3 Sample Schedules for a 3 Month Old

As you are navigating the first few weeks of parenthood, you may realize that your newborn sleeps often, wakes to eat, and may easily fall back asleep.  Your newborn may also be able to fall asleep in a brightly lit room, or at a noisy restaurant.  They fall asleep in the car, in a stroller, and at the grocery store while you baby wear.  Their schedule is unpredictable, so you feed when they’re hungry and they fall asleep when they’re tired.

Fast forward about 12 weeks, and your baby has become more aware of their environment, and now they are less likely to sleep in bright and noisy places.  As a parent, it is difficult to transition from being able to transport your newborn everywhere, to having to provide them with a dark and quiet nap atmosphere (unless your baby has an adaptable temperament).

You may start to notice that your baby has started to develop a routine and sleep schedule all on their own.  Take note of their nap rhythms and use the schedule they have developed as a starting point for recognizing their preferred wake window.  At this stage, some babies will be able to get away with having 3 naps during the day, while others will need 5!  Their schedule depends on how long they are able to nap and what time they wake up.  Even though all of these schedules are different, there is one common theme- the wake windows!  Typically, if a baby is able to nap longer, then their wake windows will be able to be a bit longer.  As you’ll see, the wake windows in each of these schedules are no longer than 2.25 hours, with an average of a 1.5 hour wake window.  If your baby is awake for much longer then they will become overtired and be more difficult to get to sleep.

Let’s talk about the first schedule.  This schedule is for babies who are able to consolidate their sleep and take a nap that is at least 1.5 hours.  Since their naps are long, this baby is able to go about 2 hours before they are ready for their next nap, consistently taking 1.5 hour naps throughout the day.  This baby will have 4.5 hours of daytime sleep, and approximately 11.5 hours of nighttime sleep, totaling 16 hours in a 24 hour period.

This second schedule is for the baby who is able to nap for about 1 hour.  Since their naps are shorter, they will need 4 naps during the day, and less time in between naps.  Their average wake window is 1.5 hours.  If they have gotten good sleep throughout the day, they should be able to make it 2 hours in between their last nap and bedtime.

The third schedule is for the baby who wakes early (before 7:00am) and hasn’t quite been able to consolidate their naps.  As you’ll see, the first wake window is short, only an hour and 15 minutes.  Typically, the wake window in the morning will be the shortest so look for sleepy cues about 45 minutes to an hour after your baby wakes.  This baby will have short naps, and may need a cat nap at the end of the night in order to prevent the dreaded witching hour before they go to bed.

Even though these schedules are very different, the wake windows are appropriate for a 3 month old, which can be between 60 and 90 minutes, but could go up to 2 hours by the end of the day ONLY if they have gotten proper sleep throughout the day.  Another commonality these schedules have is the bedtime.  At around 3 months, you should start establishing an early bedtime around 7:00/7:30pm.

Are you following proper wake windows and your baby still has trouble sleeping?  Message me for a free consult!