2 Month Old Sleep Schedule: The Complete Guide

Healthy sleep patterns start with a schedule. Here’s how and when to get your baby on a regular 2 month old sleep schedule with top tricks to make it as easy as possible.

How Much Should A 2 Month Old Sleep

Most 2 month old babies should sleep between 14-17 hours per day and they will be able to stay awake between 60 to 90 minutes at a time. Most 2 month old babies take 4-6 daytime naps lasting between 30 mins to 2 hours at a time.

Sample 2 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Similar to newborn babies, at 2 months old, your baby’s sleep will still vary day to day and you will struggle to follow a rigid routine…

Therefore, a 2 month old sleep schedule takes into consideration your baby’s sleep throughout a 24-hour period instead of following an hour-by-hour expectation.

Here is what a 2 month old sleep schedule should look like:

REMEMBER: It’s very difficult to predict when your 2 month old baby will sleep, how deeply they will sleep or how long their naps will be until they’re a few months older… So, please don’t be concerned if your baby’s day looks different.

Nap Schedule For A 2 Month Old Baby

2 month old babies are mostly concentrated on growing and developing new physical, emotional, cognitive and social skills through baby toys and play sessions… and as a result, they will spend most of their time asleep than awake (particularly by napping!)

As with a 2 month old sleep schedule, your little one’s 2 month old nap schedule will still not follow a consistent routine yet, however you should aim for your little one to be doing the following every day:

Day Begins	6.30am to 7am
Number Of Daytime Naps	3 to 6
Average Length Of A Daytime Nap	30 mins to 2 hours
Length Of Time Awake Between Naps	60 to 90 mins
Baby’s Bedtime	6pm to 7pm after a basic routine of bath, book and feed

You will find that the amount of time your baby can stay awake will vary quite dramatically from day to day alongside what they are experiencing when they are awake.

How Many Naps Does A 2 Month Old Baby Need?

Typically, a 2 month old will still be having between 3 and 6 naps a day.

TIP: Swaddling is still important at this age to make your little one feel safe and secure while sleeping and it helps to control the Moro reflex which can startle babies awake in the early months.

How Long Should A 2 Month Old Baby Nap For?

Your 2 month old baby will nap anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours at a time.

The length of your baby’s naps will all depend on how busy their awake period was and what their individual sleep needs are.

TIP: Your 2 month old may now struggle to fall asleep anywhere as they did as a newborn. Therefore, you will now have to start establishing a proper nap routine where they are put to sleep in the same place each day.

Bedtime For A 2 Month Old

As you know I am a great advocator of establishing a bedtime routine as early as possible, and at 2 month old your baby is on the verge of being able to have a full bedtime schedule!

However!

The priority right now is to make a stark difference in your interactions with your 2 month old baby at night and to keep the sequence of events leading up to bedtime the same every night to establish strong sleep associations.

Hopefully, most 2 month old babies will no longer suffer from day-night confusion meaning you can now start to establish a regular bedtime routine.

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TOP TIP: If you are bathing your baby daily, do so at the end of the day followed by a soothing massage, quiet time together in a dimly lit room, and a feed and then settle your baby to sleep in their nighttime sleep space (crib, bassinet or moses basket)

What Time Should A 2 Month Old Go To Bed

A 2 month old should be going to bed between 6pm and 7pm.

Remember, even though you will need to dream feed your baby again before you go to sleep… It is always a good idea to get them used to ‘going to bed’ in the early evening so it’s not such a big change when they get older.

2 Month Old Sleep Tips

Managing a 2 month old sleep schedule can be a rollercoaster of emotions…

Some days it will be easy and you will think you’re getting into a routine and on other days, you will wonder if you’ll ever have a consistent day again!

However, here are my top tips to make the 2 month old sleep schedule easier to navigate through:

Start a bedtime routine. If you have not done so already then by 2 months old your baby is definitely ready for a simple bedtime routine consisting of bathtime, reading a book, having a feed and settling down to bed.
Start a nap routine. Help your baby to settle into a healthy nap schedule by having a regular routine that you follow before putting them down to nap. Singing the same lullaby, looking at a baby book and putting them to sleep at home in the same place will all help to prepare them for sleep.
Put your baby down when they are drowsy. Now is also a good time to start putting your 2 month old down to sleep when they are drowsy rather than letting them fall asleep on you. I know this is hard as we all love cuddling our babies and having them fall asleep on us… However, getting your baby used to falling asleep alone is essential to their development and by doing this at a young age it will easier than if you leave it until they are older when the habit is much harder to break.
Give them time to settle. Following on from the above point, your 2 month old may struggle to fall asleep straight away. Try not to rush back to your baby’s side if they fuss a bit when you put them down. They may be unsettled for a while and then eventually fall asleep. If you respond too quickly they will soon learn that their fussing gets you to return and they will abuse this power very quickly!
Don’t rush to respond. Applying the same principles as the last point, if your baby wakes at night (especially if it is not when you would expect them to be ready for a feed) give it a while before you go over them. They may resettle on their own. Obviously, if they start to get distressed you should respond and go to them to avoid them getting worked up.
Remember this motto: eat, play, sleep. Your 2 month old will now become more interested in the world around them and will respond to things that you show them. They are able to ‘play’ simple baby games at this age and by getting into an ‘eat, play and sleep’ routine you will be laying the foundations for a healthy routine as they grow.
Continue to keep nighttime interactions to a minimum. Although your 2 month old should be suffering from less day and night confusion, it is still very important to make a clear difference in your interactions with them during the day and at night.
Optimise sleep conditions. Ensuring your baby has the best sleep environment becomes more and more important as they grow. Keep lighting dim and use a white noise machine, like this one from DreamEgg. It is also important that some of baby’s daytime naps are taken at home in their dedicated sleep space and not all on the go. Good quality sleep during the day will definitely help with nighttime sleep!

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REMEMBER: At 2 months old your baby’s maternal melatonin (which makes them very sleepy as a newborn) is now fading and their own melatonin and cortisol levels are kicking in. This can disrupt daytime sleep by making it more difficult for your baby to nap.

Therefore, it’s even more important to give your 2 month old time to settle when you put them down to sleep!

Common 2 Month Old Baby Sleep Problems

The most common sleep problems for 2 month old babies (and parents!) are:

Struggling to settle.
Wanting to feed lots at night
Encountering the dreaded witching hour

Frequently Asked Questions About A 2 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Looking for more help with creating your baby’s 2 month old sleep schedule? Find answers to the most common questions here.

Can You Sleep Train A 2 Month Old Baby?

In short: no. A 2 month old is still too young for sleep training.

However, having healthy and regular routines will set your baby on the right path to good sleep habits as well as putting your baby down to sleep while they’re drowsy rather than fast asleep.

How Much Nighttime Sleep Is Appropriate For A 2 Month Old?

A 2 month old baby will sleep between 8-12 hours in their nighttime sleep space, but they will still wake up during that time for a couple of feeds.

A 2 month old may occasionally sleep for 5 hours at night.

How Long Should A 2 Month Old Stay Awake For?

The amount of time your 2 month old can stay awake will depend on the time of day and their personality.

Most babies will be awake between 60 mins to 90 mins before needing to go back to sleep.

However, it is important that you learn and observe your baby’s sleep cues so that they can get them back to sleep when they need to so they don’t become overtired.

TIP: At 2 months of age, your baby will be able to stay awake for longer periods of time in the afternoon compared to in the morning.

Can A 2 Month Old Baby Sleep Through The Night?

No. A 2 month old baby cannot sleep through the night yet.

While your 2 month old may be able to sleep for a bit longer at night, they will usually not go any longer than 4-6 hours between feeds.

Most 2 month old babies will still be waking every 3-4 hours and the length of time they sleep between feeds at this age will vary from one night to the next too.

Why Is My 2 Month Old Sleeping So Much?

Your 2 month old baby will typically be sleeping so much because they are developing at an incredible rate that requires a lot of energy!

However, if you still feel that your 2 month old is sleeping too much, is struggling to stay awake for 20 minutes between naps, or is showing any of the following signs, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible:

They are not gaining weight
They do not appear to be comforted by being fed
They are producing fewer than 4 wet diapers a day
They are quiet or unresponsive

Sleep Schedules Further Reading

Here are some more sleep schedules to help you get the most out of helping your little one sleep as best they can.

After all…

Sleep breeds sleep!

Need More Parenting Help?

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Paula McLaren - The founder of Teething to Tantrums has been in the childcare industry as a Norland Nanny and Childcare Expert since 1982. Her qualifications include a BA (Hons) in Early Years Development & Learning (0-6 Years) plus the highly prestigious Norland Diploma, recognized as the best early years practitioner qualification in the world. During her 40+ years of experience, she has worked as a night nanny (specializing in solving sleep issues), run a very successful daycare center in London, and raised almost 100 children, including her son, to be kind, healthy, and happy individuals with her tried and tested developmental and guidance methods.