2-Month-Old Baby Sleep Schedule Explained

Being a new parent is indeed exciting and thrilling. However, since the little one spends most of its time sleeping, the unpredictable nature of the sleep patterns becomes physically exhausting for most parents.

Between nursing the little one and the cuddles, you also need to focus on the circadian rhythm of the baby. In other words, you need to constantly try and understand the secret code to the baby’s sleep schedule.

As the newborn steps into its second month, things can become even more tiring. Understanding a 2-month-old sleep schedule is not easy at all, to say the least. And that is because even though some aspects of the sleep schedule start to become consistent, the pattern can vary, be it the length of the sleep or the wake time.

This article will guide you in getting a better hold on the 2-month-old sleep schedule. Let’s get started.

Ideal Sleep Time for A 2-Month-Old

First, the good news. When the child is born, you are hit by the day-night confusion. But by the time the baby is 2 months old, things start to get better. The confusion starts to subside. A sleep pattern begins to develop, and the new parents finally get some quality sleep at night.

Essentially, every newborn behaves differently when it comes to a sleep schedule. Every baby’s needs differ. However, on average, a 2-month-old should be sleeping about 17-18 hours each day. Typically, the little one will take about 5 – 6 naps in 24 hours.

Nap time during the day usually lasts for about an hour to two hours. Every nap time is followed by a wake time of an hour to two hours. A 2-month-old sleep schedule might feature longer and continuous hours of sleep during the night time.

Effectively, the newborn should sleep approximately about 12 hours at night and about 5 to 6 hours during the day. But the baby might be waking up after every hour or so at night, and that’s a perfect pattern too.

A Typical 2-Month-Old Sleep Schedule

As we said before, each baby’s sleep ultimately depends on their individual needs. However, a sample sleep schedule of a 2-month-old looks something like the one given below:

• Wake up in the morning, say about 7:00 AM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
• Nap time: 1.5 hours. 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM.
• Nap time: 1.5 hours. 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
• Nap time: 1.5 hours. 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
• Nap time: 1.5 hours. 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
• Nap time: 1.5 hours. 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.
• Wakeup time: 1 hour. 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
• Nap time: Bedtime routine between 8:30 – 9:00 PM.

This 2-month-old sleep schedule is just an example, but it shows how the baby naps for one and a half hours every time and has a wake window lasting about an hour. The bedtime is between 8:30 – 9:00 PM, but the little one might take some more time to settle down for the night.

During the night, the child will get up again for feeds, though. During this period, nap time increases, and wake-up time progressively reduces.

Sleep Training a Two-Month Old

Is it possible to train your few-week-old child to fall into a sleep routine? Experts believe that you can sleep train your newborn, especially to sleep through the night. However, most people recommend starting sleep training kids only when they are about 4 months old. Some parents might want to start sleep training earlier for the holistic well-being of the baby, the parents themselves, and other family members.

Sleep training for a newborn is also known as sleep shaping and can be started when the baby is 4 weeks old. What it means is that you are gently enforcing healthy sleeping habits for the little one.

Generally, however, small babies fall into a natural pattern of sleep without the need to be taught. It just requires a bit of patience and understanding on the parent’s part for the 2-month-old sleep schedule to shape up.

One of the main things that you need to work on and around during the 2-month-old sleep schedule is the wake-up window of the little one.

Tips for A Healthy 2-Month-Old Sleep Schedule

For a two-month-old baby, it is crucial that the sleep timings are consistent throughout. This will help put the child into a healthy sleep routine for the future. Teaching the baby to follow a consistent routine will also initiate the process of associating with sleep signals.

Here are a few tips to help parents navigate through this journey as they get work around the 2-month-old sleep schedule.

1. Since the objective is to focus on the wake time of your little one, start by using this time to engage with the baby. Playing with the baby is a good option. This can help in two ways. One, it is an amazing way to bond with the newborn. Second, the activities during the day will help reinforce the difference between night and day.
2. Also, before we move to any other tip about starting your child on a 2-month-old sleep schedule, you need to make sure that the baby falls asleep in a crib rather than you rocking the newborn into sleep mode in your arms or on top of you.
3. Try activities like listening to music, reading a book, dimming the lights, darkening the room, etc., just before the baby is ready for the next nap. It is an amazing way to train the baby’s brain in interpreting and associating sleep signals.
4. Teaching the baby to fall asleep on their own is another important task for new parents. The best way to do so is to put the 2-month-old to bed when drowsy. It is tempting to keep rocking the baby but putting the child to bed at this time helps them learn to go from drowsiness to sleep on their own.
5. At night, parents must try their best to fight the urge to play or indulge in any other activity with the baby when they wake up. Doing so will reverse all the training that you have been trying to give the small one till now. Hence, during waketime at night, ensure that you keep the lights off and put the blinds down on the window. Also, make sure that the room is noiseless. Parents are advised to do everything possible to facilitate the little one to adhere to the 2-month-old sleep schedule, especially at night.
6. Another gray area often noticed in parent behavior is when the baby wakes up at night. The first thing they do as soon as they hear the child is up is to reach out to cradle the child. However, the tip is to wait for a few minutes before doing so. This is to help the child go back to sleep on their own. However, if the child continues to fuss, then the parents should check on the baby. If the baby is crying and continues to do so even after the cuddles and plays, understand that it is probably due to hunger pangs, a wet diaper, or some health issues which need immediate attention.
7. Another great tip for parents is about when to feed the child. Feeding should always happen when the 2-month-old baby wakes up and not when you are trying to put them to sleep.

Challenges in Setting up A 2-Month-Old Sleep Schedule

• Night-time feeds are one of the biggest challenges in setting up a smooth 2-month-old sleep schedule. It is advisable that you feed your baby enough during the daytime. But even with their tummy full, the baby is bound to wake up at least once or twice during the nighttime for feed.
• Many parents try to overfeed their 2-month-old baby just before bedtime, assuming that it will keep the little one full for a longer time. However, parents need to remember that doing this can cause discomfort to the baby; hence, not advisable.
• At times, your two-month-old may stay awake for a longer time during bedtime and have difficulty settling down. This is a big challenge because parents usually have no idea what is causing the baby to delay sleep. At such times, you need to re-evaluate the baby’s wakeup time – maybe the child has been awake for too long and hence, is overtired. The other reason could be that the little one is napping too much during the daytime.

Conclusion

Sleep deprivation is common in new parents. The solution lies in understanding the natural sleep pattern first and then incorporating a sleep routine, even though your child is too young to follow a strict schedule. While the schedule may vary from day to day and child to child, between 4 and 8 weeks, it is the right time for parents to initiate the process of teaching a 2-month-old sleep schedule. And, at no cost should the parents panic and try to rush things if their baby’s sleep schedule is not something they understand fully.

We are excited to know about your experiences with your newborn. Share your tips and ideas for a 2-month-old sleep schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is It Essential to Have a Healthy 2-month-old baby schedule?

With a set sleep schedule, the little one will learn to sleep and awake as per a fixed routine. This will help the baby in the future to have a good sleep routine. A fixed naptime is also one of the main factors affecting the child’s physical health and mental well-being.

What Is the Best Bedtime for a Two-Month-Old Child?

Every child will have their own naptimes, waketimes, and bedtimes, and can be no thumb of rule applied in this case. On average, a two-month-old’s bedtime should be between 8:30 PM and 9:00 PM. If the baby is well-fed, they should be able to sleep all through the night with one or two feeds.

What Are the Signs That The Two-Month-Old Is Ready to Sleep?

The newborn baby will usually start to be fussy and fidgety when sleepy. They might also cry, rub their eyes, and yawn indicating that the baby is ready to sleep.