3-4 Months

Total Sleep Hours: 14-16
Night time Hours: 10-12
Daytime Hours: 4-5 (typically 3-5 naps per day at 3 months, closer to 3 by 4 months)

• Continue putting your baby to sleep in a dark, quiet, consistent place to sleep.
• A predictable soothing routine is key.  I recommend using a song to act as a cue for your baby to know that it’s almost time for him to be left alone to sleep. Sing the same song every time you put him down for naps/bedtime!
• Her wakeful periods are longer now, 1.5-2 hours between naps.
• Bedtime naturally occurs earlier in the evening, around 6-8pm.
• A few of his naps are getting longer now – yay!
• Around 4 months of age it’s time to start encouraging a sleep schedule, but the process isn’t immediate  –  especially if she doesn’t have self-soothing skills yet.
• Allow him to practice soothing himself to sleep each day by not running to him each time he wakes up or is trying to fall asleep. Allow him to gain confidence in his ability to be alone and figure out how to fall asleep by soothing himself.
• After the bedtime is established, you’ll soon notice a  regular wake-up time between 5:30-7am, next the morning nap will fall into place at 8-9am, and the afternoon naps will fit into the schedule later.
• Now is a great time to introduce a “lovey” or comfort object! Include this in the soothing routine.
• Naps should be at least an hour in length, but of course all babies are different. Some are “short nappers” but most need more to get a fully restorative nap. If your baby wakes up too soon, leave him for a few minutes to see if he’ll fall back to sleep. Try to leave him for a full hour from the start of the nap to the time you go to him. Practice makes perfect!

Looking for a certified child sleep consultant in Atlanta, Georgia or any other state?  Happy Healthy Sleep can help your family get the sleep you all deserve.