Understanding Naps: Three Months Old Infant
By the time your baby reaches three months, you’ve probably heard a hundred different opinions about what their sleep “should” look like. Some people swear by strict schedules, others tell you to toss the clock and follow your gut, and somewhere in between is where most parents end up, trying to understand their child’s needs while keeping family life steady and sane.
At Woodlands Collective, we take a softer approach. Routines can be incredibly helpful, but only if they work for your child and your family. They are not prescriptive rules, and they’re never meant to box you in. Babies grow, shift, and surprise us constantly, and your routine should have room for that.
Every baby’s temperament, sensory profile, and sleep needs are different. Even within the same family, siblings rarely follow the same pattern, and that’s exactly why there’s no single “correct” schedule for a three month old.
With that spirit in mind, here’s what sleep often looks like around the three-month mark, and how to support your little one with patterns that feel calm, flexible, and developmentally aligned.
What Are Wake Windows For A 3 Month Old?
Three-month-old infants are expanding rapidly in their ability to stay awake and engage with the world. Most babies are comfortable with wake windows between about an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours. You might notice their cues shifting quickly at this age, bright and alert one moment, overstimulated the next, which is why leaning into cues, not rigid timing, is the real secret.
If you want to understand wake windows more deeply, we have a beautifully approachable guide you can explore under their Baby Wake Windows blog. It helps you understand how to tune into your baby’s signals without becoming clock-dependent.
How Much Should A 3 Month Old Sleep?
On average, many three-month-old infants land somewhere between thirteen and fifteen hours of sleep across a 24-hour period. This usually breaks into four to five hours across daytime naps, and about nine to ten hours overnight. These numbers aren’t goals so much as reference points. Some babies naturally hover on the lower end, others drift toward the higher end, and both fall within the wide range of normal.
The most helpful mindset at this age is noticing the balance between daytime rest and nighttime rest. When the overall rhythm feels steady, your baby tends to feel steadier too.
Let’s Talk About Naps And Length
Three-month-olds are famous for their nap variety. Some manage three longer naps, others move through four shorter ones, and both patterns work beautifully.
Nap lengths at this age are notoriously unpredictable. Some babies nap for a single sleep cycle, waking after thirty or forty-five minutes. Others stretch into longer naps when their bodies are ready. Both are normal. Babies at three months are still learning how to connect sleep cycles independently, so short naps don’t mean anything is wrong.
When Should The Last Nap Be For A 3 Month Old?
The “last nap” can vary based on your baby’s temperament and how the day unfolds. Most babies this age do best when their final nap ends somewhere in the late afternoon, leaving around 2 hours of awake time before bedtime to build a bit of sleep pressure without tipping into exhaustion. This afternoon window is flexible, it doesn’t need to be perfectly timed to be effective.
How Could a 3 Month Old Baby Schedule Look
Use this nap sample as a guide, not a rulebook. Every baby has their own temperament, sensory needs, and way of moving through the day, and your routine should make sense for your family too. Think of this schedule as a framework you can layer onto your baby’s natural rhythms so the day feels predictable without being rigid.
Three Months Old
Wake Windows: 1.45 – 2 hours
Naps a day: 3 - 4
Total day (nap) sleep: 4 – 5 hours
Total night sleep: 9 - 10 hours
Total sleep over 24hours: 13 – 15 hours
7:00 a.m. - Awake
8:45/9:00 a.m. - Nap
10:00 a.m. - Awake
11:45 a.m. / 12:00 p.m. - Nap
2:00 p.m. - Awake
3:45 / 4:00 p.m. - Nap
4:45 a.m. - Awake
5:30 p.m. - Bath
6:00 p.m. - Feed
6:30 p.m. - Bed or 4th nap
Note: I haven’t included milk feeds in my schedule as this is so personal and unique, so feed whenever it works for you and your little one!
Bedtime For A Three Months Old Infant
There isn’t a single ideal bedtime for a three-month-old. Some babies settle best a little earlier in the evening. Others do better with a slightly later bedtime depending on their wake windows, sensory input, and how active their day has been. At this age, the “right” bedtime is the one that matches your baby’s cues and doesn’t feel rushed or forced.
What you’re aiming for isn’t a textbook bedtime, but an evening rhythm that feels predictable, calm, and suited to your family’s flow.
What is a bedtime routine for a 3 month old?
A bedtime routine at this age doesn’t need to be fancy, but it does help your baby understand that sleep is coming. Think of it as a predictable little flow you repeat every night. For example, many families find success with something like this: dim the lights, give a warm bath, slip into comfy pajamas, offer a calm feed, then head into a dark room for one last cuddle before placing baby in bed.
You don’t have to follow this exact order, but creating the same calm steps each night helps your baby learn the rhythm of bedtime and fall asleep more easily.
What about a nighttime schedule?
Nighttime routines are incredibly personal, shaped by culture, family dynamics, feeding choices, and your baby’s temperament. There isn’t a single schedule that works universally. What does make a difference is building healthy sleep habits throughout the day and especially before bedtime.
Good sleep hygiene helps regulate the nervous system, decreases overstimulation, and increases the likelihood of settled nights, not because we can control sleep, but because we can support it. Woodlands Collective has a gentle, helpful guide on this topic in their Kids’ Sleep Hygiene blog, offering realistic, developmentally respectful habits that support deeper rest for babies and children alike.
When to reach out for support
If your days feel chaotic, if naps aren’t lining up, or if you’re unsure how to read your baby’s cues at this stage, you’re not alone. Three months is full of developmental milestones, sensory changes, and shifting needs, which is exactly why having a sleep consultant in your corner can feel like a breath of fresh air.
Woodlands Collective brings sleep expertise and emotional support together so families can feel confident and grounded, not overwhelmed. If you ever feel like you’d like guidance, reassurance, or a personalized plan, our team is ready to help you find your way through this season with more ease.