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A sample day at 6 months
Woke at 7:00 am, naps around 9:00 am, 12:10 pm and 4:00 pm, bedtime 7:00 pm.
- Wake windows: 1½–2 hours on 4 naps, 1¾–2½ hours on 3. The first window of the day is the shortest.
- Naps: 3 or 4 a day, both normal: most start the month on 4 and are on 3 by about 4½ months, with 4 again on days when naps run short.
- Day sleep: 3–4½ hours in all.
- Total sleep: 12–16 hours in 24 hours, naps included (AASM, endorsed by the AAP).
- Bedtime: 6:30–8 pm.
A sample day at 4 months
Here is what the planner gives a 4 month old who wakes at 7:00 am, on a day without surprises. Early in the month most babies are still on 4 naps:
Wake 7:00 am · Nap 1 8:30–9:30 am · Nap 2 11:05 am–12:05 pm · Nap 3 1:45–2:30 pm · Nap 4 4:15–4:45 pm · Bedtime 6:30 pm
Windows of 1½–2 hours, a short fourth nap late in the afternoon, and bedtime around 6:30. Somewhere around 4½ months, as staying awake for 2 hours gets easy, most babies move to 3 naps:
Wake 7:00 am · Nap 1 8:45–10:00 am · Nap 2 11:55 am–1:10 pm · Nap 3 3:15–3:55 pm · Bedtime 6:25 pm
Longer windows, one nap fewer, about the same bedtime. The third nap is a 40-minute catnap whose only job is to get your baby to bedtime without a meltdown. Many 4 month olds swing between the two days from one day to the next, and that's fine. In the planner above, tap “Fell asleep” and “Woke up” as the day goes and it re-plans the rest of it, including the switch between 3 and 4 naps.
What changes at 4 months
Sleep itself grows up. Around 3 to 4 months a baby's sleep starts to cycle the way an adult's does, through lighter and deeper stages, with a brief near-waking between cycles. That change is permanent, and it is what people call the 4-month sleep regression. A baby who fell asleep feeding or being rocked now surfaces every 1 to 2 hours, notices that things have changed, and calls for help to get back to sleep. Naps shrink to one 30–45 minute cycle for the same reason.
It feels like going backwards, but it is a step forward. What helps most is giving your baby chances to fall asleep in the crib, drowsy but awake, at least for the first nap or bedtime. Many babies who learn to drift off where they will wake up start linking cycles again within a few weeks. It is a stretch of weeks, not months, for most families.
From 4 naps to 3. The planner's nap-count change from 4 to 3 usually lands between 3½ and 5 months. The signs: a 1¾–2 hour stretch awake is suddenly easy, and the fourth catnap pushes bedtime late. Keep the fourth nap in your pocket for rough days; going back and forth for a week or two is normal.
The windows stretch. At 3 months most babies managed 1¼–2 hours; now the comfortable stretch is closer to 2 hours, a little longer with each window of the day. If your baby fights every nap, try 15 minutes longer before the first one; if they melt down before you get there, go 15 minutes shorter.
Bedtime moves earlier. With the night consolidating, bedtime settles between 6:30 and 8 pm. After a day of short naps, the early end is the right call, not a failure.
Sleepy cues at 4 months, and when they disagree with the clock
- Early cues: staring into space, turning away from toys or faces, quieter play, red eyebrows or eyelids.
- Late cues: rubbing the eyes, pulling the ears, yawning in a row, fussing that a feed or a new toy doesn't fix.
- Overtired: crying hard, arching, a sudden burst of giggly energy (the “second wind”) late in a window.
At this age the wake window sets the plan and the cues fine-tune it. If clear early cues show up 20 minutes before the planned nap, go with the cues; if your baby is happy and alert at the planned time, a few minutes' wait is fine. Under 3 months it's the other way round: cues come first.
Born early?
Plan by adjusted age: a baby born 6 weeks early who is 4 months old today sleeps more like a 2½ month old. The planner does the math if you tap “Born more than 3 weeks early?”; here is how adjusted age works.
Night wakings suddenly every hour or two? Read the 4 month sleep regression: what is changing, how long it lasts and what helps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 4-month sleep regression?
Around 3 to 4 months, sleep starts to cycle like an adult's, with a brief near-waking between cycles. A baby who relies on feeding or rocking to fall asleep then needs the same help after every cycle, so nights get choppier and naps shrink to 30–45 minutes. The change is permanent, but the disruption usually settles within a few weeks, especially once your baby practices falling asleep in the crib.
Should a 4 month old have 3 or 4 naps?
Either is normal. Most 4 month olds start the month on 4 naps with 1½–2 hour wake windows and move to 3 naps, with windows of 1¾–2½ hours, by about 4½ months. On days when naps come out short, a fourth catnap in the late afternoon keeps bedtime reasonable. Switching between 3 and 4 naps from day to day is normal at this age.
How long should a 4 month old nap?
Anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. A 30–45 minute nap is one sleep cycle, and many 4 month olds take mostly those. Total day sleep of about 3 to 4½ hours is typical. Short naps mean a shorter next window, not a ruined day.
Is 2½ hours awake too long for a 4 month old?
It's the top of the usual range, and it suits the last window before bed better than the first one of the morning. If your baby gets fussy, rubs their eyes or fights sleep after 2½ hours, try windows 15 minutes shorter for a few days.
Sources
- Paruthi S. et al., Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, J Clin Sleep Med 2016 (endorsed by the AAP): 4–12 months 12–16 h in 24 h, naps included
- Henderson J.M.T. et al., Sleeping Through the Night: The Consolidation of Self-regulated Sleep Across the First Year of Life, Pediatrics 2010
- Mindell J.A. et al., Development of infant and toddler sleep patterns: real-world data from a mobile application, J Sleep Res 2016
- Galland B.C. et al., Normal sleep patterns in infants and children: a systematic review, Sleep Med Rev 2012
- HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Getting Your Baby to Sleep
- Huckleberry: 4 month old sleep schedule: 3–4 naps a day, most ready for 3 between 4 and 6 months
- Cleveland Clinic: Wake Windows by Age
Spotted a mistake or an outdated figure? Write to [email protected].
All ages: wake windows by age · the full nap schedule planner, newborn to 3 years.