Your Guide to the 2-Month-Old Sleep Schedule: Naps & Wake Windows

If you’re hoping for an iron-clad, “Here’s How to Get Your 2-Month-Old to Sleep Perfectly” article, we might disappoint.

We know how much you might want to have a bit more order in your life right now, but a 2-month-old sleep schedule is more a guide than anything else.

And it is totally normal for each day (and night) to be completely different.

2-month-old sleep patterns are still so immature that really anything goes.

The trick of the trade? Keep an eye on awake windows to prevent your little bub from getting overtired.

As they get more interested in the world around them, it’s easy to think they don’t need as much sleep, but keeping them awake for too long isn’t a happy experience for mama or baby!

So how should you start planning your day with a 2-month-old?

Here’s all you need to know about a sleep schedule for 2-month-old babies.

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How to get a 2-month-old on a sleep schedule

As we said, it’s pretty difficult-slash-impossible to get most 2-month-old babies onto a sleep schedule.

What you can do is figure out a simple bedtime routine and follow an order of things through the day to help establish some kind of rhythm — though the timing of the routine will vary each day.

You might find that your baby is more able to tell the difference between night and day and sleeping for longer stretches overnight — or not.

They might start being happier about napping in their crib or bassinet, or they might only want to settle on you or in their carrier.

Either way, you’re not doing anything wrong.

2-month-old wake window

It’s common for a 2-month-old baby to stay awake happily for somewhere between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.

But these are just averages — your baby may need a slightly shorter or longer wake window.

It’s important to tune into your baby’s sleep needs and use wake windows as a guideline.

Your baby’s wake windows might lengthen throughout the day, depending on how long they napped for last, so keep an eye on their tired signs.

Common signs your little one is getting sleepy include staring into the distance or pulling on their ears.

If they’re yawning or getting fussy, chances are they’re already overtired, so getting them to settle can be more tricky.

Ideally, you want your baby asleep before the end of their wake window, not to start their wind-down at that time.

Phew! It’s a good job all moms are mind-readers, right?

Jokes aside, it’s really hard to spot a tired baby before they even know it themselves.

So if you’re struggling with this, just know you’re not alone, and spotting those sleep clues will get easier with time and practice.

How much sleep does a 2-month-old need?

So how long should a 2-month-old sleep?

Most 2-month-old sleep schedules would suggest the average baby needs 14-17 hours of sleep across a 24-hour period.

This is usually split between 9 to 11 hours of overnight sleep, and 5 to 6 hours of daytime naps.

But it's not unheard of to find that your 2-month-old sleeps 20 hours a day, either.

They've got a lot of growing going on right now, after all!

And, as we always say, every baby is different.

How long should a 2-month-old nap?

In a perfect world, a two-month-old would nap long enough for mama to get a meal and a drink, a shower, and a nice nap for herself.

In reality, a two-month-old baby might nap for as little as 20 minutes or as long as three hours in one stretch.

In general, aim for their five to six hours of day sleep to be split across four to six naps.

At this young age, if you’re breastfeeding, you might want to wake your baby if they’ve been asleep for two hours so you can offer them a feed to keep encouraging your supply and get those daytime calories in.

Ensuring your baby is getting enough feeds during the day can help extend their periods of overnight sleep, though this isn’t an exact science!

If you’re breastfeeding, it's recommended to aim for 10-12 feeds over a 24-hour period.

What time should a 2-month-old go to bed?

It’s common for a sleep schedule for 2-month-old babies to have a bedtime of somewhere around 9pm or later.

With nine to 11 hours of overnight sleep, that would translate to a morning wake-up between 6-8am.

As they get older, their wake windows will extend, the number of naps will reduce, and their bedtimes naturally move earlier, for most babies.

If you want to make a distinction between bedtime and other naps of the day, it’s not too early to start with a bedtime wind-down routine.

This may be a calming bath and baby massage, a special storybook or lullaby, and a final feed for the day — the science shows bedtime routines work!

Your little one may start recognizing that these special activities signal that bedtime is coming, and could help them establish the difference between day and night time.

It’s also totally fine if, after a long day, you don’t stick to a bedtime routine just yet.

Making sure they’re clean, dry, fed, and clothed appropriately for sleep is all you really need.

How long can a 2-month-old sleep at night?

So once they’re in their crib, how long can you expect them to stay there?

It’s very unlikely the whole 9 to 11 hours will be in one long chunk.

It’s super common for nighttimes to still be broken multiple times for comfort and feeds, especially if you’re breastfeeding.

You might start getting a longer stretch of five to seven hours of sleep at the beginning of the night, but don’t stress if you’re not.

It’s completely normal for babies to still wake every 2-3 hours for a feed.

It’s a good idea to keep night wakings as brief and quiet as possible.

Daytime wake windows of 45-90 minutes don’t apply at night.

Keep talking to a low volume and a minimum, and don’t worry about any kind of “play” time.

A dim night light, rather than turning on a lamp or ceiling light, should provide enough of a glow to get the essentials done (a feed and diaper change if they need it) without fully stimulating their senses, so they will settle back to sleep easily… fingers crossed.

Your overnight sleep has likely been pretty broken for a while now, so, amid the haze, it’s a good time to remember to be kind to yourself.

It’s OK if you’re not enjoying every second of this new, completely overwhelming, haphazard life with a newborn baby.

This phase will pass, and you are doing a great job.

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