Everyone wants their baby to sleep well, but what is the best way? When should they be put down to sleep? What is the definition of “sleeping through the night”?
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about a two month old sleep schedule, including:
- How Much Sleep Do Babies Need?
- When Can You Put a Baby on a Sleep Schedule?
- Example 2 Month Old Baby Schedule
- Tips for Maintaining a Newborn Sleep Schedule
How Much Should a 2 Month Old Sleep?
Babies changes all the time. This is especially true in the first year of their life. That’s why a one month old sleep schedule might not work once your baby reaches the two month mark.
Every baby is different, but on average most 2 month olds sleep a total of 14-17 hours a day. However, not all of that sleep happens at once! Two month old babies love their naps and usually take 4-6 over the course of 24 hours. At his point, babies have usually acclimated to a daytime routine and have conquered their day-night confusion that occurs when they’re first born.
You’ll find a pattern that works best for your child but a reliable 2 month old nap schedule to follow is for them to average 60-90 minutes of wake time followed by 45-90 minutes of nap time. At this age, most babies are not sleeping through the night (even though we’d love for them to do so!). This is primarily because they need to eat every three hours or so. But, that leads us to the all-important question of:
When is Your Baby Going to Sleep Through the Night?
First, let’s address what sleeping through the night actually means. There’s some confusion here because adults think of sleeping through the night as 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. But babies at two months old simply can’t do this! They have other needs that need to be taken care of like feedings, diaper changes, and soothing. For this reason, a 2 month sleep schedule may feature a stretch of 5-6 hours of sleep at night. This is enough for a baby to be deemed sleeping through the night.
That said, a typical baby will sleep in 3-4 hour increments at night until they’re about 6 months old. Then, a baby will start to sleep approximately 8 hours at night.
How to Teach Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
If you’ve been struggling with how to teach your baby to sleep through the night successfully, it may be due to the fact that they are just a few months old and simply unable to sleep through the night yet. The best thing you can do right now is to lay the foundation of a schedule and good sleep habits so they progress towards this milestone. After all, in order to get your baby on a good schedule and sleep as much as possible, it’s important to start teaching them early on.
Example 2 Month Baby Schedule
The first two months of an infant’s life can be chaotic and unpredictable, but it is helpful to establish a routine.
Some of these times and routines are estimates so that you can get a feel of what your infant’s schedule will be like. Not all babies are the same, so feel free to adjust this schedule to fit your baby’s needs. (Note: you can use this plan to create a 1 month old sleep schedule simply by shortening the wake times and extending the nap times as needed.)
6:30 am Wake up. Diaper, feed, and burp. Then, playtime with mom or dad before nap.
8:00 am The nap should be around 8:00 am each day. Change baby’s diaper before naptime. (Remember, wake windows at this age are only 90 minutes.)
9:30 am Wake up from a nap, change diaper (again!) and feed the baby before playtime. Feeding should last about 20 minutes or so.
11:00 am Time to sleep again! (And for another diaper change.)
12:30 pm Time to wake up and eat again. Squeeze in plenty of playtime or some time outside if weather permits.
2:00 pm Time to sleep again! (And for another diaper change.)
4:00 pm Time to wake up. (Another diaper change!) You’ll notice this window of sleep is longer. That’s because we’re going to stretch the baby’s wake time before bed.
6:00 pm Bottle before bedtime. Bedtime should be around 6:30 pm each day, with a feeding and diaper change just before bedtime.
6:30 pm Go to bed.
Tips for Maintaining a Newborn Sleep Schedule
A newborn baby sleep schedule typically includes 14-17 hours of sleep per day, but a lot of parents are overwhelmed with the idea of getting their newborn on a sleep schedule. With that in mind, we’ve put together some tips below on how you can maintain your newly established routine and preserve your sanity!
- Try wrapping your infant in a light blanket so they feel secure while they’re sleeping.
- Place your baby in a dark and quiet room to sleep. Your infant will learn to fall asleep alone, which can be a great asset as they grow up.
- For more effective results, try white noise. White noise is proven to reduce the amount of time it takes for your newborn to fall asleep and make their sleep more restful.
- If you have trouble getting your newborn to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night, try offering a pacifier.
Let Go Au Pair Help
Now that you know more about creating a baby sleep schedule, you can see that it’s no easy feat! Let Go Au Pair help. We can make your life easier by performing common childcare tasks along with laundry, cooking, and other household chores. Plus, many are CPR and first aid certified, and most are infant qualified with more than 200 hours of infant care experience so you can rest assured your children are in good hands.
Want to learn more about working with an au pair? We have resources dedicated to understanding the au pair cost as well as the difference between a nanny and au pair.
