Parenthood

4 Month Old Baby Nap Schedule

Baby taking a nap
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Today I’m going to share my 4 month old baby’s nap schedule. I’m going to give you a three day look at how she slept during the day.

 

But I also want to talk about realistic expectations when it comes to following a schedule for baby’s naps and what that means for parents of babies that don’t nap well or consistently.

 

As a first time mom I obsessed over following the perfect baby nap schedule.

 

I would look up baby nap schedules. Always searching for things like: How many naps does a 4 month old need? How long should a 4 month old be awake?

 

Every month. Then I would vow that my baby would follow that schedule because, well, schedules are good.

 

If I follow the same schedule everyday my baby will be happy and well rested.

 

Better yet, she’ll learn to expect the schedule and I’ll be able to put her in her crib and she’ll drift off to nap land without so much as letting out a whimper.

 

Right?

 

Wrong.

 

Sample Baby Nap Schedules Are Just a Guide

 

This is an example of what the schedules would look like.

 

Wake Up 7:00am

First Nap 9:00am – 10:30am

Second Nap 12:30pm – 2:00pm

Third Nap 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Bedtime 7:30pm

 

We’d always get off to a great start by waking up at the same time and getting her down for her first nap at the right time.

 

Then instead of following the schedule and sleeping for an hour and a half she would only sleep for 45 minutes.

 

So to follow the schedule she would have to stay awake longer than two hours to make it to that next nap.

 

But she couldn’t make it longer than two hours without getting overtired. So it just didn’t work.

 

Plus another thing these schedules don’t account for is having a life.

 

If we have to go for a ride, baby is going to take a nap in the car and that’ll throw off the schedule even more.

 

 

Baby taking a nap

 

 

Follow Baby’s Sleep Cues To Guide Baby’s Nap Schedule

 

I’m not saying that these schedules don’t work at all. I’m sure there are those perfect babies out there who follow them perfectly.

 

But neither of my children are one of those babies.

 

So now with my second baby I’ve learned not to obsess over the perfect nap schedule.

 

I don’t pay much attention to getting my baby down for a nap at the same times each day. 

 

Instead, I pay close attention to her sleep cues. Rubbing her eyes, yawning and looking drowsy.

 

At four months old my baby can stay awake for about an hour and 45 mins, but her naps range from 15 minutes to 2 hours.

 

To give you a better understanding, I tracked my baby’s nap schedule for three days and I’ll share it with you bellow.

 

A little more info first. I breastfeed on demand and she’s also getting a table spoon of baby food twice a day.

 

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure here.

 

My 4 Month Old Baby’s Nap Schedule

 

Baby Nap Schedule: Day One

Woke Up: 7:00am Nursed

8:00am Breakfast

9:00am Nursed

First Nap: 9:15am – 9:45am (30 mins)

11:00am Nursed

12:00pm Nursed

Second Nap: 12:15pm – 2:00pm (1 hr 45 min)

2:00pm Nursed

3:45 Nursed

Third Nap: 4:00pm – 4:45pm (45 min)

6:00pm Dinner

7:00pm Nursed

Bedtime: 8:00pm

 

 

Baby Nap Schedule: Day Two

Woke Up: 7:30am Nursed

8:00am Breakfast

9:00am Nursed

First Nap: 9:30am – 11:00am (1.5 hr)

11:00am Nursed

Second Nap: 1:00pm – 1:30pm (30 min nap in the car)

3:00pm Bottle

Third Nap: 3:30pm – 4:00pm (30 min nap in the car)

4:30 Dinner + Nursed

6:30pm Nursed

Bedtime: 7:00pm

 

 

Baby Nap Schedule: Day Three

Woke Up: 7:30am Nursed

8:30am Breakfast

9:30am Nursed

First Nap: 10:00am – 10:45am (45 min)

11:30am Nursed

12:20 Nursed

Second Nap: 12:30pm – 2:30pm (2 hrs)

2:30pm Nursed

3:45pm Nursed

4:30pm Nursed

Third Nap: 5:00pm – 5:30pm (30 min nap in the car)

6:00pm Dinner

6:30pm Nursed

Bedtime: 7:00pm

 

 

Do What Works For You And Your Baby

 

As you can see, each of these three days my baby did not go down for naps at exactly the same time.

 

Instead, I paid close attention to her sleep cues and put her down for a nap when she started to look drowsy.

 

This method is what works best for me and my family.

 

I hope getting a look at my four month olds nap schedule helps give you realistic expectations for your baby.

 

I know how frustrating it can be when your baby doesn’t nap well, they’re overtired, and you feel defeated.

 

Every baby and every family is different. What works for one doesn’t always work for the other.

 

Try to be patient and try out different schedules and methods until you find what works for you and your baby.

 

And if you have any questions I’d love to answer them in the comment section below.

 

You Might Also Like

What To Do With Baby All Day Long

21 Tips To Soothe A Crying Baby You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

15 Things To Do Baby’s First Year You Won’t Want To Miss

 

 

This is a sample nap schedule for a 4 month old baby. #babysleeptips

Wondering how many naps a four month old needs? Or how long should a for month old be awake? This is my baby’s nap schedule for three days to show you. #babynapschedule #babytips
This post shows how my baby napped for three days to help you with your baby’s nap schedule . #babytips
This sample baby sleep schedule gives a look at how my 4 month old baby naps. Use these baby sleep tips to help create your baby’s nap schedule. #babytips
I tracked my 4 month old baby’s naps to create a sample sleep schedule for babies to share with other moms. #babytips
Looking for baby nap schedules by age? This is a sample nap schedule for 4 month old babies. #babytips

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About Sierrah Schmidt

Hi! I’m Sierrah. Welcome to Another Mommy Blogger. Subscribe now and follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to get all my mommy tips for making life easier on this journey called motherhood.
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