Three months after giving birth, the “newborn honeymoon phase” starts to wear off and parents become eager to settle into a predictable routine with their baby. Whether your baby is an “easy sleeper” or not, most moms and dads start craving a predictable sleep schedule for their 3 month old baby. For information on why these first few few months are so difficult check out my article on how to get a newborn to sleep at night.
The majority of babies this age still need to eat at night. But, small changes to your 3 month old’s sleep schedule can help you start getting longer stretches of night sleep. And following my nap tips should help your little one start settling easier and napping better!
This article answers common parent questions about 3 month old nap schedules, wake time, and bedtime routines. And it gives you example 3 month old sleep schedules to follow. Here’s to a better night’s sleep for your family!
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How many hours should my 3 month-old sleep everyday?
Naps & Awake Times
Awake times of 1–2 hours work best at this age.
This means your 3 month old baby should be awake for only 1-2 hours at a time during the day. Young babies need to sleep often. So avoid the temptation to keep your baby up all day, hoping he’ll sleep better at night. This often backfires! Instead, allow your baby to nap often throughout the day.
# of naps isn’t important at 3 months old
Some 3 month olds will take three naps each day, and others might take five naps. The number of naps your baby takes is not important. What is important is making sure your baby naps frequently and for 3-5 total hours each day.
Your baby should nap 3-5 hours everyday
Your baby may prefer one 2-hour nap in the morning and several 30-45 minute naps in the afternoon. This is perfectly fine as long as your baby is happy between sleeps, naps for 3-5 total hours each day and you’re keeping awake times around 1-2 hours.
Bedtime
Most babies this age naturally fall into bedtime between 7:30-9:30 pm.
If your 3 month old’s bedtime is much later than this, see my guide on moving bedtime earlier.
It’s important to know that your baby’s bedtime should not vary by 2 hours every night! Instead, try to keep your baby’s bedtime within a 30 minute range each night. Tight bedtimes lead to the best night sleep. For example, your baby always falls asleep between 8-8:30 pm every night.
Night Sleep
Most 3 month old babies need 9-11 hours sleep at night.
This is the total hours of night sleep. Your baby will probably need to feed 2-3 times overnight. It’s rare for a 3 month-old to sleep through the night without needing to feed. Night weaning typically happens between 6-9 months.
Night Feedings
Most 3 month olds need to eat 2-3 times at night, whether breastfed or bottle fed.
If your baby wakes 4+ times at night to feed, try feeding more often during the day. This can help your baby get the majority of her calories during the day so she can sleep longer at night.
Total sleep in 24 hours
Three month old babies sleep a lot! In fact, your little one will probably sleep around 13-16 hours everyday. Track your baby’s naps and nighttime sleep on an app like Huckleberry to make sure they’re getting enough total sleep each day. You’ll be surprised by how much your baby’s sleep and mood can improve when getting enough sleep everyday.
RELATED: Common 3 Month-Old Sleep Problems
(& Solutions!)
Can I get my 3 month old sleeping 10 hours at night?
Definitely! Most three month old babies need around 10 hours of sleep at night. But… this sleep will be broken because your baby needs to wake at night to feed.
Most babies this age can go 4-6 hours between feeds at night. Ask your baby’s doctor how many night feeds they need.
If your 3 month old is sleeping less than nine total hours at night, make sure they’re not napping too much. Limiting your baby’s total nap hours to 4 hours can help them add more hours to night sleep. A great way to do this is to wake your baby after 1.5-2 hours for each individual nap.
Should my 3 month old have a bedtime routine?
Absolutely! The best way to set your baby up for sleeping long stretches at night is to begin a bedtime routine.
The purpose of a bedtime routine is to calm your baby in the evening, so that their body can relax and welcome sleep. Certain activities have been proven to relax babies, and when done in the right order, it sets your baby up for sleeping longer at night.
2-3 months is a great age to introduce a bedtime routine, because this is when your baby’s circadian rhythm is developing, allowing your little one to distinguish night versus day.
My Exhausted Mom’s Starter Kit walks you through the steps of setting up a peaceful bedtime routine for your baby. Click here to get it!
3 month old nap schedule
One of the best ways to help your 3 month old nap well is to wake your baby at a set time each morning. This helps naps fall into a more predictable pattern.
Please do NOT stress about naps at this age! Your 3 month baby won’t nap the same way everyday. They’re not yet ready for a by-the-clock nap schedule. Instead, the best way to help them nap is to watch awake times and make sure your baby naps often enough.
Some naps will be long, others will be short. This is completely normal. I recommend having a few “by-the-clock events” like morning wake up time, nap #1 and bedtime. The rest of your day should be flexible and based on baby’s nap lengths.
Here’s an example of how I approached naps with my 3 month old baby:
Wake baby at 7 am
Nap #1- 8:30 am
Nap #2- 1-2 hours after waking
Nap #3- 1-2 hours after waking
Nap #4- 1-2 hours after waking
I would offer a 30 minute cat nap in the late afternoon to help my baby make it to bedtime.
If bedtime is 8:30 pm, I would always wake baby by 6:30-7 pm to keep a consistent bedtime.
3 month old sleep schedule
Download my free guide below to get 3 month old sleep schedules. At this age you should expect some inconsistency to your baby’s nap schedule. Notice if your baby prefers long naps, short naps or a combination, and try to follow the downloadable step-by-step schedules (find these in the box below!).
What you can expect from your 3 month old’s sleep is:
- A set morning wake up time (yes, set your alarm!)
- 1-2 hours awake time during the day
- Set time to wake baby from their last nap
- Consistent bedtime
Loosely sticking to a schedule should improve your baby’s sleep within a few days!
Get my free 3 Month Old Sleep & Nap Schedules
Tracking your baby’s sleep for one week will help you decipher the awake times and nap lengths your 3 month old prefers. Remember, it’s still early for a by-the-clock daily routine for your little one. Instead, having a few “set points” in the day like morning wake up time and bedtime will help your baby settle into a more predictable routine. Making sure your baby sleeps often (and enough) will help them start sleeping better right away.
Got any questions? Comment below!
hello! I have a 12 week old and am worried about her wake windows. She can barely do 1hr wake windows through the day… I’ve tried extending them but she gets very tired and getting her to sleep becomes a crying contest. She currently takes 5 naps/day and needs a lot of assistance with extending them, otherwise they would all be 40 minutes long. even contact naps don’t work, she just wakes up and needs to be rocked back to sleep. I see everywhere that she should be able to take a 1,5h wake window, but she literally stsrts yawnimg and gets tired 30 minutes after waking up EVERY TIME. we’re currently at 2 night wake ups for a feed + multiple needs for pacifier replacement. I’m not sure what I could be doing wrong. also, for the past few days, at bedtime she just can’t fall asleep quickly. she doesn’t even cry, but from the moment I start trying to get her to sleep until I leave her room it’s 1+hours. She doesn’t cry, but can’t fall into deep sleep. I can’t figure out if she’s overtired or undertired then… any help is appreciated!!!
Hello Jessica,
Babies at this age still have short wake windows, so this is very normal! Wake windows at this age can be between 1-2 hours, but many babies are still sticking around the 1-1.5 hour range. With wake windows, we want to make sure our LO’s are asleep by that mark and babies can handle less awake time in the morning and more in the afternoon. I would try preparing your LO for asleep around the 45 minute mark during the first half of the day and around the 60-75 minute mark during the second half of the day. It is okay to provide a lot of support to help your LO take longer naps. This is developmentally appropriate for this age!
It can be so hard to navigate sleep at this age. We do offer 1-1 private consultations for our infant families until their babies are old enough to learn how to fall asleep independently. We would love to support you and your family!
https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Client Support Manager
Thank you for this post! My 3 month old goes to bed around 8 and is up for the day around 8, but waking up 4+’times every night… this momma is TIRED. I’m going to try some of these tips…. Hopeful they help!
Hi Jane!
I’m sorry to hear you are struggling with sleep; I remember those days, and they are tough! But, it does get better, I promise!
Please let us know how the tips work, and if you need additional help, here is a link to our private consultation option, which could be an excellent option for you: https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
We’d love to help you. Let us know if you have any additional questions!
Ingrid, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly,
My little guy is turning 3 months next week. Since about 6 weeks old and until 3 days ago he has been a dream to put to sleep. I followed wake windows and look for tired cues. I would swaddle, place white noise, and rock for a few minutes, and he would go to sleep with no issues. The last couple of days he has been extremely squirmy if I try to rock him for naps. I’m able to put him in his bassinet, rub his head to calm him, and rock his bassinet, eventually this way he will fall asleep.
His problem right now is his last nap and bedtime. His last nap seems to constantly be around 20 minutes, again for the last couple of days. I’ve tried to put him back to sleep, but no luck. I’ve tried to adjust his bedtime to accommodate, so his wake window is 1hr45-2hrs after this last nap. I have always fed and burped him, held him for a bit, and he falls asleep in my arms, no coaxing needed at all. Now, he seems to be super hyper after the feed. He’s kicking and smiling. If I try to rock him, he starts to scream.
It’s extremely frustrating because he now will stay awake for an hour after his feed, making his wake window around 3 hrs. I know at this point he becomes overtired. I’m just at a loss of what to do.
I should also mention that for the last 15/20 minutes before his feed, my husband plays some music and sways him. He gets sleepy and often closes his eyes. We make sure he doesn’t completely fall asleep. We have done this since he’s been about a month old. It’s just seems to calm him to set him up for a nice sleep. I don’t know if this is causing a problem, because maybe I’m feeding him and it’s waking him up again.
Hi Paula,
Thank you for the background information.
This is all very common around 3 months old. At this age, baby’s sleep patterns mature, so they suddenly need different ways of being put to sleep.
We would love to help you via a private consultation, which you can book here:
https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
We can’t wait to talk to you.
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hello! 👋🏾
My 3mo baby girl has very short naps during the day 25-45 minutes & usually 1-3hr nap somewhere in there & she sleeps great at night, about 6hrs before waking to feed & then an additional 4 hours after. She goes to bed at 9:30 no matter what I do, I’ve moved each wake window up slightly. I’ve given her baths at 4/5pm to try to get her down by 6:30/7, I give her a massage & everything but it doesn’t matter what I do she will not go to sleep & stay asleep until 9:30 it’s as if she made her own bedtime & she wakes up 7:25/7:30 sometimes 8/8:30 if im lucky. Is this ideal? If I make her go to bed earlier will she wake up earlier?
Hi Naomi!
These early months can be so hard because babies’ sleep is kind of all over the place; I remember how that feels! It’s actually very normal for babies at 3 months old to have a bedtime anywhere from 7:30-9:30. At this point, she still very young, and while you can make small changes to her schedule, in time, it will become more predictable. Most likely, if she begins falling asleep earlier, she would eventually begin waking up a bit earlier to eat, so I can’t promise a later morning :). At 5-months of age, she will be ready for sleep coaching, and I would definitely recommend our 21-Days program. Here is the link: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/baby-sleep-consultant.
We would love to work with you at that time 💗
Ingrid, BSMS Support Team
Hi!
Like another poster here, my 3mo sleeps like a dream during the day. Has 1.5-2hr wake windows and can be placed down during the day and he falls asleep easily. Following the same wake windows do not work at bedtime though. He will fall asleep if he’s on me (never needs this any other time) and will wake as soon as I put him down until about 9-9.30pm.
I know you said night sleep uses a different brain side than day, but I’m not sure what else to do?
Do I keep trying bedtime routine at correct wake window (usually around 7.30-8) and then just hold him until 9? Or give him full time ale window at 7.30 until 9 and do bedtime properly then?
Hello Katie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to post! It is great that your 3 month old is sleeping so well during the day!
This guide outlines some amazing day and night time recommendations. An 8:00PM bedtime is reasonable for a 3 month old. You can then expect your LO to sleep between 9-11 hours at night, with many sleeping 10 hours. If this is the case, I would consider between 8pm-6am as bedtime and make sure your LO is sleeping in the crib in a blackout room with white noise. During the daytime, keep aiming for 2.5-4 hours of day sleep. You want to make sure your LO is well rested during the day because being overtired can lead to more struggles at bedtime.
Once your LO is 5 months of age, then he will be able to learn how to fall asleep independently at bedtime and you will see this really helps prevent any false starts at bedtime.
If you do have any more questions, definitely check out our private consultations! I offer 45 minute Zoom calls and we can discuss your LO’s current schedule and environment and I can provide tips to help improve sleep now 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hi my LO will be 3 month old tomorrow. I usually wake her up on 7.30 am then follow her sleep cues (yawning) which usually happen 75 mins after waking from naps. She usually have long morning nap between 1 hr 45 mins to 2 hours. Last nap varies between somewhere between 6.00-7.00 pm (30-45 minutes long). She usually able to stay awake around 1 hour 40 mins to 1 hour 50 mins before bedtime (usually between 8.30-9.00 pm). It usually easy to put her to sleep for naps and beftime. I swaddle her, turn on white noise and turn off light. She will fuss for less than 5 mins and sleep. However she always wake up 30 mins after the bedtime. I will nurse her then rock her to drowsy and lay her down again. These whole process usually take around 30-40 mins. She will then asleep around 9.40-10.10 pm until around 5/6 for feeding then continue to sleep until I wake her up on 7.30. Is this normal for 3 month old, or did I have bedtime false start? Usually even after limiting her nap to around 4-4.5 hrs in total, she still have this wake up 30 mins after bedtime. Would love to hear any suggestion. Thank you
Sounds like you’re doing amazingly with your almost 3 month old!
Definitely sounds like a false start to me. We give amazing tips for this here on this Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZuHz_LKF29/
I hope this helps, reach out!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hei,
What shall we do if the 3 months old does not want to fall asleep for the night at 7:30/8:00pm? I have a three months year old boy who falls asleep for the night at 23:00/24:00. If put to sleep earlier he will wake up 30 min after falling asleep and will not re-settle. How can we get him to fall asleep early? I wake him up every morning at 8:50 and he naps every 1/1,5 hour through the day.
Hi,
this article has all the info you need on getting your 3 month old on an earlier bedtime:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/bedtime-for-3-month-old/
Hope it’s helpful!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi,
My son is 3.5 months old. Till last week, he was always at his best behavior when it came to sleep. He used to feed and sleep right away everytime in the morning or before bedtime. But for the past week, he has started crying every time he gets sleepy. When he qould wake up, he would be a happy baby, playing with me or dad but after sometime,he would start getting fussy and then the cry. Nothing would settle him down. He won’t even take my breast if i try to feed him. Please suugest.
Hello Aarushi,
It can be SO hard when our LO’s were sleeping well and then just stop! This is most likely related to a regression! Regressions are totally normal and usually pass in a couple weeks, but can cause some disruptions in the sleep world! Check out these resources for helpful tips!
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-old-not-sleeping
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-sleep-regression-tips-video
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hiya,
My three month old will nap every two hours, most mornings she’ll do 30mins then a big lunchtime nap. She’ll typically start napping from 8.30 and last nap of the day is 30/45mins ending at 5.30. We’ll the start bedtime at 7
She then wakes around 11,2 for feeds but fully wakes around 4/5am and not go back to sleep unless I get her into the bed with me.. what can I do to get her to sleep through til 7am in her cot?
Hey Heather! I love how detailed you are already on knowing her schedule and getting her started on good sleep routines! That’s so great! So she is only 3 months old so she isn’t quite developmentally ready for much sleep training but there are some things that you can do to help her sleep better and longer. If she is going to bed at 7pm then the best you can hope for in terms of night sleep is 6am. 3 month olds only need 9-11 hours of night time sleep. She might be a 9 hour baby. We typically recommend a 3 month old having a bedtime sometime between 7:30pm and 9:30pm so 7 is a little early. If you are wanting her to wake up later then I would move her bedtime back. As for naps, the number of naps doesn’t matter as much as the awake time in between so just continue to put her to nap every 1-2 hours when she acts sleepy and then give 1-2 hours between her last nap and her approximate bedtime. So start by moving her bedtime to 7:30 (2 hours after she wakes from her last nap), then adjust her daily napping as she adjusts her wake up time slowly scooting it back as you are able until you get a desirable wake up time. You can also check out our Exhausted Mom Starter Kit for more tips and tricks to getting your baby sleeping more peacefully: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/how-to-improve-baby-sleep and when she gets closer to 5 or 6 months and you are ready for sleep training please check out our 21 Days to Peace and Quiet Program: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program/ Hope this helps! Becca, BSMS Support Team
Hi.
My daughter was a great sleeper but recently she is waking every few hours in the night/morning and will only go back to sleep if she is in bed with me.
I am quite concerned as she goes several hours without napping, and even if she does it’s for an hour or so. I believe she is getting herself so overtired and I don’t know how to help her nap during the day when she fights it.
I am on day two of a bedtime routine so I am hoping this works but would like advise on how I can help her nap during the day and for longer to avoid overtiredness. Thank you ! X
Hello Melissa,
The “fourth trimester” can be very challenging! The best things to do at this age (until your LO is ready for sleep training at 5 months) is to start a peaceful bedtime routine and follow age appropriate awake times for naps to keep your LO rested. You always want to aim for your LO to be asleep by the awake time, so start to prepare her for sleep 15 minutes beforehand. It is totally okay to assist your LO with falling back asleep right now until she is able to self-soothe, but I would aim for having her fall asleep and then put her back in the crib since this is the safest sleep space. Hang in there Mama! It WILL get better soon 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hang in the
Hi from Brazil!
Quick question: My 3mo baby has a sleep cycle of 30 minutes during naps. Do you believe it will get longer as she gets older and requires fewer naps?
Currently, she normally has 4-5 naps (1st at 8 AM, last around 6 PM – Goes to bed at 8 PM) – Wake time of 1h30m
Thanks!!
Hello! It is totally normal for naps to be short around this age. We often see naps lengthen around 6/7 months of age! 🙂 Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
My lo is 13 weeks and sleeps great as long as I have him in the love to dream swaddle up. I tried transitioning him out bc he’s showing signs of flipping over on his belly soon but his flailing arms (even just the one arm out) would wake him up consistently thru the night. At what age do they have better control of their arms and how long can I keep him in that swaddle sack.
Hello Bonny,
The moro reflex starts to settle between 4-5 months of age and their arms calm down. I would continue to swaddle until your LO is rolling over. Once your LO is rolling over, you will need to transition out of the swaddle. You can try a transition sleep sack like the Nested Bean, Magic Merlin or Zipadee Zip to help with the transition!
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
I have a question about bedtime. My baby is 3 months old. He usually naps a total of about 5 hours during the day. I try to finish his last nap by 6pm. By 730 we are doing our bedtime routine,feed, and then he is asleep by 745 or 8pm. However, he consistently wakes an hour later, screaming, and hungry. I have tried making bedtime later, but then he gets over tired and super cranky before bed. I’ve tried cluster feeding before bed to try to get him really full but he loses interest. He seems to be treating bedtime like a nap even though the environment is totally different. After this brief wakeup he will usually sleep 3.5 to 4 hours, and will wake to feed 2 other times. Any advise on the bedtime situation? Did he need less naps? I feel like something is off for him to wake up like that.
Thanks!
Hello Marie,
Thank you for your post. This actually sounds like very normal behavior for a 3 month old. It is normal for them to wake often until they are developmentally ready to self-soothe around 5 months of age. I would continue to do what you are doing until your LO is ready to learn how to fall asleep independently. Falling asleep independently is the key to reducing/eliminating night wakings!
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello,
My baby girl is almost 15 weeks and in the last week has woken up two to 3 times in the middle of the morning crying. She usually sleeps around 8:30-9:30 pm until 6:30-7:00 am (7 feeds on demand during the day). She wakes up crying and as soon as we pick her up, she seems sleepy. So seems like she doesn’t know how to go back to sleep. After we rock her back to sleep and try to place her in the crib she wakes up chewing on her hands and then cries again. Once or twice I’ve ended up having to feed her back to sleep. Is this part of sleep regression?
Hello Jess, at her age your baby still night night feeds. Most 3 month olds need to eat 2-3 times at night, whether breastfed or bottle-fed. It’s totally normal for her not to be able to self-soothe yet. This is an ability most babies have after 5mo and this is why we suggest waiting 5mo before joining our sleep training program 21 Days to Peace and Quiet.
At 4mo there is a regression and you can read more about it here https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/4-month-old-not-sleeping/
Hope this helps you1
Micaela BSMS Support Team
Hello! Thank you for this post. I have a question about the wake window before bed. My three-month old does 90min wake windows throughout the day and we follow an eat-play-sleep schedule. He usually wakes at 5, feeds, but then needs a nap around 6:30pm. We wake him up at 7, feed again, and he is asleep by 8pm. He wakes at 10pm for dream feed but sleeps from then until 6:30am. Should I be concerned that his wake window before bed is only 60 min? I’m not sure I could get two feedings in if I tried to eliminate the last nap and had a 90-min window before bed (not sure he would be hungry enough to eat twice during that 90 min).
Hello!
I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the 60 minute awake window before bed, especially since he is sleeping really well at night. If you start to notice that he is struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep, I would work on lengthening the awake window to 90 minutes. 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello! I’ve got a question about settling at bedtime. My baby usually goes to sleep without any extra help during the day in her moses basket. I feed her, swaddle her, rock her a bit to signal nap time and put her down awake. She usually falls asleep like this no problem. But in the evening it’s a whole different story. I do the same routine, except for an extra feed just before bed, but she just won’t settle. I put her down between 7.30 and 8.00 pm but it takes until 8.30/9.00 pm until she’s finally settled with me and my husband taking turns rocking, bouncing, singing etc. She then sleeps through the night which is amazing but we can’t put our finger on what’s the problem with bedtime. It almost seems like she’s not ready to go to sleep before 9pm. Do we have to move bedtime back and add another nap? She naps 4 times during the day with an awake time of 75-90 minutes between naps.
Thank you!
Hello Svenja,
Thank you for your message. Believe it or not, babies use different sides of the brain to operate day and night sleep. I remember I was shocked when I learned this, but then it made sense how my daughter did better with naps vs. night sleep. Try to make sure you follow the 90 minutes of awake time before bed. So try to have her down at the 90 minute mark (asleep). This means you should try to settle her to sleep about 10-15 minutes prior to when you want her to be asleep. Continue to have a peaceful nightly ritual. Adding in at tub can help signal that it is bedtime. Bedtimes after often later (around 8:30pm) for a 3 month old. I would recommend signing up for our FREE Exhausted Mom’s Survival Kit for helpful tips!
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/exhausted-moms-survival-kit
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hi, how do you understand awake window for your baby? Do you folow sleep cues? I realized my babies always shows sleep cues in one hour but are not necessarily tired especially in the evenings. They take short naps so it’s really hard to get to even 7 p.m. sometimes. Everywhere I looked say max awake window for 3 months old is 1.5 hrs. I was surprised to see 1 – 2 hrs as a range.
Hello Gu!
So awake windows really mean the maximum amount of time that your LO can be awake for. There is a range because every baby is so different. Babies can handle less awake time in the morning, but more as the day goes on. So for example, after your 3 month old wakes up in the morning, she may need to be asleep by the 1 hour mark. Then for the next nap, she may be able to handle 1 hour and 10 minutes, and so on. You want your baby ASLEEP by that time, so you will want to start getting your LO ready for a nap 15 minutes prior to the sleep time. If your LO is crying and screaming and having a hard time going down for a nap, this is usually a big clue that your LO is overtired and you missed that sleepy window. I recommend keeping a little log and figuring out your awake times to see what works best. My 3 month old could never hit 2 hours of awake time before bed. It was always closer to 1 hour and 30 minutes max. Every baby is different so you just need to figure out what works best for your LO!
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hi there!
My three month old will only nap while I hold him. I rely on the Ergobaby carrier a lot but this isn’t ideal during the hot summer months where he can overheat. How do I get him to nap in his crib for longer than 5-10mins at a time?
Additionally, he wakes every two hours at night due to gas. Bicycle legs helps a lot, and I’m vigilant with burping, but he still grunts and kicks loudly at night in discomfort. Will he grow out of this?
Thank you.
Jodie.
Dear Jodie,
yes, your baby will grow out of this and he will also learn how to sleep for longer stretches <3 It's common for babies so young to prefer naps on the go. Have you tried a walk with the stroller? Try to start it 15min before his nap is due (follow awake times for his age). If youìd like him to nap in his crib what about laying him down once he is asleep? You could maybe rock him and then gently place him down? Remember that at his age it's not important how long his naps are but that he naps often. Pay attention to the overall daytime sleep.
Hope this helps, if you have any further questions let us know.
Micaela BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly I really need you help.
My son is 3 months old his bedtime is between 8 and 830 and we both get up for the day at 8.
He nurses at 2am for the first feed and after that all hell breaks loose. He wakes every hour to be re settled to sleep. Sometimes I rock the bassinet, pick him up and pay his back, or simply reinsert the pacifier and worry that he goes to sleep. He often wakes at 330, I gave him his pacifier and try to push the second feeding until 4 to nurse again, then he wakes again at 5 to 530. He wakes up crying with his eyes closed just wanting to go back to sleep and seems like he can’t . Then again at 630 (at this point I feed him again. But then he wakes again and again at 730. Today was the first time that at 5:30 he was just wide awake. He wasn’t crying this time so I let him lay there to see if he would fall back asleep but instead he was just putting his swaddle in his mouth. He started escaping from his Velcro swaddle and I am afraid to illuminate it cold turkey because his hands really do distract him from sleeping. He laid there for about 25 minutes until eventually I nursed him at 6 AM. He immediately fell back asleep and woke up at 7:30. But of course crying and no seeming to wake up for the day.
During the day he will really only nap on average 35 minutes at a time . I’m lucky if it’s over 40 minutes.
I’m very careful about not keeping him awake too long he really cannot be awake more than an hour and 10 minutes without being overtired. I woke upstairs to his bedroom before every nap after being up for 50 minutes. Last two nights he is really fighting me on his very last nap which is usually around 630 and last until seven. The snap is usually essential because his bedtime is 8 to 830 and he really can’t stay awake from 530 until eight without being hysterical. But last night he fought me for over 45 minutes straight from 635 till 720 until I finally gave up and sobbed. He did not end up taking this last nap. Instead my husband picked him up and started to get his bath ready for the bedtime routine. And instead of waking up at 2 AM for his first feed he woke up at 12 I resettled him back to sleep but he woke up again at 12:30 and once again I resettled him back to sleep until two.
I’m so desperate Jilly, i’m depressed and incredibly exhausted. His nap space in his room is dark but not pitch black, he has a sound machine and I swaddle him with the halo sleep sack (arms down but he all most always escapes from it)
What do I do and how do I get him to stop waking up every hour after 4 AM. I’m snapping at my oldest son, it’s effecting my marriage, I cry every single day and I have no family living nearby. I’m trying to teach him to fall asleep on his own by letting him in his crib drowsy but it does not always work. Is the pacifier the problem? Is it me? Is it the naps?
Hi there Jeniffer.
First of all, know that you’re a great mom and you’re definitely not the problem. Try to stay calm, though I know it’s very hard sometimes, especially if you’re struggling, you’re exhausted and have little help. I know, cause I’ve been there and it was really hard. But things WILL get better, I promise.
I believe you’ve already read our 3 month old sleep guides, so you know that sleep can be very unpredictable at this age. If you don’t know where to start with helping your LO sleep better I would suggest you join our free Exhausted Mom’s Survival Kit that’s filled with tips on how to get your baby sleep longer stretches. Here’s the link –> https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/exhausted-moms-survival-kit
Please try implementing these tips for a few days and let us know how things work out. Panagiota, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly, my baby is 13 weeks old and used to sleep well at night, waking every 2-2.5 hours for feeds at night. For the last 2 weeks or so, he sleeps for 2-3 hourd for the first stretch and then is waking every hour in the night crying and often sicking up, and then needs a feed to go back to sleep. We have tried to settle him without nursing him but he will scream until he has milk. He sleeps 8:30-9:00pm and wakes around 6:30am
It seems like he is trying to turn over. Is close to it in the day when on his play gym and also at night, and at least once in the night turns himself so he is lying completely horizontally! He was in a co-sleeper crib and two nights ago we swapped it for a cot next to us so he had more room. We follow your bedtime routine and we watch his awake times which are between 1-2 hours. He doesn’t nap in his bedroom his morning naps is his longest and he sleeps on my husband in the living room so I can catch up on sleep. His other naps are a combination of sleeping on us or in the bassinet. They are about 30 mins. He falls asleep when we bounce/pat him to sleep (without feeding he feeds when he wakes up). He will not sleep if we put him down drowsy.
The frequent night feedings are getting too much.
If this is the 4-month regression early do we just ride it through and work on issues afterwards?
I know we should try to put him down drowsy but he is very refluxy so we have to keep him upright for 30 mins after his night feeds increasing the time I’m awake at night and he is obviously asleep after that. What do we do? Thanks for your help.
Hi there Pam. I’m sorry you’re struggling with your baby’s sleep. I’ve been through the exact same situation when my boy was the same age and I know it can be really exhausting. Naps can be pretty unpredictable at this age, that’s true, and it’s great that you keep awake times. The key is being consistent.
The tips from this guide will definitely help you. In there you’ll find the answers to all the things you’re asking above –> https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/3-month-old-sleep-problems
And also this video has lots of tips on what to do when your baby will only sleep on YOU –> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJeet1wp2_0
Please try implementing these tips and let us know how things work out. Panagiota, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly! I’ve started your Exhausted Moms course, but am looking around at your other content as well. My baby is 10 weeks old. He only sleeps for 45 minutes at a time, no matter what I do, it seems like, so I’m having trouble with scheduling. His wake times are pretty consistent at 1 1/2 hours before he’s ready for a nap, though I feel like it’s still often a chore to get him down, and he has been eating about every 3 hours. I see in your sample schedule for 3 month olds with short ballers you recommend feeding about every 2 hours? Won’t this get him in the ha it of snacking instead of taking full meals, making him need to wake more at night?
Thanks so much for your message! Babies at this age are still very unpredictable with sleep and are known to have shorter sleep cycles. The goal is to feed every 2 hours during the day and keep your little one nice and full so that he can try to eventually sleep longer stretches at night. Babies bellies are so small in the beginning that they just naturally feed more often so while it seems like snacking, they are actually taking in a good size meal. Let me know if you have any additional questions! Alyssa, BSMS Support Team