4 month baby sleep scheudle

4 Month Old Sleep Schedule: Wake Windows, Naps & Night Sleep

Written by:
Amanda Snedden
Amanda Snedden
Specialist in Pediatric Sleep Patterns
Reviewed by:
Nicky Barker
Nicky Barker
Pediatric Sleep Science Expert

Navigating the sleep of a 4 month old can be a challenging yet rewarding journey for parents. At this age, babies experience significant developmental changes during the four month sleep regression that can impact their sleep. Understanding these sleep patterns is key to helping your baby - and yourself - get the rest needed. Acknowledging the intricacies of your 4 month old's sleep can empower parents to make informed decisions that benefit their child's development and overall family well-being.

Sleep is not just a period of rest for babies; it's a vital component of their growth and development. During sleep, crucial processes occur, such as the strengthening of neural connections and physical growth. As parents, comprehending these complexities allows for a more empathetic approach to the inevitable disruptions that occur during these early months. You can also explore our complete Baby Sleep Schedule Guide for an overview of routines, wake windows, and nap transitions from 1 to 12 months.

4 Month Sleep Schedule Guidelines

At around 4 months, babies’ sleep matures, often causing a temporary sleep regression with lighter sleep, more night wakings, and shorter naps. Most 4 month olds need 15–15.5 hours of sleep in 24 hours, typically three naps (about 3.5 hours total) and around 12 hours overnight. Consistent routines, a sleep-friendly environment, and, if desired, gentle sleep training can support self-settling and longer stretches. Stay patient, prioritise your own rest, and seek expert help if challenges persist.

In this article:

  1. Wake Windows for a 4 month old?
  2. How many naps should a 4 month old have?
  3. What is a sample 4 month old nap schedule?
  4. How much sleep does a 4 month old need?
  5. Night sleep for a 4 month old
  6. How does the 4 month regression affect sleep?
  7. How can I improve my baby's naps and night sleep?
  8. When is bedtime for a 4 month old?
  9. Why is my 4 month old fighting sleep?
  10. Tips for smoother 4 month old sleep?
  11. Key Takeaways: 4 Month Old Sleep Schedule

You’re not alone - most parents hit walls at 3-12 months.
For a step by step guide to support your baby's sleep & development in the first year, explore our Baby Sleep Program. We'll show you how to build healthy, lasting sleep habits, sail through regressions and give you the tools to work toward calm, consistent sleep.
Discover Sleep ♡

Wake windows for a 4 month old?

One of the best ways to support your little ones sleep at this age is by keeping an eye on wake windows, this is the time your baby can comfortably stay awake between naps. For a 4 month old, wake windows have shifted significantly from during the first few months. Keeping an eye on age-appropriate wake windows can help you spot when your baby is ready to sleep and help prevent overtiredness, which often causes short naps, bedtime battles and frequent night waking.

Get wake windows wrong and everything snowballs into more wakes. Our Sleep Programs deliver tailored, evolving timings via our smart sleep app, so you're always working on the perfect wake windows for your little one, at every age.

How many naps should a 4 month old have?

Babies this age should be having 3 naps per day. However, if your baby is still taking 4 naps, or catnapping, this should start to change closer to 5 months old

We recommend a short nap/long nap/short nap structure, which is designed to align with your little one's circadian rhythm and distribute their sleep during the day in the best way to assist with excellent sleep overnight. 

What is a sample 4 month old nap schedule?

The ideal 4 month old sleep schedule includes:

✔︎ 3 naps during the day, totalling 3.5 hours

✔︎ A longer stretch of sleep at night, which might include waking for feeds, totalling 12 hours

So that looks like:

  • Morning wake (ideally 7am)
  • Wake window 
  • Short morning nap
  • Wake window 
  • Long lunchtime sleep (aim for 2 hours)
  • Wake window 
  • Short afternoon nap
  • Wake window 
  • Bedtime (ideally 7pm)

Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can help signal to your baby that it's time to wind down and sleep. This routine can include calming activities such as a warm bath, gentle rocking, or reading a soothing story.

Predictability in a sleep schedule can offer comfort and security to a developing baby. By adhering to a regular routine, you can help your baby distinguish between day and night, promoting longer stretches of nighttime sleep. Over time, these routines can serve as important cues for your baby to associate with sleep.

How much sleep does a 4 month old need?

At 16 weeks, your baby needs 11-12 hours of sleep overnight (this includes feeds/changes etc) and around 3.5 hours of daytime sleep. This is broken up into 3-4 naps per day. As night sleep is the most restorative sleep for your baby, protecting that quantity of sleep overnight is important - this can be done by having a bit more control over the daytime nap hours and not letting your baby oversleep during the day.

Night sleep for a 4 month old

By this age, many babies are able to sleep longer stretches at night. Some babies may be down to one night feed, or even sleep through the night with a dream feed, while others may still need 2 feeds.

If your baby is still waking frequently, it can be worth looking at their day sleep balance, their bedtime and whether they are able to resettle independently. Sometimes frequent night waking is caused by being overtired or undertired, or by needing help to fall back to sleep after each sleep cycle - this is especially true if your little one has started the 4 month sleep regression.

How does the 4 month regression affect sleep?

One of the most talked-about phases is the 4 month regression. This term refers to a period when a baby's sleep patterns change, often resulting in more frequent night wakings and shorter naps. This period can be surprising for parents, especially if their baby was previously sleeping well. Understanding that this regression is a natural part of a baby's development can help parents approach it with patience and perspective.

The 4 month sleep regression is not just a test of endurance; it's an opportunity for parents to observe their baby's changing needs. During this time, babies' brains are working overtime, making leaps in cognitive and sensory development. This stage is an essential step in the journey towards more mature sleep patterns, and recognizing it as such can help parents feel less overwhelmed.

Feeling like the 4 month sleep regression will never end?
This one can be tough. Our Baby Sleep Program explains exactly why this regression happens and gives you step-by-step, gentle tools to sail through it fast - with minimal disruption and lots of connection.
Say Goodbye to this Regression

Baby sleep cycle chart

How can I improve my baby's naps and night sleep?

Helping your baby to fall asleep more independently can be a game changer for both naps and night sleep. By 4 months, many babies can be ready for gentle self-settling methods, which can be introduced gradually, alongside an age-appropriate daily routine.

Self-settling doesn’t mean you can’t comfort your baby - it means providing them the opportunity to practice the skill of drifting off without constant rocking, feeding, or patting. This results in longer naps, easier bedtime transitions and fewer overnight wakes. You can learn more by reading about sleep associations

Struggling with overnight wakes?
We can help you get more sleep. With the detailed sleep schedules, effective settling methods and responsive support available in our Sleep Programs, you and your little one will soon be sleeping soundly.
End Night Wakes for Good♡

When is bedtime for a 4 month old?

A predictable and calming bedtime routine helps signal to your baby that night sleep is coming. At this age, the routine should be around 20 to 30 minutes and may include:

  • Bath 

  • Massage and changing into PJs

  • Dimming the lights

  • Quiet activity such as a song, story, or cuddle

  • Final feed in a dimly lit environment

  • Placing your baby in their sleep space while sleepy but awake

Aim to start the bedtime routine so that your baby is asleep by around 6:30 to 7:30 pm, as this is the sweet spot for bedtime depending on their last nap and wake window.

Why is my 4 month old fighting sleep?

Short naps - Often caused by wake windows being too long or too short, leading to overtiredness, under-tiredness, or difficulty linking sleep cycles.
Frequent night waking - This can be due to hunger, sleep environment, too much or too little daytime sleep or reliance on sleep associations.
Early morning waking - Generally caused by too much day sleep, overtiredness, or environmental factors like light and noise.
Nap refusal - May happen if wake windows are too short or too long.


Tips for smoother 4 month old sleep

  • Stick to age-appropriate wake windows to avoid over or undertiredness. We can help you there with our Baby Sleep Program - no more guesswork, just perfect schedules for your baby's age.

  • Keep naps balanced so your baby has enough sleep pressure for good night sleep but is not overtired. Sticking to our recommended nap structure is the best way to ensure naps are spot on.

  • Use a consistent wind-down routine before naps and bedtime to help your baby relax.

  • Encourage self-settling by putting your baby down sleepy but awake when possible and gently supporting your baby towards independent sleep.

  • Keep night interactions calm to help reinforce the difference between night and day. When tending to your baby in the night, keep the lights dim and keep them in their sleeping space as much as possible.

Key Takeaways: 4 Month Old Sleep Schedule

Component

Recommendation

Total sleep

14.5 to 15 hours per day (2.5-3 hours naps, 12 hours night)

Naps

3 naps 

Nap duration

15 mins to 2 hours depending on the time of day

Bedtime

6:30–7:00 pm

Night feeds

Often 1–2 feeds

Routine

Predictable, calming bedtime routine

Self-settling

Gentle introduction at this age (ask us how!)

 

Conclusion

By four months, your baby is starting to become more capable of longer stretches of overnight sleep and will feel settled with a predictable daily rhythm. Understanding and following age-appropriate wake windows, providing balanced day sleep and supporting gentle self-settling techniques can make a big difference in both naps and nighttime sleep. Consistency, patience and a calm routine will help guide your little one toward healthy sleep patterns. With the right approach, your 4 month old (and you!) can enjoy more quality sleep.

Our responsive sleep methods have helped over 800,000 parents and babies through this age to gently and effectively build sleep and feed rhythms that help babies to achieve more settled days and more predictable nights. You can access these award-winning methods in our Baby Sleep Program.


If your baby is still 3 months old you might want to read our 3 Month old sleep schedule. When your baby approaches 5 months, check out our 5 month old sleep schedule for what’s next in their sleep.

Even if you use the program and decide not the follow the multiple options, it is still 100% worth it in my opinion just to have the help with planning wake windows, feedings, and naps! I used this for my son, who is my second born. With my first, I had hired a sleep consultant and although it worked very well, it was incredibly expensive. We are miles away from where we were a month ago and we are all well rested & much happier. - Alexis

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Bibliography

Bruni, O., Alfonsi, V., De Carli, F., & Ferri, R. (2025). EEG sleep features in infancy predict neurodevelopment at 18 months. Pediatric Research

Olbrich, E., Olini, N., & Huber, R. (2025). Development of sleep and cortical maturation in infancy: A longitudinal high-density EEG study. bioRxiv

Medical News Today. (n.d.). The 4-month sleep regression: Timeline and Tips Medical News Today. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from 

Sleep Foundation. (2025, July 15). 4-month sleep regression: Causes, signs, and how to cope. Sleep Foundation

News-Medical. (2024, July 8). New technology reveals the critical role of sleep in infant brain development. News-Medical.net

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