The Playbook

Baby sleep and feeding schedule maker

Pick your baby's age, how they feed, and when the day starts. You'll get a realistic sample day with feeds, naps and bedtime, plus the safe sleep rules that apply to every sleep.

Feeding
4 napsin this sample day
8:30 pmapproximate bedtime
~16 htotal sleep (typical range 14-17 h)

Every sleep, every time

  • Always on the back, for naps and at night
  • In their own crib, bassinet, or play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet only
  • Nothing else in the sleep space: no pillows, blankets, bumpers, or toys
  • Room-share without bed-sharing, ideally for at least the first 6 months
  • If baby falls asleep in a swing, car seat, or carrier, move them to a flat sleep surface
  1. 7:00 am to 7:30 amFeedFeedBreast or bottle (about 3-4 oz if a bottle). A great feed for dad to take.
  2. 7:30 am to 8:15 amAwakeAwake timeDiaper change, cuddles, and tummy time. Several sessions a day, working toward a total of 15-30 minutes by around 7 weeks.
  3. 8:15 am to 10:00 amNapNap 1Drowsy but awake into the crib or bassinet, on their back.
  4. 10:00 am to 10:30 amFeedFeedBreast or bottle (about 3-4 oz if a bottle). A great feed for dad to take.
  5. 10:30 am to 11:15 amAwakeAwake timeFace time, talking, a short walk, a little tummy time. Watch for sleepy cues: yawning, staring off, fussing.
  6. 11:15 am to 1:00 pmNapNap 2Drowsy but awake into the crib or bassinet, on their back.
  7. 1:00 pm to 1:30 pmFeedFeedBreast or bottle (about 3-4 oz if a bottle). A great feed for dad to take.
  8. 1:30 pm to 2:15 pmAwakeAwake timeFace time, talking, a short walk, a little tummy time. Watch for sleepy cues: yawning, staring off, fussing.
  9. 2:15 pm to 4:00 pmNapNap 3Drowsy but awake into the crib or bassinet, on their back.
  10. 4:00 pm to 4:30 pmFeedFeedBreast or bottle (about 3-4 oz if a bottle). A great feed for dad to take.
  11. 4:30 pm to 5:15 pmAwakeAwake timeFace time, talking, a short walk, a little tummy time. Watch for sleepy cues: yawning, staring off, fussing.
  12. 5:15 pm to 7:00 pmNapNap 4Drowsy but awake into the crib or bassinet, on their back.
  13. 7:00 pm to 7:30 pmFeedFeedBreast or bottle (about 3-4 oz if a bottle). A great feed for dad to take.
  14. 7:30 pm to 8:15 pmAwakeAwake timeFace time, talking, a short walk, a little tummy time. Watch for sleepy cues: yawning, staring off, fussing.
  15. 8:15 pm to 8:30 pmAwakeWind-downDim lights, bath or wash-up, pajamas, a book, last feed.
  16. 8:30 pm to 7:00 amNightNight sleepExpect about 2-3 night feeds. Keep lights low and voices quiet.
  • Never prop a bottle. Hold baby semi-upright and let them set the pace.
  • Every baby is different. Use this as a starting rhythm, not a rulebook, and ask your pediatrician about anything that worries you.

By the Guide to Fatherhood editorial team. Last reviewed .

Checked against guidance from organizations like the AAP, CDC, ACOG and NHS (linked below). This is general information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer.

What this tool gives you

A sample day: when feeds might happen, how long awake time lasts, how many naps to expect, and roughly when bedtime falls for your baby’s age. It is a starting point for planning who does what, not a target your baby has to hit.

Every sleep block follows the same safe sleep rules from the American Academy of Pediatrics: on the back, on a firm, flat surface with nothing else in it, in the parents’ room without bed-sharing. Those rules do not change with the schedule.

How the sample day is built

  • Feeds happen at the start of each awake period. For breastfed babies that means on demand: newborns commonly eat 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. For formula, the AAP describes newborns taking about 2 to 3 ounces every 3 to 4 hours, increasing over the first months.
  • Awake time follows typical wake-window ranges for each age. These are rules of thumb, so watch for sleepy cues (yawning, staring off, rubbing eyes, fussing) and put the baby down then.
  • Naps shrink in number as the baby grows: often four or five short naps early on, down to two by the end of the first year.
  • Night sleep includes realistic night feeds for the age.

The total sleep in each sample day is checked against published ranges: 14 to 17 hours for young babies, and 12 to 16 hours for babies 4 to 12 months, the range recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Making it work as a team

The schedule is most useful for planning shifts. A few patterns that work for many couples:

  • Split the night. One parent covers bedtime to about 2 a.m. with earplugs off; the other sleeps in a separate room with earplugs in, then you swap. Two five-hour blocks beat two broken eight-hour nights.
  • Dad owns a feed. If baby takes a bottle, the late-evening feed (often around 10 or 11 p.m.) is a natural dad feed that lets your partner go to bed early.
  • Morning handoff. Whoever did the late shift gets the first hour of the morning off, no negotiation.

See the sleep deprivation survival guide for more.

When to talk to your pediatrician

Call if your baby is not waking for feeds, has fewer wet diapers than your pediatrician said to expect, is feeding much less than usual, or seems unusually sleepy or hard to wake. For anything that worries you, call. Pediatric offices field sleep and feeding questions all day.

Frequently asked questions

Should a newborn be on a schedule?

Not a strict one. Newborns should be fed on demand, which is often 8 to 12 times in 24 hours for breastfed babies. A loose rhythm (feed, a little awake time, sleep) helps you plan, but follow the baby's hunger and sleepy cues over the clock.

How much should a baby sleep?

Newborns typically sleep 14 to 17 hours in 24, in short stretches. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends 12 to 16 hours, including naps, for babies 4 to 12 months old. Some babies sleep a bit more or less and are perfectly healthy.

When do babies sleep through the night?

There is a wide normal range. Many babies can sleep longer stretches somewhere between 4 and 6 months, but night waking for feeds is normal in the first year, and some babies keep waking longer. Ask your pediatrician before dropping night feeds.

Is it safe for the baby to nap in a swing or car seat?

The AAP recommends moving a baby to a firm, flat sleep surface if they fall asleep in a swing, car seat outside the car, bouncer or carrier. Inclined surfaces can let a baby's head fall forward and block their airway.

What are wake windows?

Wake windows are the stretches of awake time between sleeps. They are a rule of thumb, not a medical guideline, but they help: a newborn may only manage 45 to 60 minutes awake, while a 10-month-old can go three hours or more.

Sources

  1. A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
  2. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations, Pediatrics (AAP policy statement)
  3. Amount and Schedule of Baby Formula Feedings, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
  4. How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?, American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)
  5. Recommended Amount of Sleep for Pediatric Populations, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine)

We link to the original source for every medical and safety claim. Guidance changes; if a source has been updated since our last review, the source wins. How we research.