This post will cover the optimal sleep schedule for 2 month old baby using 4-5 nap days.
For more helpful and fun content, follow me on Pinterest!
As a first time mom, once you are out of an initial couple of months postpartum, baby sleep patterns tend to neutralize a little bit.
An age-appropriate schedule for 2 month old baby sleeping habits can be implemented at this age.
Since 2 month old baby sleep is still slightly erratic, nudging them in the right direction with newborn wake windows and following sleepy cues will get them on a more predictable schedule.
Baby sleep patterns at this age can still feel like you’re trying to grab the bull by the horns to garner direction and control.
When I looked back at Annabelle’s sleep patterns on my Huckleberry app, some of her naps, although we would start at the same time every day, would be at different times throughout the day because she wouldn’t nap the whole duration.
This will be commonplace, so don’t beat yourself up or get too frustrated with the baby if they aren’t napping the entire duration.
Excellent and predictable sleep takes time, lots of it, and practice.
Sleep isn’t just developmental; it is a skill that needs to be repeated over time to get good and confident at it, and your baby will!
As new parents or a first time mom, it is your job to set the stage for fantastic and predictable sleep, which is crucial for your little one’s long-lasting and healthy sleeping skills.
Implementing a healthy schedule for 2 month old baby sleep is the beginning of setting the stage for lifelong healthy sleep!
Let’s get going!
This post will review the best sleep schedule for 2 month old baby.
2 Month Old Nap ( 4-5 Naps )
Once a baby is two months old, it’s a great time to start implementing more consistent sleeping schedules with the same wake windows every time and morning wake time and creating a schedule with a routine and an age-appropriate wake time.
Consistency is critical to getting a baby to sleep well and setting the stage for developmental abundance.
They still can’t stay up for too long at this age, so depending on your baby, they will take anywhere from 4-5 naps daily.
2 month old sleep is still very fickle, along with their baby’s sleep patterns, so nudging babies in the right direction by implementing age-appropriate sleep schedules gives them the security and confidence they need to sleep independently.
2 Month Old Nap Routine
For The First Time Mom
Don’t worry.
You don’t need all the bells and whistles or perform some form of interpretive dance to lull your little one to sleep.
It doesn’t need to be that complicated.
For naps, it can be as simple as this: 20 minutes before nap time:
- Dim Lights and Turn on Night Lights/Amber Lights
- Close Black Out Shades
- Change Diaper
- Put on Body Lotion
- Put on Comfy Clothes
- Get on Sleep Sack
- Turn on Sound Machine
- Snuggle
- Then Put To Bed
For Bedtime, a routine can look like this: 1 hour before bedtime, dim lights, and turn on relaxing music in baby’s bedroom:
- Bottle Feed/Nurse
- Rock and Snuggle
- Change Diaper
- Put on Lotions
- Give any Medicine/Supplements
- Put on PJ’s
- Put on Sleep Sack
- Snuggle with Music a Little More
- Turn on a Sound Machine
- Snuggle Baby Longer
- Put Down for Bed
How Much Should a 2 Month Old Sleep?
Tips For New Parents
At this age, a baby needs 15-16 hours of sleep in 24 hours, with 5-8 of them taking place during naps.
This will vary on the baby’s birth date, if they were born early, on time, or a little late, and unique needs, characteristics, and temperament.
Can a 2 Month Old Sleep Through The Night?
How long does a 2 month old sleep?
Everyone’s meaning for “sleep through the night.” Can a 2 month old sleep 6 hours without a feed? Some can, yes.
Can some 2 month old babies sleep all the way through without a feed?
However, it isn’t likely, common, or generally recommended.
Early on, their tummies are super small and can only take in a small amount of food at a time, so they must be fed so often.
When your baby can tolerate more food in a single sitting depends on each baby.
So if you’re asking yourself “ When will my two month old sleep through the night?”
Probably not at least for another month or two, hang in there mama.
However, implementing an age-appropriate schedule for 2 month old baby sleep will get your baby sleeping through the night sooner than later!
When Do Babies Sleep Through the Night Without Feeding?
The million-dollar question.
According to Moms on Call, a newborn baby can go up to 5 hours without a feed, and that is a newborn.
Depending on your baby’s weight, you can talk to your pediatrician if you think your baby is ready to sleep longer stretches through the night without a feed.
For my pediatrician, it was by the time she was 12 lbs, roughly 3 months old.
Annabelle was doing 5 hours of sleep every night by the time she was about three weeks old once we implemented a consistent morning wake time and bedtime routine.
What is the 2 Month Old Nap Length?
Depending on your baby’s unique temperament and specific sleep needs, a 2 month old can sleep anywhere from 10 Minutes – 2 Hours.
I know, super fat disparity.
Although their sleep is a little more predictable and consolidated at this age, there still isn’t too much data to work off of.
Related Reading: Taking Cara Babies : An Honest Mom Review
How Many Naps Should a Two-Month-Old Take?
Depending on your baby’s sleep needs, this will span 4-5 naps.
However, don’t get too hung up on predictable napping schedules yet, baby will still throw you curveballs.
What Do The Wake Windows Look Like For a Two-Month-Old?
The wake time varies based off your baby’s specific sleep needs, temperament and personality.
5 Nap Wake Windows
1.25/1.25/1.25/1.25/1.5/1.75
4 Nap Wake Windows
1.25/1.25/1.5/1.5/1.75
How Much Nighttime Sleep For a 2 Month Old?
This amount will vary depending on your baby’s unique temperament, family dynamic, and specific sleep needs.
However, most 2 month olds will sleep anywhere from 9-12 hours per night, often interrupted.
It all depends on how your baby napped during the day.
Why Do Babies Fight Sleep?
Babies that fight sleep are potentially doing so for two reasons, one, they aren’t tired enough and don’t want to be put down for a nap or bedtime. If this seems likely, your baby isn’t cranky at naptime or showing any sleepy cues but gets upset when you start your routine, likely, they aren’t ready and need more wake time.
Try adding 15 minutes next time and see if that helps.
The second reason is that you have an overtired and wired baby.
When your baby is overtired, it’s hard for them to relax, and their bodies can go into a fight or flight mode with adrenaline pumping through their bodies which makes them fight sleep even harder.
We have all been overtired before, when you’re tired but you just can’t seem to fall asleep, it’s the worst.
The overtired baby cycle can be a tough one to get through.
Ensure they get the extra sleep they need at night by putting baby down for an early bedtime if naps are short to ensure you don’t get an overtired baby.
Related Reading: 18 Amazing Baby Sleep Tips That Work Fast
Bedtime For a 2 Month Old
Baby’s bedtime will always vary. The time a 2 month old should go to bed is contingent on how their nap day went based on when you woke them up that morning.
In general, it is good to have a bedtime goal. Our goal was to have her down no later than 8:30 those early days, and most of the time, we got her down by then.
Generally speaking, a bedtime for a 2 month old would be anywhere from 7-10 pm, depending on when you decided their morning wake time is and how their naps went.
All in all, don’t get too hung up on bedtimes and focus more on making sure the baby isn’t up to long or not long enough to avoid an overtired baby or a baby that still wants to party in bed.
Schedule For 2 Month Old Baby
2 Month Old Nap Schedule 5 Naps
Keep in mind that this schedule worked for my daughter when she was 2 Months old.
This schedule is not meant to be followed like gospel; it is simply a blueprint to work from.
Some days she would use more sleep, some less.
She would not always nap ideally; most days, she didn’t, so please don’t aim for perfection.
Your baby will have short naps and will have to do early bedtimes.
Some days she would only nap 45 minutes instead of the total 75.
It is good practice to go off wake windows and sleepy cues when they are this young.
For example, for the first nap, if she only napped until 8:45, I would put her down 1.25 hours after waking up.
Some days, we put her down early because of her short naps so she could get longer and more restorative sleep at night.
If you’re a first time mom, it’s super important to remember that night times will not be constant; morning wake times will be.
The bedtime will vary depending on how baby naps during the day; we are always shooting for our preset goal bedtime, but, as life has it, our babies are not robots, and we will have some early morning bedtimes.
My daughter tended to sleep less, not more than the designated nap time, so she needed more naps during the day.
If your baby seems to sleep perfectly long, they could do a four-nap day just fine.
2 Month Old Nap Schedule 4 Naps
Newborn wake windows can be tricky.
If you feel your baby is able to sleep longer stretches, takes longer naps and can tolerate longer wake times, then go for a 4 nap day.
My daughter didn’t reach a schedule like this until she was closer to 3 months old, however every baby is different.
It is important to take time to record the data of your baby sleep patterns for your little one so you can garner an idea of their sleeping habits.
Then you can nudge them to a schedule that will suit them where they can thrive in.
Always go with the flow with your kid’s sleep, and don’t get too hung up on what other kids your baby’s age are sleeping, when they are sleeping, or how; just focus on what your baby needs, and all will be well.
At this stage, don’t expect too much predictability.
Annabelle’s sleep was still very hit-and-miss.
Some days, she would sleep precisely as the schedule had it for three days, and then she would have three days she couldn’t nap a whole nap to save her life.
Remember that development isn’t linear, and their little brains are constantly developing and growing, which makes things like sleep more complicated than they usually are.
Here is a screenshot of Annabelle’s sleeping patterns recorded on our Huckleberry app.
As you can see here, Annabelle had days where she only napped 4 naps, and some days she needed 5.
This was happening the closer she got the 3 months old.
You can see Annabelle still didn’t have much predictability in her days. However, her nights were consistent, with her waking up once between 12AM and 3 AM for a bottle feed.
Just go with the flow on what your baby needs daily while sticking to your morning wake time like glue, and your baby will slowly ease into a more predictable napping schedule.
Be consistent and stick with it!
Related Reading:7 Causes Why Baby Sleeps With Their Mouth Open
Baby Sleep Patterns
Don’t Get Too Hung Up…Yet
Every baby is unique in temperament, personality, family dynamic and personal sleep needs.
There is no one size fit for sleep schedules or for baby rearing in general.
Baby sleep takes a ton of time, energy, and intention to master, babies who sleep well are made, not born, this is my ultimate belief.
Some babies enjoy their sleep more than others and need less intervention. However, every baby needs guidance, structure, and predictability in their sleep routines to set the lifelong foundation of a good sleeper!
It is a lot of hard work and super tedious, but it is worth it not being chronically sleep-deprived for years.
New parents or first-time moms of 2 month old babies must understand the importance of regular sleep schedules and proper sleep practices.
Create a comfortable and safe sleeping environment, set consistent bedtime routines, and be mindful of your baby’s individual sleep needs. In that case, parents can help ensure their baby gets the rest they need to grow and develop properly.
Additionally, it is important for a first-time mom to remember that every baby is different and that what works for one may not work for another. Parents need to remain flexible and willing to adjust their sleep strategies as necessary to meet the needs of their little ones.
Overall, by understanding these facts about baby sleep patterns and 2 month old baby sleep then implementing appropriate sleep practices, parents can play a crucial role in promoting healthy sleep for their children for the rest of their lives.
Newborn Sleeping Tips
When they are still so young, roughly around 8 weeks old, there is still a lot of unpredictability in their baby sleep patterns, despite your best efforts to steer them toward a more predictable schedule.
Remember, your morning time is gospel, always stick to it and stay consistent!
Baby will habitually start to get the hang of when they wake up as they get more into your scheduling groove.
Also, bedtime will be fluid, don’t get hung up on keeping the same bedtime every night, odds are it won’t happen.
Remember baby’s bedtime is contingent to how they napped that day.
If they nap perfectly, their bedtime will remain the same.
If they take some short naps, which is likely, bedtime will likely be earlier that night.
This not only means more restorative rest for the baby, but you as well!
The schedule is not meant for you to be a neurotic nazi mess over.
This young is simply a loose blueprint to work from as you set the stage for healthy and independent sleep habits.
Your baby will most likely not sleep through the night at this age; they are too young.
Let go of that expectation and get excited that the habits and schedule you are working toward now will soon result in a baby who sleeps through the night!
Follow age appropriate wake windows while also watching your baby’s sleep cues.
If a baby wakes up early from a nap, put them down after the next duration of wake time from the time they wake up.
I know this sounds like a lot, but I promise it will feel like second nature with time.
Then, when you are living large and riding high with a 6-month-old that sleeps 12+ hour stints uninterrupted, you can relish your hard work and soak it all up as your baby snoozes away soundly, thanks to you!
