3 months old sleep schedule

Updated 2026-08-22 · Source: National Sleep Foundation · Free · No sign-up

TOTAL SLEEP PER 24 HOURS

14–17 hours

The AASM issues no recommendation for babies under 4 months — it judged the evidence insufficient. This figure is the National Sleep Foundation's, a different body using a different method, and we show it rather than borrowing the older-infant number.

NSFAASM: no recommendation

Convention, not guidance. The nap count and wake windows below are not published by any medical body. Which parts of a sleep schedule are actually published →

A sample day at 3 months

Built from a 7:00am wake-up. At this age this is a plausible rhythm, not a schedule to hold to.

7:00am

Wake for the day — your input

8:30am – 9:30am

Nap 1 — 1h 30m awake, then about 1h asleep

11:00am – 12:00pm

Nap 2 — 1h 30m awake, then about 1h asleep

1:30pm – 2:30pm

Nap 3 — 1h 30m awake, then about 1h asleep

4:00pm

Bedtime — 1h 30m after the last nap ended

Each nap starts one wake window (1h 30m) after the last sleep ended; bedtime is one more after the final nap. Nap length is assumed at about 1h.

Build this from your own baby's wake time →

What is typical at 3 months

A rhythm often starts to appear this month — roughly predictable nap times rather than a fixed schedule. This is the last month the AASM guidance does not cover.

Naps at this age: 3–5. Awake between sleeps: 1h 15m to 1h 45m. Longest night stretch: 4–6 hours at a time.

What most babies are doing by 4 months

The CDC does not publish a checkpoint at 3 months — its checkpoints are 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months. Your baby has passed the 2-month checkpoint and is working toward the 4-month one. These are the 4-month milestones, which is what most babies are growing into now.

Social and emotional

Smiles on their own to get your attention
Chuckles when you try to make them laugh
Looks, moves, or makes sounds to get/keep your attention

Language

Makes cooing sounds
Turns head toward the sound of your voice

Learning and problem-solving

Opens mouth when hungry and sees breast/bottle
Looks at their hands with interest

Movement

Holds head steady without support when held
Holds a toy when you put it in their hand
Brings hands to mouth
Pushes up onto elbows during tummy time

The CDC does not link these milestones to sleep, and neither do we. They are here because much of what changes about sleep at a given age is really what is changing about the baby. Source: CDC, Learn the Signs. Act Early.

Safe sleep, source conflicts and what this is not — the AAP safe-sleep rules, where the AASM and the National Sleep Foundation disagree, and why this is not a sleep-training method: read the full guidance notes. General guidance, not medical advice.

↥ Try another age → Browse all ages →

FAQ

How much should a 3 months old sleep?

The AASM makes no recommendation below 4 months. The National Sleep Foundation's figure is 14–17 hours per 24 hours. Those are different bodies using different methods, which is why the number you see quoted varies by site.

How many naps at 3 months?

3–5 is the conventional range at this age. No medical body publishes nap counts — this is convention, and healthy babies fall outside it.

What are wake windows at 3 months?

Conventionally 1h 15m to 1h 45m awake between sleeps. Wake windows are not published guidance from any medical body, whatever a schedule page implies.