4 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Sample Schedule, Wake Windows and Feeding

The Quick Answer

A 4 month old usually needs about 4 naps a day (3 to 4 hours of daytime sleep in total), 11 to 12 hours overnight, a wake window of about 1 hour 45 minutes, and a full feed every 3 to 3.5 hours during the day. Bedtime is set by when your baby wakes from the last nap, and often lands between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. Because naps change so much at this age, the times matter less than the intervals between sleeps and feeds.

Parents often ask me to lay out a 4 month old sleep schedule for them, and I'll be honest: I'm not a fan of rigid schedules at this age. At 4 months, naps vary so much from baby to baby, and from day to day, that a fixed schedule is really just a snapshot of one day. It can leave you feeling like you're failing when your baby doesn't nap "by the book."

I'm Sarah Mitchell, founder of Helping Babies Sleep and author of The Helping Babies Sleep Method. After more than 1,000 families across Palo Alto, San Jose and the Bay Area, I've found that what parents really need at 4 months isn't a schedule to follow. It's a way to predict their baby's day. That's the flexible schedule, and it's the heart of the second pillar of The Helping Babies Sleep Method: timing.

What's Happening at 4 Months?

Four months is a time of big change. Most babies are in the middle of the 4 month sleep regression, when their sleep shifts to more adult-like sleep cycles. It's a permanent change in how your baby sleeps, not a phase that passes. You may notice:

• More night wakings, often every few hours, after weeks of longer stretches
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• Shorter naps, many ending right at 45 minutes
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• A long morning nap that has suddenly disappeared
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• A baby who is far more aware of the world, and more distractible during feeds

Your baby's body clock is also still maturing. It isn't fully established until around 6 months, which is a big reason naps are so unpredictable right now. If you'd like the science behind all of this, read 4-Month Sleep Regression: Causes, Signs, and How to Navigate It.

How Much Sleep Does a 4 Month Old Need?

• Wake window: about 1 hour 45 minutes (the first one of the day is often closer to 1.5 hours)
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• Naps: about 4 a day
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• Daytime sleep: 3 to 4 hours in total
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• Night sleep: 11 to 12 hours
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• Total sleep: about 15.5 hours in 24 hours
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• Feeding window: every 3 to 3.5 hours during the day

See how this compares with other ages in Wake Windows by Age.

Sample 4 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Here's a sample day on 4 naps from my book. Read it as an example of how the intervals work, not a timetable to match to the minute.

What's important in this schedule:

• The intervals: about 1 hour 45 minutes awake between sleeps, and about 3 hours between full feeds.
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• Feeding on waking, not right before sleep.
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• Bedtime following the last nap. If any nap runs longer, bedtime moves later.
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• The daily total of 3 to 4 hours of naps.

What's not important: the exact clock times. If your baby wakes at 7:00 a.m., shift everything 30 minutes later. If a nap runs short, the next one simply comes sooner.

How to Use a Flexible Schedule at 4 Months

A fixed schedule assumes you can control how long your baby naps. You can't, especially at 4 months. What do you do when your baby poops herself awake mid-nap? Keep her up until the "official" next nap, even though she's clearly tired? That's where fixed schedules set parents up to struggle.

The flexible schedule is built on two simple ideas:

1. Every time your baby wakes up, predict the next sleep. At 4 months, aim to have your baby back asleep about 1 hour 45 minutes later.
2. Every time your baby has a full feed, predict the next feed. At 4 months, that's about 3 hours later.

That's it. These two habits carry you all the way to toddlerhood, through short naps, teething and travel. I explain how wake windows change as your baby grows in Wake Windows by Age: A Simple Guide for Parents.

Feeding at 4 Months

This is where my background as a Certified Lactation Counselor comes in, and it's the third pillar of The Helping Babies Sleep Method: intentional feeding. At 4 months, feeding and sleep are tightly linked.

• Aim for full feeds about every 3 hours. If your baby is feeding every 2 hours, try stretching to 2.5 hours for two days, then 3 hours. Most babies become less distracted and eat for longer. By 5 months, most move to about every 4 hours.
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• Feed on waking. This keeps feeding and falling asleep separate, so your baby doesn't learn that they need to feed to fall asleep.
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• Don't let your baby doze at the breast or bottle late in a wake window. Even a short drowse lowers sleep pressure and makes the next nap harder.
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• Night feeds are normal at this age. Some babies still take a dreamfeed, and some wean from it during the fourth month. By 5 months it can usually be dropped.

These feeding times apply to babies who are gaining weight well. If you have any concerns about weight gain, check in with your pediatrician or a lactation consultant first. Read more in The Feeding and Sleep Connection and The Snacking Cycle.

Naps at 4 Months

• 45-minute naps are common. That's one sleep cycle. A short nap is only a problem if your baby wakes up crying and still looks tired.
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• Focus on the daily total of 3 to 4 hours, not individual naps.
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• The last nap is often a 30 to 40 minute catnap, and often the hardest one to get.
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• Nap length is usually the last thing to improve when you work on sleep. Nights tend to come together first.

Wondering whether to wake a sleeping baby to protect bedtime? Here's when to wake a sleeping baby.

Bedtime at 4 Months

In the sample above, bedtime is 6:15 p.m. because the last nap ended at 4:30 p.m. That's the key: bedtime is based on when your baby woke from their last nap, not on an ideal clock time. Many families struggle because bedtime is set by when a parent gets home or by the dream of a 7-to-7 schedule. Keep a 4 month old awake much longer than 1 hour 45 minutes and it gets harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Most babies are 11-hour sleepers, so aim for 11 hours and you'll feel more successful. An early bedtime won't cause an early morning; a bedtime that's too late is far more likely to. Keep the routine short and calm, about 10 to 15 minutes. Here's how to build a calming bedtime routine.

The 4 Month Sleep Regression and Your Schedule

The 4 month sleep regression is the reason so many families reach out to me at this age. Once your baby's sleep shifts to adult-like cycles, they surface briefly between cycles all night long. If your baby falls asleep feeding or being rocked, they'll look for that same help every time they surface.

A good schedule makes this easier, but it can't fix it on its own. That's why timing is just one of the five pillars of The Helping Babies Sleep Method. Once the timing and feeding are right, around 4 months many babies are ready to learn to fall asleep on their own. The Two Phases of Sleep Training explains how we sequence that work, and why drowsy but awake fails most families explains why the popular shortcut so often backfires.

Setting Up the Sleep Space

Your 4 month old is increasingly interested in the world around them, so a dark room can help naps run longer and reduce early wake-ups. I love SleepOut curtains, which come in travel and permanent options; use my code helpingbabiessleep for 10% off SleepOut Curtains. This is also the age many babies start showing signs of rolling, which means it's time to move out of the swaddle. Here's when and how to stop swaddling, and the full baby sleep environment checklist.

Getting Ready for the 5 Month Schedule

Around 5 months, many babies drop from 4 naps to 3. Two things need to happen first: at least one nap longer than 45 minutes, and your baby being able to stay awake comfortably for about 2 hours between naps. Read The 4-3 Nap Transition and see the 5 month old sleep schedule for what comes next.

If your baby's sleep suddenly falls apart and you're not sure whether it's the regression or the schedule, start with Regression or Schedule Problem? How to Tell the Difference.

Sleep Help in Palo Alto and the Bay Area

Four months is one of the most common times families reach out. We help parents across Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and San Jose, and coach families virtually anywhere.

• Want the wake window chart? Download the free Sleep Chart →
• Not sure where to start? Take the free Sleep Quiz →
• Baby 4 to 24 months? Explore baby sleep coaching →
• Prefer to learn on your own time? Try the Baby Online Class →
• Ready to talk? Book your intro call →

Frequently Asked Questions About the 4 Month Old Sleep Schedule

How many naps does a 4 month old take?

Most 4 month olds take about 4 naps a day, adding up to 3 to 4 hours of daytime sleep. Nap lengths vary a lot at this age, so focus on the daily total rather than any single nap. Many babies move to 3 naps around 5 months.

What is the wake window for a 4 month old?

A 4 month old can usually stay awake about 1 hour 45 minutes between sleeps, measured from when they wake up to when they're back asleep. The first wake window of the morning is often shorter, around 1.5 hours.

What time should a 4 month old go to bed?

Bedtime at 4 months is set by the last nap, not the clock. Count about 1 hour 45 minutes from when your baby wakes from their last nap. For many babies that lands between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. A bedtime that's too late is one of the most common causes of night waking.

How often should a 4 month old eat during the day?

Most 4 month olds who are gaining weight well feed about every 3 to 3.5 hours during the day. Feed when your baby wakes up rather than right before sleep, and aim for full feeds. By 5 months, most babies move to about every 4 hours.

Is it normal for a 4 month old to take 45 minute naps?

Yes. Around 4 months, sleep changes to adult-like sleep cycles, and many babies wake after one 45-minute cycle. If your baby wakes happy, that's fine. If they wake crying and still look tired, they may need help learning to connect sleep cycles.

Does the 4 month sleep regression change my baby's schedule?

It often does. Many babies start waking more at night and taking shorter naps. Keep using wake windows to guide the day, move bedtime earlier after short naps, and focus on how your baby falls asleep. The 4 month regression is a permanent change in sleep, not a phase to wait out.

Should I wake my 4 month old from a nap?

Sometimes. You might wake a baby to protect bedtime, for example if a late nap would push bedtime too late, or to keep daytime feeds on track. Otherwise, let sleeping babies sleep.

Keep Reading

• Wake Windows by Age: A Simple Guide for Parents
• The Helping Babies Sleep Method: The Complete Overview
• 4-Month Sleep Regression: Causes, Signs, and How to Navigate It
• 3 Month Old Sleep Schedule
• 5 Month Old Sleep Schedule
• The 4-3 Nap Transition at 5 Months
• 4 Month Old Baby: What You Need to Know

About the Author

Sarah Mitchell, BKin, DC (retired) is the founder of Helping Babies Sleep, a Bay Area sleep consulting agency based in Palo Alto, and the author of the Amazon bestseller The Helping Babies Sleep Method: The Art and Science of Teaching Your Baby to Sleep. A retired chiropractor, Certified Lactation Counselor, RIE Foundations graduate and member of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, she has supported more than 1,000 families over 13 years.

Sources

• Sarah Mitchell, The Helping Babies Sleep Method, Chapter 4: Babies (4 to 24 Months), 4 Month Schedule.
• Paruthi S, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2016. PubMed
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep