When I (Kalie) found out I was pregnant with our oldest daughter, Isla, I was filled with feelings of joy, excitement and fear all at the same time. Like most moms, I wanted what was best for my baby from the moment I received the incredible news.

Building healthy habits in my little one was at the top of my priorities list. The problem was, I had no idea what to expect or how to navigate motherhood. To better educate myself on the absolute BEST ways to instill healthy habits in babies, I read books, researched online, reached out to experienced moms and talked to pediatricians.

The first time you put together a schedule, look at it as a starting point or rough draft. Then, adjust as necessary until you find what actually works best for you and your baby.

When you create a routine that works for you and your family, do your best to stick to it, but know that it’s not something that is set in stone. An occasional deviation, like an afternoon appointment or playdate, shouldn’t cause too much disruption to your baby’s routine, just pick up as usual when you can.

This was something I initially struggled with after having Isla (I’m a type A planner), but became much more comfortable with the second time around with Alana. While I still made every effort to be home for Alana to nap in the comfort of her crib, I embraced the idea that it’s not the end of the world if she slept in her car seat every once in a while. This flexibility helped ease the “mom guilt” associated with straying from her norm.

Sleep training centers around creating consistency through a structured schedule so both you and your baby know what comes next. This predictable schedule teaches children how to constructively manage themselves in their environments (such as being put to bed while awake and putting themselves to sleep without pushback).

Want to learn more about what it is and why it’s beneficial? Check out our Baby Sleep Training Basics: How to Create a Successful Sleep Schedule.

Establishing a routine takes patience and persistence.

There were days I felt utterly defeated and exhausted. There were more than a few times when I sat teary-eyed on the floor of our bedroom closet with the lights off, momentarily escaping the chaos of motherhood after putting Isla down for a nap. But, fast forward to today as a mother of two, I can personally attest to how vital creating a healthy routine for my children has been.

I truly believe that our family life as a whole, bedtime in particular, runs smoothly (most of the time) thanks to the structure we instilled starting on day one. Not only that, but creating consistent routines and daily rituals has provided our girls with a sense of safety and resulted in positive developmental outcomes.

If synchronizing a sleep, eat, play schedule is something you’re interested in, then I’d strongly encourage you to read the book On Becoming Babywise. While the Babywise Method isn’t for everyone, the book offers some amazing insight and is a must-read for expecting or new moms and/or parents.

The witching hour is the time of day when your baby is extremely fussy, sometimes even inconsolable. The soothing methods that typically work for your baby during other parts of the day don’t seem to help much during this time.  

This typically occurs daily between 5:00 and 11:00 pm and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. For most babies, the witching hour starts to occur around 2-3 weeks, peaks at 6 weeks, and resolves itself by 3-4 months.   

It can be caused by:   

• Exhaustion   
• Overstimulation   
• Cluster feeding   
• Colic (a catch-all term for excessive crying)  
• A growth spurt   
• Gas (A gassy belly was a HUGE issue for both of our girls. We try to take a more natural-minded approach, so we used Windi Gas and Colic Relievers rather than drops and did “bicycle” moves with their legs. The idea of the Windi may sound gross, but just like the Snot Sucker, it worked like a charm! I honestly don’t know how we could have gotten through the first 4 months without them.)  

This super fussy stage takes a lot of patience and possibly a few boxes of tissues, but it’s temporary!   

You will notice these schedules do not include exact nap times. Every baby is different and the amount of sleep they need will slightly vary day to day.   

The best way to determine when your baby is ready for a nap is to watch for signs of sleepiness (rubbing their eyes, yawning, etc.). At the first sign of sleepiness, change their diaper and put them down for a nap, while still awake.  

I have an entire article dedicated to creating a bedtime routine. But, here are the basics:

To reinforce their natural circadian rhythm and help the girls differentiate between their daytime naps and bedtime in the evening, we instituted a unique evening routine.

• Night feeding (no playtime to follow)
• Wash face with a warm washcloth
• Change baby’s clothes
• Low lights
• Sing a soft lullaby—for us this is: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray…”
• Gently wave lavender essential oil around nose for a calming effect and to indicate its bedtime
• Down for bed while still at least slightly awake, saying “Goodnight, I love you!”
• AM: Open blinds, change baby’s clothes, wash face with a warm washcloth, feed (a new day is beginning)

This routine has worked like hypnosis for us and helped both myself and the girls get more sleep! Now that Isla is older and accustomed to the flow of things, she’ll ask for lavender when she’s sleepy at bedtime.

A key component of sleep training is making every effort to put your baby in bed when they are drowsy, but still awake, so that they would learn to fall asleep on their own.

Keep in mind, this wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies for our girls—especially when initially setting a standard—but it worked for us. 

It helped them learn to self-soothe and use their imagination. Now, they quietly play with their stuffed animals in their crib after they wake up (usually for 30-60 minutes).

During growth spurts and developmental milestones, your baby may sleep longer, wake up more frequently, be crankier and much hungrier than normal. Your baby will probably settle back into their usual routine within a week or so. You may feel discouraged, and that’s okay, but remind yourself that these regressions are temporary.

Ages when babies are likely to have a growth spurt or sleep regression

• 2-3 weeks
• 6 weeks
• 3-4 months
• 6 months
• 8-10 months
• 12 months
• 18 months

As babies grow, they begin to eat more at each feeding and can go longer between feedings. If you’re unsure how much milk (or formula) your baby needs, check out these two helpful resources:  

• Kelly Mom  
• Nested Bean  

Below are the Babywise sleep training schedules we followed for both Isla and Alana. To organize naps and feedings throughout the day, we tried to stick to the sleep, eat, play, repeat cycle (a technique Babywise parents use).

It’s pretty simple: the girls would eat (breast or bottle), play for a bit (tummy time, listen to mommy read, lay under their play mat, etc.) and then go down for a nap.

The length and type of play and the duration of the nap depended on each girl’s age and temperament. Isla did better with this than Alana, who required a little more flexibility, but the basic layout was always the same: eating, followed by some playing and then finally a nap.

Please remember, each baby is unique and sleep schedules can vary widely.

You can allow baby to wake naturally overnight; no more than 4 hours between feedings.  

• 7:00 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness   
• 9:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap   
• 2:30 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap   
• 5:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 pm is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”   
• 8:00 pm (7:30-8:00 pm flex): 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).   
• 11:00 pm (10:30-11:00 pm flex): 7th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 1:30 am: (1:00-2:30 flex): 8th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 4:00 am: (3:30-5:00 am flex): 9th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    

Expect cluster feeding around day 10.  

• 7:00 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 2:30-3:00 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 pm is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 7:45 pm (7:30-8:00 pm flex): 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).   
• 10:45 pm (10:30-11:00 pm flex): 7th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 2:00 am: (1:00-2:30 am flex): 8th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 4:30 am: (3:30-5:00 am flex): 9th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    

Starting week 3, aim to drop one evening feed (as shown below). This won’t always happen right away.  Expect cluster feeding between weeks 3-4.    

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:30 am (9:00 am flex): 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 2:30-3:00 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 pm is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 7:30 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).   
• 10:30 pm: 7th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 2:00-3:00 am: 8th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    

Aim for 4-hour stretches between each dream feed throughout the night.    

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:30 am (9:00 am flex): 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 2:30-3:00 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 7:30 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).   
• 10:30 pm: 7th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    
• 3:00 am: 8th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed

Aim to drop 3:00 am dream feed (as shown below). This won’t always happen right away. If baby does not tolerate it, work toward dropping it by week 10.  

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:00-9:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:00-12:30 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 3:00-3:30 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:30 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 8:00-8:30 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).  
• 10:30-11:00 pm: 7th feeding (dream feed with lights dim); immediately back to bed    

Aim to eliminate 10:30 pm dream feed during week 10 (as shown below). This may take until week 11 or 12. Once dropped, pump to maintain milk supply if still nursing.  

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:00-9:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:30-1:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 3:30 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:30-6:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 8:30-9:00 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).  
• 10:30-11:00 pm: ELIMINATE 7th feeding (dream feed); if nursing, pump to maintain supply  

Aim to eliminate 10:30 pm dream feed during week 10 (as shown below). This may take until week 11 or 12. Once dropped, pump to maintain milk supply if still nursing.  

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 9:00-9:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 12:30-1:00 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 3:30 pm: 4th feeding; play; nap    
• 5:30-6:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; nap    
  • Between 5:00 and 11:00 is generally a baby’s fussiest time of day—a.k.a. “The Witching Hour.”  
• 8:30-9:00 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE).  
• 10:30-11:00 pm: ELIMINATE 7th feeding (dream feed); if nursing, pump to maintain supply  

Reduce or eliminate nap after 5:30 pm feeding; aim to drop one daytime feed (as shown below).  

• 6:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 10:30 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 2:30 pm: 3rd feeding; play; nap  
• 5:30-6:00 pm: 5th feeding; play; CATNAP (30-minute catnap after playtime OR eliminate nap entirely)  
• 8:30-9:00 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE). 
• 10:30-11:00 pm: If nursing, pump to maintain supply  

Following 2:30 pm feeding, lengthen wake time and reduce nap to a 30-minute catnap.  

• 7:00 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 11:00 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 2:30 pm: 3rd feeding; play; CATNAP (put down for catnap between 4:45-5:00 pm)  
• 5:30 pm: 5th feeding; play; NO NAP (baby drops their evening nap)  
• 8:00 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE). 
• 10:30-11:00 pm: If nursing, pump to maintain supply  

• 7:00-7:30 am: Start of the day; 1st feeding (nurse or bottle); playtime; put down for nap at first sign of sleepiness  
• 11:00 am: 2nd feeding; play; nap    
• 2:30 pm: 3rd feeding; play; short nap (put down for catnap between 4:45-5:00 pm)  
• 5:00-5:30 pm: 5th feeding; play; no nap (baby stays awake until bedtime)  
• 7:30 pm: 6th feeding; bedtime routine; put baby to bed while awake   
  • Our bedtime routine looked like this: Wash face, dim lights, wave lavender essential oil under nose to indicate it’s bedtime, sing, lay down while drowsy but awake (full article HERE). 
• 10:30-11:00 pm: If nursing, pump to maintain supply  

Remember, like most healthy habits, a schedule also involves some flexibility. Every baby is different and, therefore, there’s no ONE thing that will work for them all. Test your plan out and evaluate what worked well and what could be improved upon. And, try to stay positive mama… You’re doing AWESOME! Rome wasn’t built overnight and neither are babies sleep patterns.

Let’s create successful schedules for our babies—together!