On a recent Facebook Live call, I was speaking to Madeline, mom of 10-week old Molly. She described her daily routine for helping baby Molly sleep. This included HOURS bouncing her on a yoga ball or walking her around the living room and sometimes driving around in the middle of the night!
Whoa! Night driving?! I felt so sad and exhausted for Madeline. Life with a new baby is definitely tiring, overwhelming and non-stop. But helping your 2 month-old baby sleep well shouldn’t include hours of driving at night. Getting your 2 month old to accept the bassinet is possible with all the advice in my free guide.
In fact, getting your 2 month-old baby sleeping well can be pretty simple when you stick to a few important points.
8-11 weeks old is a great age to gently introduce healthy sleep habits. Sometimes, all you have to do is change around your routine or add in a small sleep prop, and baby starts sleeping better right away! Make sure to check out my article on how to help a newborn sleep at night.
The best way to decrease any stress and frustration over your baby’s sleep is knowing what you can expect from a 2 month-old. The first section of this article goes over your baby’s sleep needs. It tells you what you can reasonably expect so you’re not unintentionally asking too much of your baby.
The second section of this article has sleep tips that have been proven to help 2 month-olds sleep better. These are things you can do (or products you can get) that will have a dramatic impact on your baby’s sleep.
And we all know, when baby sleeps well, mama sleeps well. Let’s get you there!
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Your 2 month-old baby’s sleep needs
Your 2 month-old can stay awake only 1-2 hours at a time
Your 8-11 week old infant has a biological need to sleep often. Every 1-2 hours, in fact! Sleeping this often keeps baby from getting over-stimulated, which could make him fussy, restless and unable to settle down for sleep.
Once your baby has been awake for almost an hour, keep an eye out for his sleepy signs. Once you see them, prepare baby for a nap.
Sleepy signs:
- activity slows & baby quiets down
- loses interest in people and toys
- stares off in space / eyes glaze over
- rubs eyes
- gets fussy all of a sudden
- yawns
- wants to feed
Related: How To Get Your Newborn On A Sleep Schedule
Your 2 month-old will take several naps each day
Most 8-11 week-olds take 3-5 naps everyday. Your baby’s nap length will determine how many naps he takes. If he always naps less than one hour, he’ll need more naps to make it through the day. If he takes long naps of 1+ hours, he’ll need fewer naps.
The number of naps each day isn’t important. What’s most important is that your baby naps often (every 1-2 hours) and is happy between sleeps.
Short & unpredictable naps are common at this age, so try not to stress about them!
Related: Is It Safe for My Baby to Sleep with a Lovey?
Your 2 month-old still needs to eat at night
It’s a good idea to first talk with your baby’s doctor about how long he can go overnight between feeds.
Assuming your baby is growing and gaining weight as he should, this is typically the age where you don’t need to wake your baby during the night to feed. (But please check with your doctor first!)
Most healthy 2 month-olds can get by with 2-3 night feeds. This means your baby will go 3.5-5 hours between feeds overnight. This is welcome news for tired parents who are up feeding their baby every 2 hours!
Your 2 month-old’s bedtime should fall between 8-10 pm
Bedtime for the newborn is naturally late- often as late as 11 pm! As your infant grows, he develops the ability to consolidate night sleep. (He learns to sleep more at night and less during the day.)
Your 2 month-old can be expected to sleep 8-10 hours at night. This doesn’t mean he can sleep 8-10 hours straight! Remember he still needs to eat at night. What this means is his “nighttime”- or the time he spends in bed at night- can be expected to be between 8-10 hours.
Because of this, bedtime typically falls between 8-10 pm. You don’t want to give your baby too early of a bedtime- he may wake for the day at 4 am! Instead, figure out what time your baby needs to wake in the morning and work backward to determine his ideal bedtime. Bedtime should move earlier over the next few months as baby begins sleeping more hours at night.
Your 2 month-old will sleep about 14-18 hours of every day
Babies this young need to sleep the majority of the day.
If your baby sleeps often and seems happy most of the time, you don’t need to keep track of how many hours he’s slept. I only recommend you track your baby’s sleep if you think there’s a problem- for example, if baby is continually fussy or awake for long periods day and night.
Baby Connect and Glow Baby are great apps for tracking baby’s sleep.
2 month old baby sleep tips
- Create a sleep-inducing environment
- Start a peaceful bedtime routine
- Swaddle your baby
- Help your baby avoid day/night confusion
1. Create a sleep-inducing space
Given how young your baby is, we want their sleep space to resemble the womb as much as possible. A sleep friendly space will help your baby sleep longer and deeper, which benefits both baby and mom.
My Exhausted Mom’s Starter Kit has my top 3 tips for getting your baby sleeping well. These tips are super gentle (don’t involve any sleep training) and best of all, you can easily start them tonight!
2. Start a peaceful bedtime routine
A bedtime routine is a series of activities that you do each evening to relax your baby and help him settle to sleep. Repeating the same activities at the same time each night has been proven to help children fall asleep quicker and sleep better overnight.
Certain activities help babies unwind, while others can be stimulating. You want to make sure you’re doing the right ones! My Exhausted Mom’s Starter Kit walks you through setting up a peaceful bedtime routine that will lull your baby to sleep, so easily. Plus, it includes a free (super cute) printable bedtime routine you can hang on the wall!
3. Swaddle your baby
The womb is not only as loud as a vacuum cleaner, it’s also a tight and cosy space. We’re trying to mimic the womb so that the familiarity will relax baby and help him sleep well.
Most newborns love being swaddled for sleep. Your baby’s startle reflex can wake him often. So a restrictive, yet cosy swaddle dampens your baby’s startle reflex, preventing it from waking him.
I recommend you swaddle your 2 month-old for naps and night sleep. This is my article on Baby Sleep Made Simple’s tested & reviewed sleep sacks!
Your baby can be swaddled for sleep for several months, which is exactly how long his startle reflex is present. The best swaddle blankets I’ve found are the Miracle Blanket, Halo and Aden + Anais.
Maybe you tried swaddling your newborn and he didn’t seem to like it. In this case, I recommend a tight and cosy sleep sack. It keeps your baby feeling snug but isn’t as restrictive as a swaddle blanket. The Love to Dream and Woombie are great because baby’s arms aren’t kept at his sides. They’re up closer to his chest, which many babies prefer.
[Important Note:] Once your baby begins rolling, it’s dangerous to swaddle him for sleep. Instead, transition him to a swaddle transition blanket like the Zipadee Zip.
5. Help your baby avoid day/night confusion
Your baby’s circadian rhythm develops between 6 weeks-3 months old. This is your baby’s “body clock” and it’s what causes him to sleep more at night and less during the day.
Much of this development is pre-programmed, but there are certainly things you can do now to encourage your baby to consolidate his night sleep. Especially if your 1-2 month old is awake for hours in the night.
During the day:
- Keep the lights on & curtains open.
- Allow normal household noises during feeds & play time.
- Take your baby out for errands, stroll, play dates, etc…
- Keep baby awake during feeds to encourage him to take big feeds.
For naps:
- Dim the lights & close the curtains when home. Baby doesn’t need silence and complete darkness.
- For naps on-the-go (stroller, carrier) you may need to reduce noise and natural light. But follow your baby’s lead. Some little ones can nap in a noisy cafe just fine!
- Wake baby after a 2 hour nap and give him a feed. Make sure he’s awake at least 30-60 minutes until his next nap.
During the night:
- Keep overhead lights & bright lamps OFF. Instead, use the flashlight on your phone for diaper changes.
- For night wakings, keep the room as dark as possible. First, change baby’s diaper. Then, re-swaddle him. Finally, feed with the lights off.
- When baby is awake at night, stay quiet and boring. Any stimulation or play could encourage baby to stay awake.
Helping your 2 month-old sleep well is a matter of knowing his sleep needs and implementing a few tried-and-true sleep tips. I hope this article was helpful to you.
If you’re having specific sleep struggles, check out my resources below. Good luck to you!
If You’re Having Specific Sleep Struggles…
Hello my 2 month old will sleep for an hour during small naps in between. When night time comes he will only sleep 15 to 30 minutes if that and will wake up fussy and will not want to go back to sleep this happens every night I tried having a routine for him like giving baths and putting on white noise and will only sleep for a lil while and wake back up. What can I do??
Hi Daisy,
I’m so sorry your 2 month old is waking so often and having very unpredictable sleep.
Unfortunately, at this age, sleep IS very unpredictable. However, there are ALWAYS things we can do to get longer patches of sleep and higher quality sleep for baby!
So let’s chat! We would love to help you via a private consultation. You can book it here:
https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
This way, we can give you a customized plan. How does that sound?
Can’t wait to work with you!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
My 2 month old sleeps really well during the day and has great naps (anywhere from 1-2.5 hours) I keep a close eye on her wake windows and try not to let her go over 1.5 hours in between naps. At nighttime, she struggles to give me long stretches. We have established a routine on bath time and eat around 9:30, and asleep by 10. She will only sleep until about 12:30-1 before waking up. After that, she is up every 2-2.5 hours. What do you suggest for longer stretches during the nighttime? She does like the swaddle right now, but I could try a different type.
Hi Taylor,
Sounds like you’re doing amazingly with your 2 month old’s sleep! Well done!
At this age, we really recommend little ones feed on-demand in the night, which may be why she’s waking up. However, we would still love to chat with you via a private consultation and make a plan for how to get better stretches of sleep in the night:
https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
Our sleep consultants are very knowledgeable and kind and will take great care of you. Hope to see you in a call!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
My almost 8 week old has been waking before 6 am off and on for a week or two. He will cry/fuss until picked up, but can go back to sleep if being held. He goes to bed between 8-8:30 and has good stretches of sleep between his nighttime feedings. He does get very tired in the evenings (around 5:30) and will often fall asleep/nap until right before bedtime. He’s very difficult to wake during these evening naps. Could this be causing his early wakings? Any ideas on how to get him to sleep until closer to 7 am?
Hello Jessica,
Thank you so much for your post. Congratulations on your newest addition! I would definitely recommend purchasing a 45 minute Zoom consult. We would love the opportunity to chat with you about 2 month old sleep needs and discuss awake times and scheduling!
https://programs.babysleepmadesimple.com/30-minutes-private-consultation-checkout/
Sincerely,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello. I have a formula fed 8 week old. I see a lot that some parents are able to get their babies to have long night stretches of sleep between 4-6 hours before a night feed. My little one wakes up crying every 2-3 hours in the nights. What should I do??
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for reaching out!
I would talk to your baby’s doctor and follow their instructions for how often and how much to feed your baby in a 24 hour period. Nutrition is the most important thing at this age. Your baby will start sleeping long stretches, but at this age not every baby does.
Let me know if you need anything else,
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Our third child is now 11 weeks old. We had a rough start with sleeping with him up every hour or two at night and sometimes taking 45 minutes to an hour to get back to sleep. We then had a week or two with great sleep. He would sleep from 7-7:30 until 2:30-3 and then again around 5 or 6. He would be awake for the day around 6:30-7. Now his sleep seems to have fallen apart. We have a very busy house with a 6 year old and 3 year old. I don’t remember having any of the issues with sleep like we do with him. He naps about every hour and eats every 1.5-2 during the day. Some of his nap times end up at very difficult times during the day. I.e. getting my daughter to or off the bus, homework time or when I am cooking dinner. So sometimes they get unintentionally stretched out too long. He used to sleep in the swing but will no longer with all the noise. So sometimes he is overtired. I put him in his bed for as many naps as I can and he typically falls asleep easily until the evening hours. We do bath around 6:15 in our house because the older ones are in bed by 7-7:15. He was doing fine with this but now it seems his last nap is ending up so he is awake for 1.5-2 hours. Then he is impossible to put to bed. He wakes every 10-15 minutes once we get him to sleep. A lot of times he is up immediately after placing him in bed. I give him a dream feed around 8:30 every night to get a longer stretch. On the nights he is extremely unsettled I have to hold him until he is in a deep sleep. Sometimes this helps other times he is awake the minute I put him down. How can we manage napping and bedtime in our busy house? Do you have any suggestions that might make things easier?
Hi April,
Congratulations on your little one!
Around the 3 month mark, babies’ sleep patterns start to change and mature.
There could be a number of reasons why your little one isn’t sleeping as well anymore, and there are various things we can do to help.
I suggest you do one of two things. Either try fixing your little one’s sleep on your own using this article. OR book a private consultation with our sleep consultant Alyssa so she can help you make a plan that will get your 3 month old sleeping better – book it here.
Good luck!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi jilly your website is great. My LO is 2 months old today but she’s just getting over bronchiolitis and seems to be napping a lot in the day and then has a late unsettled bedtime at around 10-11pm. How do you manage naps and bedtime routine when they’re ill? Thank you
Hello!
I am so sorry to hear your daughter was ill! It is so hard when they are sick. Just let your little one nap longer when she is sick. You can certainly stick with your bedtime routine, but 100% okay to let your little one sleep longer when sick 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly,
My LO is 2 months old. Her bedtime is 1-2 am. The first stretch of sleep is 4-5 hours, then she sleeps 3 hour stretches till noon. I have tried to shift her bedtime to 10 pm but she simply wakes up after an hour and is incredibly difficult to put down to sleep after that. In short, her circadian rhythm is completely reversed :(. How do I overcome this?
Hello Katy,
Lets definitely see if we can move that bedtime up earlier! It is often best to do it in slower increments. Try moving it earlier by 30 minutes every 3 days until you get to your desired time. Just make sure you move everything (naps, bedtime, wake time AND milk sessions)! 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
We purchased your program for our first little one she is now 2.5 years old and is an amazing sleeper!
We now have a 2 month old, we didn’t start the process with our first until she was a year old so we are trying to set a good routine for our son.
My question is I know bedtime is supposed to be between 8:00-10:00 but I guess how do you determine when? Do you just keep them a wake for an hour depending on when they wake up from the last nap?
So if his last nap is supposed to be at 6:30 do I wake him up if he sleeps longer than an hour and then keep him up an hour? Bc sometimes when we put him down at 7:00 he will sleep until 12am straight
So happy your toddler is still sleeping great! And congratulations on your new baby.
Since you’re a sleep training pro, you can decide on a reasonable bedtime (like 9 pm at this age) and make sure your baby is awake by 7-7:30 pm. You can keep this flexible too, they’re still young.
Most parents of multiple kids prefer to have a set bedtime because older siblings are on a schedule, so waking your baby up from their nap at a consistent time and also waking them at the same time each morning can help them fall into a good routine.
I hope this helps!
Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi,
My just turned 2 month baby has a bath at around 5:30/6pm as part of her bed time routine to get her settled for the night. For this point forward it is always a long battle in trying to get her to sleep. However reading your post, you say bed time doesn’t usual start till 8-10pm. Should we have bath time later on? And bring it forward gradually as she get some older?
Hi there!
Yes, exactly. Move bedtime later for now. At this age, babies sleep quite late. Try to do this gradually! Naturally, bath time will be later (as you mention). And yes, as your baby gets older, bedtime gets pushed back a little earlier.
This guide actually has daily schedules & activities for every age, you can use this to keep your baby on an age-appropriate schedule! See the link here:
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/daily-schedule-developmental-activities-baby-toddler-2/
/Artemis, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly!
My baby is now 2 months old and wakes up 2-3 times during the night to nurse. I know that this can be normal at this age but would still like some tips to help him sleep through the night. We already swaddle him for his bedtime routine, this did help at some point where he slept for 6hours straight, but he suddenly doesn’t anymore.
Thank you
Hello Sinead,
Infant sleep can be SUPER unpredictable! We don’t really see sleep become more consistent until around 5 months of age when they are ready to learn how to fall asleep independnetly. 2-3 feeds is very appropriate at this age, so I would continue what you are doing. You are doing great!!
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jillie,
My baby is 2 months and is sleeping 6-7 hour stretches the first part of the night, but wakes roughly 2 hours later and is fussy between 6-8 am. I’ll pick him up to feed, but will immediately fall asleep just fine. I’ll lay him back down and the fussing starts again. He has been this way from the start. How do I get him to sleep well between those hours?
Thank you!
Ashley
Hi Ashley,
The “fourth trimester” can be super challenging and exhausting! Babies still need our help to fall back asleep during these months because they are unable to self-soothe. Your little one is having a really great stretch of sleep the first part of the night! It is okay to feed to sleep at this age. Once your LO is 5 months of age, he will be ready for sleep training and to learn how to fall asleep independently and self-soothe! 🙂
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello!
I have an almost 7 week old and she naps like a star during the day but all falls apart at night. We’ve been putting her down around 10pm and sometimes she sleep 6-7hrs straight, sometimes she wakes up an hour later and won’t sleep until 12-1am (but for a 5hr stretch). Then she wakes up and will nap for 2-3 hrs on me.
Is her bedtime off? (FYI: I don’t let her go more than 2.5-3hrs without feeding during the day so naps never go longer
than 2hrs.)
Hello Brinley,
Based off what you are describing, your LO is doing REALLY well for a 7 week old! Those are some good stretches. I would keep doing what you are doing. You can work on slowly moving up bedtime closer to the 3 month mark. Check out this resource below!
https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/bedtime-for-3-month-old
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello,
I’ve been putting by baby to bed at 6.30-7pm for about 5 weeks now (he’s about 2.5 months old). I’ve suspected it’s too early for bedtime at this age as we have him waking hourly between 4 and 6am like you’ve suggested on your website.
However, were I to move his bedtime later (to the 8-10pm bedtime that you’ve suggested) I would be shifting it earlier again in no time as we’re nearing the 3 month mark now.
Shall we just power through the next few weeks with early morning wakes or should I be moving his bedtime later for now and making it earlier again over time?
Hope this makes sense
Thanks!
Hello Jasmine,
I think it is really up to you and your preference! Are you in an area the celebrates daylight savings? This occurs next month and will also shift everything an hour!
Best,
Alyssa, BSMS Support Team
Hello. I’ve read so many different tips and advice on getting baby to sleep better and yours really is straightforward, I appreciate that. I am curious, and again, have read and heard so many different things, when should you put baby down in his crib for nap and bedtime: drowsy or sleeping? We are having a really hard time with this when it comes to getting our 2 month old to sleep. He falls asleep in arms then the moment he touches the crib, he’s wide awake. I’m assuming drowsy is best but how do I get him to relax and get to sleep? Thank you.
Hi Sabrina! I completely understand your struggle!
You’re right on the nose about getting him to relax so he can fall asleep relaxed. This age based sleep guide has specific tips to help your baby settle easier and sleep better. Also here is a video on the drowsy but awake technique from Jilly’s YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2RG0m7u3dc&lc=z22firnz4oy4y3r5d04t1aokgoulzzk2qst4aihv5dhhrk0h00410
Many babies younger than 5 months old don’t yet have the ability to settle themselves to sleep. They’re still young! So if you’ve tried putting your baby down drowsy to fall asleep on her own and it never seems to work, that’s ok. Keep helping your baby fall asleep for now. And once he turns 5 months you can be confident they can learn to self-settle to sleep, which will lead to longer stretches of sleep for all of you! Our program, 21 Days to Peace & Quiet walks you through it all. We offer 4 different step-by-step methods for you to choose from (from super gentle & gradual to quick & efficient.) Each step of the way you get advice based on your baby’s developmental stage, energy levels, and temperament.
You enroll on this page: https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/21-days-to-peace-quiet-program
Last but not least, I would recommend starting our FREE Exhausted Mom’s Survival Kit which will help you create a Peaceful Nightly Ritual for your LO, honestly it can become your favourite bonding time of the day! https://www.babysleepmadesimple.com/exhausted-moms-survival-kit
Hope these help! / Leena, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jilly,
Your website has helped me so much I have tried to use so called experts before and never found they helped much. You break things down into simple easy to follow steps that have actually helped my family get the sleep we so desperately needed. And this particular guide was perfect !! Thanks Again Daniel
Hi Daniel! That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience and the positive vibes! / Leena, BSMS Support Team
Hi Jillie!
Love all your tips and sleep guide for 2 month old. He sleeps well during the night and doing all the tips you have mentioned already. We are just struggling to get him to sleep during the day for his naps. He is fussy, has tummy pains and just doesnt wanna sleep unless its on me. Please help:) Thank you!
Hi Nina,
I’m so happy you like this sleep guide!
Naps can be short and inconsistent for babies younger than 6 months. Totally normal, yet exhausting..
The best thing you can do is follow his awake times and sleepy signs. Any time you see his energy decrease, a “zoned out” look, yawn, puffy eyes or fussiness, try to get him down for a nap.
Just know that sometimes he’ll go down easily and other times he won’t. He’s still so young and his systems are immature. You do the best you can!
You can wear him in a baby carrier like the Ergo (https://amzn.to/2JTH8kr) or Bjorn (facing in towards you – https://amzn.to/2SKizcG) for naps. So you get to hold him “hands free.” Also try bicycling his legs throughout the day to help relieve trapped gas. Tummy time (supervised and awake) can also help with gas.
I hope this helps,
Jilly