My Simple Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training when you’re Tired!
Especially during the newborn stage, it is so hard for me to remember the appropriate feeding intervals and wake windows!
That’s why I created my simple cheat sheet for sleep training with just the essential guidelines for each age!
When I first became pregnant, I knew I wanted to sleep train my babies. I had seen how it had blessed my siblings, and how their babies had thrived with consistency and routine! I researched like crazy and interrogated my parents and older siblings to learn all I could. I follow a flexible version of the Babywise method, which I have made my own through advice and experience.
I have used this cheat sheet for all of my babies, and it really helped simplify the process for me! I hope it can help you too!
Feel free to download the cheat sheet below, or I have all the information typed out below so you can just save this article as a quick reference for the future!
Terms Defined:
Feeding Routine: This is the amount of time from the beginning of one feed to the beginning of the next.
Wake window: This is the total amount of time the baby is awake, including the time spent feeding.
Naps: This is the target amount of time each nap should be for the baby. Of course it will vary from day to day!
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 0-1 Months (Weeks 1-4)
Feeding Routine: every 2-3 hours
Wake window: 35-60 minutes
Naps: No more than 2.5 hours long.
Total Sleep: 16-20 hours per day!
Notes: Do not allow the baby to go longer than 4 hours consecutively at night without offering a feeding. The baby will average 8 feedings per 24 hours.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 1-2 Months (Weeks 5-8)
Feeding routine: every 2.5-3.5 hours
Wake Window: 60-90 minutes
Naps: 1.5-2.5 hours long
Total Sleep: 14-16 hours
Notes: Baby is capable of dropping a nighttime feeding and 7-8 hours of continuous nighttime sleep towards 2 months old.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 2-4 Months (Weeks 9-15)
Feeding Routine: 3-4 hours
Wake Window: 75-120 minutes
Naps: No longer than 2.5 hours. Should settle into 3 nap a day routine by 4 months.
Notes: Baby can extend nighttime sleep to 9-10 hours, but don’t push further than that in order to preserve milk supply.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 4-6 Months (Weeks 6-24)
There is a very common sleep regression at 4 months!
Feeding Routine: 4-6 Feedings per day, 3 feedings can be supplemented with baby food.
Wake Windows: 2-3 hours
Naps: No longer than 2.5 hours. Should move from 3 naps a day to consistent 2 nap schedule, one morning and one afternoon nap.
Notes: Do not reduce feedings below 4 per day as long as you are nursing to keep up milk supply.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 6-9 Months
Feeding Routine: 4 feedings per day, 3 can be supplemented with baby food.
Wake Window: 2.5-3 hours
Naps: 2 naps per day, morning and afternoon. No longer than 2.5 hours.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 9-12 Months
Feeding Routine: 4 feedings per day, 3 can be supplemented with baby food.
Wake Windows: 3-4 hours
Naps: 2 naps per day, no more than 2.5 hours per nap.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 12-18 Months
Feeding Routine: 4 feedings per day (if continuing to nurse)
Wake Windows: 3-5 hours. Usually shorter in the morning and longer in the afternoon/evening.
Naps: shoot to keep 2 naps until 18 months. The morning nap will gradually shorten into a 30-45 minute cat nap.
Cheat Sheet for Sleep Training 18-24 Months
Feeding Routine: 4 feedings per day (if continuing to nurse) otherwise 3 + whatever snacks you like to offer.
Wake Windows: 5-6 hours
Naps: 1 afternoon nap per day, no longer than 3 hours.
Sleep Training Resources
If you’re interested in the original version of Babywise written from a Christian perspective, it’s called Preparation for Parenting.
I found this book much more helpful than the Babywise books! It was written in a more direct tone. That being said, it’s really expensive now! I was lucky to inherit my mother’s copy (with notes on it from when I was sleep trained!)
If you want the same basic information more cheaply, it’s definitely still worth it to read the Babywise book. I’ll leave a link for it here.
With my first baby I followed the rules so strictly! I was stressing myself out and my husband! But that’s ok, everyone has to learn the first time!
By my second baby I felt much more confident in what guidelines I could relax, and which ones were important to stick to.