Now that your baby is at the five-month mark or almost to it, you are probably wondering how much sleep your little one needs, especially if you want baby to sleep through the night. Those first couple of months, your baby was sleeping for a big chunk of the day and night while waking to eat. Most pediatricians recommend transitioning to a sleep schedule around the four-to-six-month mark. Five months is the perfect sweet spot.
Getting your little one into a sleep routine is beneficial for baby and for the whole household. Doing so isn’t as difficult as you may think. We have an easy 5-month-old sleep schedule that will have everyone enjoying quality z’s.
5-month-old sleep schedule
As a new parent, it can be tough to know how much sleep your baby needs. It’s also hard to figure out when your baby should be put on a sleep schedule. Many parents try putting a baby on a sleep schedule as early as 2 months old. However, most experts say 4 to 6 months old is the best time. Five months falls right in the middle, meaning it’s the ideal time to begin transitioning your little one to a sleep schedule.
How much does a 5-month-old baby need to sleep? The answer is that they should sleep around 12 to 15 hours a day, including naps. Of course, the bulk of the sleep should be at night with around 6 to 8 hours. For sleep-deprived parents, that probably sounds wonderful. An ideal sleep schedule for a 5-month-old includes three naps.
Sample 5-month-old sleep schedule
Remember the goal is to have the longest stretch of sleep during the nighttime hours. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all sleep schedule for babies, but this one provides a balance of sleep and awake time.
- Good morning – 7 a.m.
- Morning nap – 9:15 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Afternoon nap – 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
- Late afternoon nap – 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
- Start bedtime routine – 7 p.m.
- Bedtime – 7:45 p.m.
The times may not work for many parents especially if you have siblings that need to be dropped off and picked up for school. That’s OK. It’s not the times that are written in stone, but the number of naps and their length. Some babies may be early risers. So, feel free to adjust your little one’s sleep schedule, but keep these tips in mind.
Tips for a 5-month-old sleep schedule
Since there isn’t one set sleep schedule for a 5-month-old to fit everyone’s daily schedule, the goal is to provide your little one with three naps in between waking periods. The morning and afternoon naps should be about 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. That late afternoon nap should only be about 45 minutes long. Avoid making the late afternoon a lengthy snooze. Doing so will make falling and staying asleep at night even harder.
The sample sleep schedule provides little ones with around 2.5 hours of awake time. There is always a lot going on during those awake times, especially if you have other children. For example, the time between waking and the morning nap may be spent dropping older kiddos off at school and running errands. Pickup from school and drop-off to practices typically happen between the afternoon and the late afternoon nap. Many parents may also work from home, meaning they’re balancing nap times with work obligations.
When you’re creating the 5-month-old sleep schedule that works best for your family, aim for the length and number of naps. The times are flexible. Any 5-month-old sleep schedule has to work for everyone. Every day won’t run like clockwork and that’s OK. too. If your baby doesn’t get quality nap time on a crazy day, make bedtime earlier.
Is 4 naps okay?
If your little one seems to need four naps, that’s alright. Every little one is different. For kiddos that still seem to need a fourth nap, try this sample schedule.
- Wake up – 7 a.m.
- Morning nap – 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. (4 -minutes)
- Late morning nap – 11 a.m. until noon (1 hour)
- Afternoon nap – 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (1 hour)
- Late afternoon nap – 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (30 minutes)
- Start bedtime routine – 7 p.m.
- Bedtime – 7-45 p.m.
A four-nap 5-month-old sleep schedule has short nap times because there are essentially two naps in the morning and two in the afternoon. Make sure to not let that late afternoon snooze be more than 30 minutes. It will make going to sleep at night difficult.
Nap tips
Don’t walk on tiptoes around the house during the day. When babies are used to noise, they find it easier to fall asleep. So, you can still get work and household chores done while baby is taking a snooze. If you’re dragging, use that time to sneak in a quick nap for yourself, too. Keep the curtains open. This will help babies eventually learn the difference between naptime and bedtime. It will also make it easier to do naps on the run during those busy days when you can’t put babies down to nap in their crib.
A bedtime routine
Having a nighttime routine goes a long way in helping little ones fall asleep on their own. The bedtime routine should typically include tummy time, a bath, a bedtime story, and a nighttime bottle. This simple bedtime routine doesn’t need to wait until five months. You can start that as early as possible. Be sure your bedtime routine has that evening feel, ending with lights out. You want this to have a different vibe than nap time since you want the bulk of the sleep to come in the overnight hours so you can get quality rest, too.
Will baby still wake up at night?
The quick answer is yes. Some babies may still wake up at 5 months old for a 2 a.m. feeding. Every baby is different. Some start sleeping through the night before the five-month mark while others need one to two feedings.
Establishing good sleep hygiene is important. As crazy as it sounds, it does start when kids are little. Creating a 5-month-old sleep schedule will not only help babies fall asleep on their own, but it also works to provide quality sleep for the entire house. Use our sample three- and four-nap 5-month-old sleep schedules to make one that works best in your household.
