your best friend when it comes to sleep.
- Create a Soothing Environment: Your babies sleep space is crucial. White noise, darkness and a crib free of loose blankets is a set up for success.
- Practice Putting Baby Down Awake: Rise & Rest encourages putting your baby down to sleep while they are drowsy but still awake. This helps them learn to self-soothe and promotes better sleep habits.
- Use the Pick Up/Put Down Method: If your baby struggles to settle, Rise & Rest recommends the pick-up/put-down method. This gentle technique provides comfort and reassurance while promoting independent sleep skills.
Drowsy but awake can feel like an elusive unicorn. It really just means that your baby is ready for bed and relaxed but awake and can fall asleep independently. Book a free sleep assessment with me to find out how I can help your family make it through the 4 month regression and move past this phase with sleep skills in place!
