The Easiest Baby Sleep Schedule for Moms with Newborns to 5-Year-Olds

If you have children under 5 and want them to sleep better… keep reading.

There is so much information available about baby sleep that it can feel overwhelming very quickly. 

I know, because that's what dozens of moms tell me each month.

I'm often in groups dedicated to helping moms with their babies' sleep issues. 

Here's how it goes: someone will post asking for the best time to give their baby a nap, and end up with more than 50 different responses on what they should do. 

Some responses are helpful, some are spam, and others are nonsensical or just mean-spirited. That's dozens of answers and still, none of them may solve your issue.

As a baby sleep coach, this is one of the top questions I get from moms: how long should my baby be sleeping? 

Then there's the question of best wake windows (how long babies should stay awake between naps). 

Moms also worry that their babies are overtired or under-tired, which can affect sleep at night.

All of this can get overwhelming fast, making moms feel like no matter what advice they follow, nothing works.

If you're still unsure or you've searched and just can't piece it all together see the complimentary sleep schedule above that's simple to follow.

Find your baby's age at the top of the chart. 

Next to it, you'll see: number of naps, how long each nap should be, awake time between naps, bedtime, typical nighttime sleep, and total sleep for the day, all based on your baby's age.

You can be flexible with this schedule. 

I tell the moms I coach all the time: if your 12-month-old only napped 30 minutes one day but slept 11 hours that night, don't panic. 

That's 11.5 hours total, which still puts your baby's sleep in the safe range.

Another key feature: you get to choose a specific time to start a bedtime routine as early as the newborn phase. 

Remember, these are guidelines.

This is part of what I call Sleep Association Stacking. 

The more consistent your bedtime, the easier it becomes for your baby to associate that time with sleep.

If you want more personalized help, feel free to schedule a free baby sleep strategy session with me.

Nesta Lumpkin is the founder and lead baby sleep coach at Baby Sleep Accelerator®, helping parents get gentle, no cry-it-out sleep for their babies through private 1:1 coaching.