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Inside: Learn the 4 key baby routine essentials that makes up a perfect foundation for an easy, effective, flexible routine that will grow with your baby from infant to toddlerhood.

Whether you wake up and zombie walk your way to the kitchen for a steamy cup of coffee or your race to the bathroom to begin your morning self-care, every day begins with some sort of routine.

The same is for babies!

Don’t let the word “routine” scare you away…

A baby routine is simply a set of predictable patterns that your baby does each day including sleeping, waking, eating, and playing.

A routine is NOT a minute-by-minute schedule that makes you feel chained to the clock.

I can teach you a super simple, effective, and efficient baby routine that can grow with your baby all the way into toddlerhood!

Here’s the gist…

There are 4 important, unchanging essentials that your baby’s routine will consist of:

1. wake windows,
2. sleep
3. feedings
4. activity time

You will navigate your baby’s day using these 3 routine essentials by following your baby’s cues.

We’ll use the 3 C’s for the foundation of all baby routines: Connection, Communication, and Confidence.

You’ll deepen your connection with your little one, which helps you further understand their communication with you, which ultimately gives you the confidence to care for them!

Let’s jump in!

How to start a baby routine

First things first, how do you even start a routine with your baby?

The answer is simple- cues!

Your baby is constantly communicating with you, even though they cannot talk yet. Their screams, cries, and coos all mean something that they are trying to tell you. As your baby grows week by week and your bond deepens, you will begin to understand your baby’s cues and communication.

Cues are the only way a baby can communicate with you. When you follow your baby’s cues, you are offering them what they need, when they need it in order to thrive.

Follow your baby’s cues…it’s their way of communicating with you and telling you what they need.

We’ll talk more about tired cues, hunger cues, and playtime cues in this post too!

Are you overwhelmed with juggling your daily #momlife to-do list AND your baby’s activities? Grab my FREE Mommy & Me Mini Planner and take control of your day!

4 Baby Routine Essentials

These 3 baby routine essentials will help you create your own flexible baby routine completely tailored to YOUR little one.

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1. Wake windows- What is a “wake window”?

A wake window is simply how long your baby is up between each nap. It is counted from the length of that that they wake up from one nap until thy go back to sleep for the next nap.

That stretch of awake time is called a “wake window”.

These wake windows will stretch as your baby continues to grow and get older. 

Wake windows will lengthen as your baby gets older. That’s why a 2 week old can only stay up for 30 minutes but a 1 year old will stay awake for 3-4 hours at a time.

Your baby’s wake window is the foundation for their general daily routine. Even though the wake windows change and lengthen, they will always have one until they are no longer napping (well into toddlerhood).

Mom Tip: In my experience, I’ve noticed over the years that the first wake window tends to be shorter. But as the day progresses, the wake windows lengthen a bit.

If your little one is starting to show tired cues and it’s 15-20 minutes before their wake window should end, don’t be afraid to begin the nap routine.

You should pay super close attention to keeping your baby up for the full wake window when they are showing signs of going through a transition- such as dropping a nap, early wakings, night wakings, etc.

Tired Cues

Let’s talk about tired cues—because these are the cues you are going to follow that will show you the optimum time your baby is ready for sleep. That way you’re not wrestling your baby to sleep when they aren’t tired or dealing with red-faced screaming because they are overtired.

As the end of the wake window approaches, ask yourself, “Are they showing your sleepy cues?”

Tired cues include:

• Rubbing eyes,
• staring off into space,
• red eyebrows,
• slow blinking
• staring off into space
• & general fussiness with these other cues.

The main goal is to offer your child the nap to prevent overtiredness- which can lead to extreme fussiness, over hyper activity, and refusing to sleep.

Sometimes my baby can make it a full 2-hour wake window in the morning but sometimes she starts showing those tired cues early and I follow what she needs.

Utilizing an easy nap routine can help signal to your baby that a nap will soon follow those tired cues.

Did your baby wake early and is showing tired cue signs but it’s not nap time yet? Has your baby been up way too long and they are starting to get fussy?

Use your discretion and information from other parts of the day to figure out what those cues are telling you.

That’s the advantage of a flexible routine- it’s about YOUR BABY. Not a schedule designed for another child.

You can read more about sleep cues on Taking Cara Babies (I’ve used these courses when I first started my motherhood journey- and I am NOT an affiliate, just really enjoyed the information)

What do I do during a wake window?

When you’re baby is awake, you’re not simply just staring into space- your baby is very active!

Wake windows are filled with feedings, usually followed by playtime or activities. We’ll talk more about the easy activities you can do to fill these wake windows.

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Related Reading: Complete Sample Routine for 0-12 Months

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2. Sleep

Naturally, the next baby routine essential is sleep. Of course, sleep is an essential part of life but especially for your baby!

After you know your baby’s wake window, next is to observe their sleep patterns and length.

Another key to better, longer sleep is a nap routine and a bedtime routine. These routines will help signal your baby that it’s time for sleep.

A naptime routine will signal that it’s time for daytime sleep and a bedtime routine will signal that it’s time for nighttime sleep, a much longer stretch of sleep.

Just as wake windows will lengthen, daytime sleep will shorten. As your baby grows and develops, they will begin to stay up longer during the day, therefore sleeping less and having fewer naps.

It’s important to know those wake windows, number of naps and nap lengths because that will give your baby the optimum opportunity to receive all of their needed sleep time.

Here is an overview of the number of naps and nap lengths by age:

1-4 Months Old: 4 naps

5-8 Month Old: 3 Naps

9-12 Months Old: 2 Naps

14-18 Months Old: 1 Nap

Not ALL days your baby will sleep the same exact way. Don’t be alarmed when your baby’s sleep shifts from day to day or week to week. That’s why we put routines in place, to send your baby those signals without feeling like you aren’t meeting their needs.

Sleep can change due to transitions, teething, sickness, etc.

Your job is to simply offer your baby a nap. It is up to them to take it!

3. Feedings

It’s no secret that babies love to eat! They actually eat allll dayyy loonnggg. My toddler still loves to snack 50 times a day 🙂

Babies usually eat 4-5 times throughout the day and just like with sleep, their full feeding routine will change as they continue to grow.

An infant may cluster feed every hour for the first few weeks of life. But as they develop, those feeding begin to consolidate and they are eating more quantity of food less quantity of time. As your baby grows, these feedings will be a mixture of liquids and solids, with your baby’s milk (breastmilk/formula) decreasing as solids increase.

A 3 year old won’t have 4 milk bottles a day like a 9 month old would…but you also don’t jump to those transitions abruptly. They change and stretch over time. That’s why feeding is one of the baby routine essentials. It’s one of the fundamental things your baby will do from birth and beyond.

Sample Feeding Amounts

The main key is to feed your baby every 2.5-3 hours. (Whether that’s fully breastmilk/formula or a mixture of solids and milk or just solids.)

0-6 months old– feed breastmilk/formula every 2.5-3 hours (no including cluster feeding sessions)

6-9 months old– feed a mixture of breastmilk/formula every 2.5/3 hours with adding a “meal” with solids (puree or baby led weaning)

9-12 months old– feed a mixture of breastmilk/formula every 2.5/3 hours with adding 2 “meals” with solids

12-18 months old– (can begin drinking cow milk and reduce milk feedings based on pediatrician guidelines) baby will eat about 3 solid meals a day with milk feedings being decreased as you see fit

18-24 months old– As baby grows and develops, they will drop “milk” feedings and begin to follow a toddler feeding schedule

These feeding amounts are purely for an overview of what a feeding routine will look like. But feeding is based on your baby’s hunger cues.

Always check with your child’s pediatrician/dietician/lactation consultant before making changes to feedings.

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Related Reading:

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Hunger Cues

Your baby will send you “signals” when they are hungry, just like they do when they are tired. These hunger cues will tell you when your baby is ready to eat and help you create a personalized feeding routine just for YOUR baby.

That’s why “sample” feeding schedules are hard to follow. Every baby is different. It’s important to follow your own little one’s hunger cues.

Hunger cues include:

• Mouth opening (as if to suck)
• Irritability after 2.5-3 hours from the last feeding
• Puts hands to mouth
• Licking lip or puckering/smacking lips

4. Activity Time

Last but not least, the final baby routine essential foundation is activity time. This time is also called playtime!

Playtime gives your baby the ability to reach new milestones and strengthen and practice existing skills. It overall allows your baby to “get the wiggles out” and fill that wake window before their next nap.

This is a great time to practice those skills such as tummy time, strengthening the neck, learning to sit up, cruising/crawling, etc.

Fill this activity time with a combination of:

• Independent playtime– activities your baby can do by themselves in a safe, supervised location
• Connection playtime– activities you and your baby do together to strengthen your connection and deeper your bond
• Reading time– reading to your baby and allowing them to follow along/flip pages
• Exploration– allowing your baby to explore new textures, areas, and sensory items
• Imaginative play– giving your baby objects to help them grow and enhance their imagination

Activities can be used to reach new milestones, practice existing skills and strengthen/support developmental growth.

Tiny One’s Boredom Buster Activity Toolkit

Say goodbye to taking 45 minutes to prep a super complicated activity that your baby is going to play with for only 5 minutes…

Here’s a whole goldmine of fun, easy, affordable activities that will take you less than 10 minutes to prep AND that your little one will have a blast doing!

Make baby and toddler activities easy with the Tiny One’s Boredom Buster Activity Toolkit!

With over 35 activities for babies and toddlers from 2 months old to 3 years old, and over 10 templates to help you create an easy playtime activity routine that works for YOUR family, this activity toolkit is your life raft back to sanity!

Find out more about the Tiny One’s Boredom Buster Activity Toolkit here!

Practical Baby Routine Essentials

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please view Mastering Mom Life’s Terms, Disclosure & Disclaimer Policy and Privacy Policy. I wholeheartedly believe in all of the products I recommend and use them all! 

If you truly want to support every aspect of your baby’s daily routine, here are some home essentials that I use every single day that makes my routine run smoothly:

• Blackout Curtains
• Sound machine
• Boon Bottle Drying Station
• Swaddle
• Sleep Sack
• Hatch

Successful Baby Routine Recap

Remember, there are 4 foundational, essential components of your baby’s day that will be unchanging as they grow:

1. Wake windows

2. Sleep

3. Feedings

3. Activity time

These baby routine essentials will help you create a daily routine that is tailored right to your baby that also meets them where they are developmentally!

Keep the routines simple, efficient, effective, and working for YOUR family.

Don’t be afraid of the word “routine”….just think of it as the sweet creamer being added to your must-have cup of coffee every morning 🙂

You got this, mama

Related Reading:

Bottle-Feeding Tips to Reduce Gas

How to Create an Easy Baby Routine in 4 Steps

How to Get Your Baby to Sleep In a Crib

Inside: The perfect step-by-step 1-4 month old baby schedule complete with an easy, flexible routine for feedings, naps, and activities to help baby thrive and make mom life easier!

I heard a screech coming from my baby’s bassinet and frantically checked the time- it was 3:30am…feeding hour.

If I didn’t know my sweet new baby’s routine, I would have panicked and thought something was wrong. But as my little one was growing and learning this brand new world, I was learning her.

Her cues, her cries, her needs.

The 1-4 month period IS exhausting. You’re still recovering from pregnancy and delivery, you’re getting to know this brand new little person, caring for their every need all while juggling what is left of your normal life.

But do not fret, routines are here to the rescue!

I’ll show you a 1-4 month old baby schedule and flexible routine that will flourish your connection with your baby, help you understand their cues and care for your baby in the best and easiest way possible.

By creating a flexible routine for your baby, you will begin to understand how your baby is communicating with you and what they actually need, all while gaining the confidence you need to care for them without feeling overwhelmed (or unqualified!)

You’ll have a better understanding of your baby’s wake windows, full feedings, and naps/sleep.

I’ll share with you 2 different sample routines to help guide you through the 1-2 month stage and 3-4 month stage so you never feel confused during any step of the way!

If you want to download the sample 1-4 month old baby schedule now, click the button below to get it sent straight to your email along with all of the baby routine tips and tricks in this post! Instantly download the routine to have it at your fingertips throughout the day to help you stay confident and prevent stress.

3 Keys to a Successful 1-4 Old Month Baby Schedule

Before we dive into the actual routine, it’s important to know *what* will actually be in your routine. After all, babies are new to this world and they don’t have many activities they can do.

There are 3 main keys that will make up your baby’s routine:

1. Wake window
2. Full feedings
3. Sleep

Your 1-4 month old baby schedule will be formed around your baby’s cues. Their tired cues and hunger cues.

No time to read this now? That’s ok! Save this to your favorite Pinterest board for later!

1. Wake Windows:

The term wake window is just a fancy term for the amount of time your baby is from one nap tot the next.

You can count your wake window starting from when your baby wakes up from their last nap to the minute they are placed back in their bed for the next nap. All of that time in between is counted as a wake window.

The wake window for a 1-2 month old is usually around 30-45 minutes. But as your baby grows each month the wake window will begin to stretch.

Such as a wake window for a 3-4 month old can be anywhere between 60-90 minutes. But if your baby is still only reaching a 45-minute wake window before becoming overtired, that’s perfectly fine.

Two main events that take place in that wake window are feedings and activities.

Since your baby is still an infant, those wake windows will be short and usually only accounts for a feeding and a few extra minutes of awake time.

These wake windows will help fill your baby’s tired cup- enabling them to get tired enough to have a successful nap/sleep time.

The key is to watch for your baby’s tired cues and offer a nap when they are becoming tired.

Your 1-4 month old baby nap schedule will be formed around your baby’s tired cues.

These tired cues include:

• Rubbing eyes
• Glazed & staring eyes
• Red eyebrows
• Yawning
• Fussiness

You’ll begin to notice these tired cues around the same times throughout the day. This is your baby communicating with you they are tired.

These tired cues will show you when your baby needs to nap and these times will begin to create your nap schedule.

2. Full Feedings:

The next essential key to a successful 1-4 month baby schedule and flexible routine is accomplishing full feedings.

The term “full feeding” is just a fancy way of making sure your baby is completely full after a feeding. When your baby is full after having a feeding, they are more likely to go 2.5-3 hour stretches between feedings- which can help your baby sleep better too.

Achieving full feedings can also prevent your baby from “snacking”- wanting to constantly eat every 30minutes-1 hour. Snacking can inhibit a successful daily routine because you’re little one is always eating and never fully satisfied or full.

To learn how to easily accomplish full feedings or how to make sure your baby is feeding to get full, read all about full feeding in my post here.

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Related Reading:

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3. 1-4 Month Baby Sleep:

Let’s face it, a large portion of your baby’s day is sleeping. At this age, your baby’s wake window is a minimum of 30 minutes or if your baby is closer to the 4-month stage, the wake window can even be as long as 90 minutes.

That means your baby is sleeping every hour (between 1-2 months old) or every hour and a half (3-4 months old).

Naps at this age can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the time of day or how your baby is feeling at a particular time.

If you are struggling with short naps, you can read my Troubleshooting Baby Naps guide.

To set your baby up for successful naps you’ll want to:

1. Make sure your baby is staying awake for those wake windows (to fill their “tired cup”)

2. Accomplish full feedings (ensuring your baby isn’t prematurely waking up from hunger)

Okay, now that we’ve gone over all of the essentials of a successful 1-4 month baby schedule, let’s jump into some sample routines!

1-4 Month Baby Schedule and Routine

For the purpose of this post, I will be stating times but you do not have to follow this routine based on what time the clock says.

A flexible routine is just a series of patterns throughout the day to help structure your day and offer your little one support.

Use this routine as a guide based on when YOUR baby wakes up and starts their day. If your baby wakes at 6, then follow the routine steps from that time. If your baby wakes at 8, then follow the routine steps based on that time.

The goal of this routine is not for you to be worried about “time”. It is just to get familiar with the overall activities your baby does throughout the day.

1-2 Month Old Baby Routine

7:00am Feeding

7:20-8:00am Wake time

8:00-9:30am Nap #1 (First nap was short, tried to put baby back to sleep but no-go)

9:30am Feeding

10:00-10:30am Wake time (baby started showing tired cues at 10:15, did nap routine and baby was already sleeping at 10:30am)

10:30-11:30am Nap #2

11:30-12:00pm Wake time (Baby’s didn’t eat right after wake, didn’t show hunger cues until 12)

12:00pm Feeding

12:30-2:30pm Nap #3 (Baby woke after 45 minutes so you placed baby in a carrier and fell back asleep as you sat with them on your chest)

2:30pm Feeding

3:00-3:30pm Wake time

3:30-4:30pm Nap #4

5:00pm Feeding

5:30-6:30pm Nap #5 (cat nap in the baby swing while you get some chores done)

6:30-7:30pm Wake time (bath, etc.)

7:30pm Feeding & Bedtime

8:00-10:00pm Sleep (use bedtime routine)

10:30pm Dream Feed

Baby then sleeps as long as possible before next feeding

“Master” 3-4 Month Old Baby Routine

7:00am Feeding

8:30-10:00am Nap #1

10:00am Feeding

10:30-11:00am Wake time

11:30-1:00pm Nap #2 (Baby woke at 12:00pm but you rocked back to sleep and placed in carrier/sling)

1:00pm Feeding (Baby took a while to have a full feeding and showed tired cues at 2:00)

1:30-2:00pm Wake time

2:00-4:00pm Nap #3 (Baby slept almost 2 hours because last nap was shorter)

4:00pm Feeding (baby took an hour to have a full feeding, was distracted)

5:00-5:30pm Wake time

5:30-6:00pm Cat Nap (Baby slept in safe swing while mom cleaned)

6:00-7:00pm Bath & Wake time

7:00pm Feeding (Last “daytime” feeding before nighttime sleep)

7:30pm Bedtime (bed time routine)

10:30pm Dream Feed (woke baby to offer a feeding so they can sleep 3-4 hours until next feeding)

This routine has a combination of shorter and longer naps throughout the day as we as 2.5 hour and 3 hours between feedings.

It also shows a combination of different sleep locations and methods. Sometimes baby falls back asleep on mama’s chest, sometimes in the car, etc.

A flexible routine will help your baby know what is next and will help you know what your baby needs next.

Follow your own baby’s wake windows, hunger cues, tired cues, etc!

In a perfect world, your baby would sleep every hour for 2 hours and eat every 3 hours, making your mom life complete clockwork and a piece of cake. But babies are unpredictable and getting used to this world! So, you’ll want to go with the flow of your little one’s cues and offer them what they want as needed.

Don’t forget to grab my 1-4 Month Baby Routine Guide will 2 different sample schedules and baby routines that show different wake windows, nap lengths, and feeding times that accounts for the unpredictability of your day!

You may find one of these routines is more of a fit for your family 🙂

How Long Should Naps Be?

The key to setting up good daytime sleep is a consistent nap routine. You can read all about my successful, super easy nap routine that helped my babies have better and longer naps!

A newborn nap can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. So, if your baby went to nap at 8:00am and only sleeps 30 minutes, you don’t follow the “sample schedule” and wait until 10am to put them back down for a nap.

Remember, at this age, their wake window is short. You’ll want to follow the wake window time and offer your baby a nap 30-45 minutes from when they woke up.

That’s why this routine is FLEXIBLE. You’re not following the clock for when to do something. You’re using your baby’s cues alongside the timing of when your baby should be napping or eating to create a routine that helps them thrive.

Be sure to download my 1-4 Month Baby Routine Guide to see 4 different sample schedules in action including a schedule with short naps, long naps, short wake windows, and long wake windows!

Fill out the form below to get the Routine Guide sent straight to your email!

How Long Should My Baby Be Sleeping at Night?

At this age, it is still possible your baby is still waking up every 3-4 hours during the night for feedings and maybe even cluster feeding some nights.

I like to follow a simple “guide” for baby nighttime sleep. For every week of my baby’s life, it’s possible my baby can sleep the same number of hours at night.

For example, at 4 weeks old, it’s possible for my baby to sleep 4 hour stretches at night. At 5 weeks old, it’s possible to sleep 5-hour stretches…and so on until they reach 8-9 hours at nighttime sleep.

But if your baby isn’t- don’t worry! You aren’t doing anything wrong.

By 3-4 months (12-16 weeks), it’s possible for your baby is to sleep 8-9 hours with the option of a dream feed 3 hours after their last feeding before bed. The dream feed stretches your little one’s sleep so they don’t wake in the middle of the night.

Not every night will be the same amount of sleep. And not every night will be identical.

This is not a hard and fast rule and if your little one isn’t sleeping “straight” hours just yet, that’s perfectly fine. All babies are different. All parents are different. Every family is different.

Whether you are nursing, bottle feeding, pumping, formula feedings, or any combination- YOU know your baby best.

If your baby is breastfeeding, feed your baby on demand, trying to accomplish those full feedings.

If your baby is still having multiple night wakings, that’s perfectly fine! As long as YOU are happy with your baby’s growth and your baby is happy, developing, and meeting new milestones, I wouldn’t stress about nighttime sleep unless you are ready to focus on nighttime sleep.

As long as you are watching those wake windows and full feedings, you are on the right track!

The 4 Month Sleep Regression / Progression

Babies experience the dreaded “4-month sleep regression”, but it’s more like a sleep progression.

At 4-5 months your baby’s sleep cycle shifts and can cause sleep disruptions for a few nights because your baby is now experiencing multiple stages of sleep- including light sleep, REM, and deep sleep.

As your baby goes between these stages of sleep, it’s possible for them to wake up because they are learning and adjusting to this new sleep pattern.

If your “my baby sleep all night” baby is now waking up and they are 4 months, this could be the reason.

A word about baby sleep…

There is a lot of chatter in the mommy blog world about sleep training, what is right, what is wrong, teaching your baby to sleep independently…and so on.

It can be VERY overwhelming.

If you are perfectly fine with your baby’s sleep patterns, that’s wonderful. If you are continuing to struggle with each month as they get older, reach out for support.

When it comes to baby sleep, just remember- if it feels wrong to you and your baby, then it’s probably wrong for your family.

There is no ONE way to deal with baby sleep struggles. And sometimes, what may *feel* like is wrong, is sometimes perfectly right! Such as your baby sleeping short naps or waking up at night.

Your child is a baby- they will naturally fall into a groove of sleeping as they get older.

Don’t stress, mama!

What Do I Do With my Baby When He / She’s Awake?

If you’re struggling with what to actually do during your baby’s wake window, check out the Tiny One’s Boredom Buster Activity Toolkit!

It’s jam-packed will easy, fun, cheap, & educational activities for babies 2 months-2 years old. This resource will grow with your child and help them reach new milestones while practicing existing skills!

A 2-month baby won’t “play” as a 12-month baby would, but you can still do fun little connection activities with your baby that will keep them engaged, show them new things and strengthen your bond. 🙂

Learn more about the activity toolkit here!

Free 1-4 Month Baby Routine Guide

Don’t forget to download your free routine guide so these sample routines and schedules can get sent straight to your inbox!

The Routine Guide includes:

• 1-2 month routine sample
• 3-4 month routine sample
• Daily routine “create your own” template
• Baby daily tracker (to track naps, activities, diaper changes, moods, and feedings all in ONE place!)

Recap:

Remember, don’t compare your baby’s journey to another.

Your little one is still just that- a baby! Enjoy the snuggle as they fall asleep on your chest, savor their little breath hitting your neck and cherish every cuddle as their little body fits so perfectly onto yours.

This 1-4 month old baby schedule and flexible routine will flourish your connection with your baby, help you understand their cues, and care for your baby in the best and easiest way possible.

I hope you found the information you need to feel confident caring for your little one in the best way possible and assurance to know that you are doing great!

Remember to follow those wake windows, tired cues, and hunger cues.

YOU know your little one best!

You got this, mama!

Related Reading:

• What My Baby’s Daily Schedule Looks Like
• Easy Newborn Routine to Survive the First 4 Weeks
• 6 Reasons Your Baby Needs A Successful Routine to Thrive