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.
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.
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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.
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