A 2-month-old’s sleep schedule is interesting – while newborn sleep is both unscheduled and chaotic, as you near the end of the 4th trimester, your schedule may be taking on a bit more structure.
That’s because your 2-month-old is nearing a sleep crossroads: they’re still very much a newborn who needs to sleep often, but they’re half-way to 4-months, when a baby’s circadian rhythm begins to mature.
Considering the uniqueness of a 2-month-old’s sleep schedule, you may have some questions, including “When will my 2-month-old sleep through the night?” or “How long should my 2-month-old’s nap be?”
Luckily, we’re here to help: we spoke with other pediatric sleep experts to gather everything you need to know about your 2-month-old’s sleep schedule.
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Why Does My 2-Month-Old Take Short Naps?
You may wonder why your two-month-old isn't sleeping.
Like newborns, two-month-old babies still need a lot of sleep to keep growing. However, at this age their circadian rhythm, or the internal “clock”, hasn't formed yet. This means their sleep is all over the place, which makes is why a sleep schedule at 2-months is so hard to predict! (This natural rhythm starts to sync up around 4 months, which is considered a great time to start sleep coaching).
With that said, they are getting enough sleep during the day to grow and thrive. It just happens in short bursts – for now. Here's more about newborn sleep cycles and newborn active sleep.
Even though 2-months is too young to formerly sleep train, as you can't sleep train a newborn, you can lay the foundations now by practicing a bedtime routine and setting up healthy sleep habits and fundamentals.
What is a 2-Month-Old Bedtime Routine?
A bedtime routine is an important part of the 2-month sleep schedule and is considered one of the 2-month-old developmental milestones. The 2-month-old bedtime routine is the series of steps you take, in the same order, every night before bed – for example, many parents like to read, cuddle, and bathe before bed.
Whatever you do during your bedtime routine, the trick is to keep it calm and consistent – even though your 2-month-old is young, including it as part of their schedule is a great step for long-term healthy sleep habits. The calmness helps lull your baby into a sleepy mindset, while the consistency begins to cue them that it’s time to sleep.
What is a 2 Month Old Wake Window?
A wake window is how long your baby can stay awake between sleeps, which is a big predictor for the 2-month sleep schedule. Most 2-month-olds can be awake for 45 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes at a time, but sometimes wake windows can be as short as 10 minutes.
As your baby's wake windows get longer with age, more sleep will happen at night, reducing naps and extending awake hours.
A sleep schedule with longer wake windows and will take time. Using an app like the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™ can help guide you through shaping your 2-month-old's sleep schedule and ultimately get them to become a strong independent sleeper.
Can a 2-Month-Old Sleep Through the Night?
Your 2-month only won't be able to sleep through the night – so nighttime wake ups will be part of their schedule, too. This is for two reasons:
- Two-month-olds are growing very fast and wakeup often to feed.
- Their circadian rhythms are still developing, and they don’t fully understand the difference between day and night. That will start to take shape around 3 or 4months – the perfect time to start sleep training.
A 2-Month-Old Sleep Schedule Example
Here are two sample schedules for a 2-month old baby. Keep in mind that at 2 months, babies are still establishing their circadian rhythm, so their sleep schedule may not be regular yet. Use this as a reference for how long they can go between feedings and their usual wake windows at this stage.
You can also look more into the Eat Play Sleep schedule for babies, which is a great way to get your baby on a consistent schedule from early on.
Sample Sleep Schedule for a 2-Month-Old Taking 5 Naps:
Sample Sleep Schedule for a 2-Month-Old Taking 4 Naps:
A Note on a 2-Month-Old’s Nap Schedule
Around 2-months your baby's nap schedule may transition.
A nap transition is when you cut out a daytime nap to help consolidate your baby’s sleep at night. It happens when their wake windows are naturally lengthening. That said, every baby is special and develops at their own rate. If you see the signs of a sleep transition, your 2-month-old may be ready to reduce their daytime naps.
Signs your 2-month-old is ready to drop a nap include:
- Nap time Resistance: If your baby resists a nap they used to take without a problem or they simply can’t fall asleep during that nap, it may be time to nap transition.
- Bedtime Struggles: If your baby struggles to fall asleep at night after previously falling asleep fine, you may want to cut out a daytime nap.
- Less Fussiness: This is a great – and we mean great – sign it’s time to nap transition: your baby misses a nap and isn’t fussy! If this glorious event happens, you can probably nap transition your baby.
- More Fussiness: This is the opposite symptom your baby needs a sleep transition – if they sleep too much during the day, their sleep cycles are thrown off and they become more fussy than usual.
Is 2-Months Too Early to Sleep Train?
Yes, two months is too early to sleep train. Experts recommend waiting to sleep train until your baby is 4 months old. This is when your baby’s circadian rhythm begins to take shape – a key ingredient in sleep coaching your baby.
But – while 2-months is too early to technically sleep train, you can lay the foundations by learning more about the science of your baby’s sleep and creating a bedtime routine for your baby.
Take this free sleep assessment to get a personalized schedule and guidance for getting ahead of sleep struggles – and preparing your little one to eventually sleep through the night.
Final Thoughts
Even though a 2-month-old sleep schedule will be in flux, they are nearing the end of the 4th trimester – and will start being biologically able to sleep longer stretches soon.
Frequent wake ups, around-the-clock feedings, and unpredictable days are still in the cards, but by following age-appropriate wake windows, and creating a consistent bedtime routine and calm sleeping environment, you can start nurturing their circadian rhythm now. That way, once they reach 12 weeks, a predictable sleep schedule is not too far away.
