4 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Get a FREE custom sleep and feeding schedule

Our pediatric sleep experts at Nanit Lab deliver a personalized schedule based on your baby’s age, feeding method, current rest patterns, and more. Plus, you’ll receive tips on upcoming milestones and features to help you with each new stage! 

CREATE YOUR CUSTOM SCHEDULE

4 Month Old Nap Schedule

Between 4 and 6 months, your little one’s naptimes may still vary, but they’ll most likely be napping somewhere between 2 and 4 hours in total during the day. Your baby might enjoy 3 naps between 4-5 months, and 2 longer naps around 6 months of age. If you haven’t already started sleep training the little one, now is the time to consider it. You can do this by putting your baby down to sleep while they’re still awake. You can expect some tears here and there if they happen to be used to falling asleep with you. At this age, babies should also be transitioned into a crib, rather than with you in your bed or in a bassinet. It may be tough to part ways with your baby in this way, but you want to help them understand their own space and surroundings, which means that they’re not always going to be right next to you. It’s okay to have your baby taking naps in the stroller, the car, or on the go by some other means, but you’ll want to make sure to eliminate all motion from nap and sleep times at around 6 months, by making sure that most sleep happens in the crib. You can sort of think of the crib as a little sanctuary of open space for your baby — you want it to be a place where they’re able to move freely and sleep peacefully.

4 Month Old Feeding Schedule

At this point, a regular sleep/eat/wake schedule will help your little one know when it’s time to eat, sleep, and be awake. Your baby should be getting comfortable sleeping through the night (a full 11-12 hours) without a feed. Make sure your baby is getting all the food they need during the day, by getting a minimum of 24 ounces total, with 5-8 ounces per feed. That obviously may be tricky to track if you’re nursing exclusively, but if you are feeding actively for 15-20 minutes, 5x a day, you’re probably getting just the right amount. If you’re concerned, another great way to double check is to see how much milk you can produce during a given time while pumping.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusively breastfeeding or formula feeding for the first 4-6 months, recognizing that infants often are developmentally ready to accept solids between 4-6 months. That said, it’s ultimately up to you and your baby! You know their feeding habits better than anyone, and can probably sense by the way they’re eating, whether or not they’ll welcome solid foods at 6 months (or perhaps even earlier).

4 Month Old Wake Windows

At 4 months old, your baby's wake windows are still relatively short, typically ranging between 1 to 2 hours. During these periods, your little one is alert and ready to engage with the world. Pay attention to their sleep cues – if they start getting fussy or show signs of tiredness, it's a clear indication that they're ready for a nap. Creating a routine around these wake windows helps ensure your baby gets the right balance of playtime and rest for their healthy development.

How Long Should a 4 Month Old Sleep?

It’s important for everyone in the house — that is, everyone interacting with and taking care of the baby — to be on the same page about the baby’s sleep schedule. You should all come to expect that your baby will be sleeping for longer periods of time throughout the night, and shorter periods of time throughout the day. For this reason, there may be less confusion between nighttime and daytime for your little one. Total sleep between naps and bedtime will fall between 14 and 16 hours, and you’re welcome to introduce a sleep schedule and a bedtime routine at this age. (It’s never too early to have your baby getting used to a routine before bed.) Try out different calming activities and see how the two of you feel — this should be just as calming and beneficial for developing healthy sleep habits for you as it is for your little one. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about what you’d like for your own bedtime routine! Be sure to allow some time before your baby’s normal bedtime for the routine to take them directly to their crib. You may also choose to remove certain objects, like pacifiers, from your baby’s reach or mouth during bedtime. This way, they won’t wake up in the middle of the night to find the pacifier has fallen out, which can make it harder for them to fall back asleep on their own.

4 Month Old Sleep Schedule