Your little 2-month-old baby is no doubt just the most adorable little being on the planet….but your 2-month-old baby’s sleep may be less darling! By the time your little one is 2 months old, naps may be all over the place, and night sleep may feel like a nightmare. Plus, we find in our work with parents that by the time your baby is 2 months old, all the adrenaline that was keeping you going through the newborn phase is wearing off quickly, and exhaustion is hitting full-force.
Yeah…to call 2 months old a tricky time would be an understatement. 😉 Fortunately for you, we have tips!
2 Month Old Baby Sleep Tips: 8 Ways To Help Your 2 Month Old Sleep
- Focus on the first and second naps of the day (the others may be all over the place). Nap schedule? Yeah, right…most 2-month-old babies are still napping all over the place, and have little-to-no consistency in their daily feeding and nap schedules. That’s okay – it’s normal. Instead of worrying about making each and every nap a winner, just focus on the first and second naps of the day – those tend to be the most restorative. Make sure those happen at home, and that they are close to an hour.
- Lots of night-waking is normal. At 2 months old, your baby’s drive to eat still trumps the drive to sleep, and this is perfectly normal. Don’t worry at all about sleeping through the night at this age – just focus on feeding your baby frequently. And take heart – night sleep will gradually start to lengthen in the next month or two.
- Focus on rhythms and routines, not on the clock. This is HUGE. Most babies are in no way ready for a clock-based schedule at this age, and if you try to force one on your baby, the outcome will no doubt be disastrous (over-tired baby, anyone?). But that doesn’t mean each day needs to be chaotic and unpredictable. What you CAN do is to focus on carving out routines for your 2-month-old baby. At this age, the Eat-Play-Sleep routine is a great one – feed your baby, engage her in a short activity, and then lay her down to sleep (ideally, while she’s still slightly awake). And focus on doing this routine in chunks of time, rather than by the clock – for example, aim for 3-hour blocks of time during the day, give or take 30 minutes or so.
- Your 2 month old’s newfound alertness means you need optimal sleep conditions. Gone are the days when you could count on your newborn to sleep anywhere, through anything – your 2-month-old baby is much more alert these days! So now, it’s key that you create a great sleep environment – keep the room dim during sleep, use soft white noise to block out ambient sound, try to avoid spending all day out and about so that your baby can catch sleep at home, in his sleep space.
- The “witching hour” is definitely still ‘a thing’ for your 2 month old! If you find that your 2-month-old baby is fussy in the evening, believe me, you are NOT alone – this is so common! Most newborns and young babies go through this “witching hour” fussy spell. It will start to get better soon, but for now, your best bet is to plan on lots of cuddling and feeding in the evening. Remember, this is a development spell…it’s not something to “fix”. And keep in mind, too, that many babies fuss frequently in the evening because they want to cluster feed before they go to bed for the night, so this can actually work to your advantage if you offer frequent feeds right before bed. Many babies will follow up this spell with their longest stretch of night sleep.
- You are still in the season of back-to-back-to-back growth spurts, so adjust accordingly. Speaking of fussy spells and cluster-feeding…growth spurt, anyone? Babies go through an eye-popping number of baby growth spurts in the first year of life, and guess what? One of those growth spurts happens right at 8 weeks. You may notice extra night-waking, shortened naps, and increased fussiness around this time – this is all normal. Respond by offering extra feedings as necessary. Just like the “witching hour”, this growth spurt is a perfectly normal developmental stage, and is not a problem to solve; rather, it’s a spell that you just have to wait out.
- Work now on creating a strong, sleep-inducing bedtime routine. At 2 months old, your baby is still too young for formal sleep training (although you can certainly use our e-Book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep, to work on laying a foundation of healthy sleep habits that will make sleep coaching about a million times easier in another few months!). However, it is NEVER, EVER too early to institute a great bedtime routine! Even though your baby is too young for a fixed bedtime each night, you can definitely start working out a consistent routine now. Then, by the time your baby is ready for sleep training, you’ll already have this foundational step laid.
- Work on “drowsy, but awake” at bedtime, and/or during the first nap of the day. As I mentioned earlier, your baby is too young for official sleep training at this age. However, if you want to start working on building a healthy foundation of good sleep habits now, you can slowly start to work on laying your baby down drowsy, but awake, a few times each day. You do not want to do this for every nap, and after each night waking (doing that will lead to an overtired and cranky baby!); rather, just work on drowsy but awake for one nap per day (preferably the first nap, when the drive to sleep is strong) and possibly at bedtime (again, when the drive to sleep is very powerful). Just remember not to push this – if your baby protests, it’s perfectly okay to take a step back, and try again in another week or two.
Nikki says
Hi, I have a 9 week old and he was sleeping wonderfully around 7 weeks. He has now been waking up every hour to two hours. It seems Gas and hunger are the two driving forces of this wakefulness. He is breastfed and nothing in my diet has changed since his birth. I don’t eat dairy or gas-inducing veggies. We recently have stopped swaddling due to the baby’s ability to pull his hands up and roll onto his side. Could this be contributing to his lack of sleep? We have been alternating between the Zipadee Zip and Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. Are there any tips to help him sleep longer? Thanks!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Nikki – Thank you for writing to us! I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your baby’s sleep, but you are certainly not alone! Transitioning out of a swaddle, and learning new developmental skills, such as rolling definitely can disrupt even the best of sleepers!! If you haven’t yet, you can sign up to receive our free guide written just for families with young babies, “15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know.” This should be very helpful! Here is the link:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know
I would also recommend speaking to your baby’s doctor, if you are concerned about his gas. : )
We do offer a few more in-depth solutions for parents who need more help. Our e-book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep, may be a good option for you. In it, we give you a complete toolkit to help your baby establish healthy sleep habits today and throughout the first year.
In addition, our highly trained sleep consultants can help families of newborns too.
You can read more about our wonderful newborn options here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/essential-keys-to-your-newborns-sleep?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
I hope this information helps, and that sleep improves very soon!
Good luck Nikki!
Mia says
Hi! I have a 3 month old girl who has much difficulty going to sleep at night. But once she goes to sleep she’ll sleep at a stretch of maybe 5-6 hours. The thing is recently things have gotten much worse. She’ll only sleep around 2 or maybe even 3 in the morning.
What should I do to get her to sleep earlier?
Neosha says
@Mia – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for reading. Sleep generally starts to shift (and worsen!) for babies around 3/4 months old, so we know exactly where you’re coming from! There are so many considerations and suggestions that we could make for you as there are numerous gentle ways to help her start to sleep better for you, but we’d need more detailed information from you about your little girl, her temperament, day-to-day “schedule,” etc before we’re able to do a good job of it. Please consider connecting with one of our baby sleep experts who can walk you through helping your daughter sleep better step-by-step -https://www.babysleepsite.com/about Hang in there, Mia!
Paola says
I am so happy I found this page, thanks for all the information. My olmost 10 weeks old baby boy only has 2 or 3 naps during the day that usually last 30 to 45 minutes and at nights he wakes up every 2 hours or so. We noticed that since he got his 2 moth shots he decreased the amount of formula he eats.
Is there any way I can make him start sleeping longer periods at night?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Paola, thanks for writing to us and congratulations on your new baby! We have a free guide available for tips for new parents if you are interested: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
If you want more information on newborn sleep that will take you through the first year, you may also want to check out our ebook Essential Keys to Newborn Sleep: https://www.babysleepsite.com/essential-keys-to-your-newborns-sleep/
I hope these resources help! Thanks for stopping by the Baby Sleep Site.
Gemma Holman says
My lb is 8 weeks and currently falls asleep in my arms. Particularly in the evening as he was a screamer during the evenings hours at a time weeks 2-6 and now he’s fussy and still needs rocking. Want to start trying the eat play sleep routine for the 1st 2 naps as the website recommends. Is 8 weeks too late to start this? Thanks x
Danielle says
Hi Gemma,
Thank you for visiting our sleepy little village! 8 weeks is definitely not too late to start a new routine. You might enjoy our article on the eat play sleep routine here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/babywise-eat-play-sleep-schedule/ Good luck!
Gemma says
My son is 8weeks +1day. He will not sleep anywhere but on somebody. Did not sleep in a Moses basket, would cry when put down awake, asleep or drowsy. We have now purchased a next to me crib and he still will not sleep in it. I tried swaddling but he just kicked. I also tried white noise.
Do you have any advice please
Neosha says
@Gemma – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us. Yes, though exhausting, it is very common for newborns and young babies to prefer to sleep “close” to or on you, and we frequently work with parents of young babies in helping them lay the foundation for healthy baby sleep habits. Here is an article that gives very helpful tips for getting newborns the sleep they need. It also covers a few tips for giving your son the “close” feeling he seems to prefer: https://www.babysleepsite.com/newborns/newborn-sleep-baby-tips-10/ If you find you need more support, please consider connecting with one of our consultants who can help your family one-on-one through this process:https://www.babysleepsite.com/about
Hang in there, Gemma and please keep reading!
Kendall says
Hi
My baby boy is 8 weeks old today so getting use to whats normal still haha he cat naps during the day 30-45 minutes with a 2 hour nap somewhere in between (its never the same time) then at night he will go to bed around 9pm and sleep for 4-5 hours then wakes up for short feed (i try very hard to give him both side but he wont wake for it) then goes back down but then can wake up after 2 hours then feed again then 1 hour later.. it seems as the night goes on he sleeps less time is this normal or how can i get him to sleep another longer stint? Not sure if this corrects itself as he gets older? Should i try harder to give him a set bedtime at night because it can range each night due to his naps not being routined during the day either please tell me this all sorts it self out
Thanks
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Kendall, congrats on your new son! You sound like you are easing wonderfully into motherhood. 🙂 I have 2 little boys, and your description sounds quite similar to mine, and it did all ease out for me in the end. Things will most likely not seem very normal and scheduled for a couple more months at least. If you haven’t yet, we have a guide for new parents with some sleep facts that will help you as you learn how to help your little guy sleep! To download the free guide, please click here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
Congratulations again and thanks for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource!
Marianne says
This site is great! Thanks for all the advice. So my almost two month old sleeps good through the night. Bed time is around 1130 pm and wakes twice. We usually get up around 730 am to start the day. My problem though, she won’t nap well during the day. She won’t sleep in her crib she will only sleep In the rock n play. This last week my goal has been to get her to at least nap in the crib. She isn’t having it. I don’t know what to do. Should I keep trying the crib until she sleeps in it or establish a routine and allow her to stay in the rock n play?
Janelle Reid says
@Marianne, thanks for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource and for leaving your comment. 🙂 I am glad your daughter is doing well for you at night, but am sorry to hear you’re struggling with naps. At this age, it all sounds normal but there are certainly things that can help you set the stage for better naps. We have a free nap ebook that you can sign up to download here if you haven’t yet: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
If problems persist and naps don’t get more consistent, let us know! We have several more options of in-depth resources that may be a good fit for your family. If you have any further questions about any of that, please email us directly at [email protected]
Hang in there! The nap fights shouldn’t last forever!
Melissa says
Love the site and I’m so glad I found it! New Mom question here: curious what evenings should look like for my 2 month old girl. During the day she’ll nap in her rocker, laying on knees while I watch TV or in a bassinet on her playyard (all of which are in the living room.) In the evening is it okay for her to nap in those spots too or should we be putting her in her crib in her nursery?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Melissa, thanks for stopping by! We are always happy to hear our site has been helpful. 🙂 You sound like you would benefit from downloading our free guide on newborn sleep! You can sign up to receive it here as it’ll give you more info on what to do these early days: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/ We also have an ebook that goes more in-depth into building healthy sleep habits for your little one, before they are even old enough to do any sort of formal sleep training (if you plan to). You can read more about this ebook here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/essential-keys-to-your-newborns-sleep/
I hope this helps!
Jackie says
Hi, thanks for a great site! I have a two month old baby girl. My question is about going to bed- I usually put her down for the night at around 8pm- she then sleeps her longest until about 2am. However I would like to make her bedtime earlier at about 6pm straight after a bath and feed. What concerns me is that we will only go to bed later, and I’ve been told they should sleep/nap next to you or around you until at least 6 months. We have a monitor but I don’t want her on her own in the room for that time if it’s dangerous (with the monitor)
Thanks!
Nicole Johnson says
@Jackie Welcome to our sleepy little village and I’m so happy to hear you’re finding it so “great!” 🙂 You are correct that it is recommended by the AAP that your baby shares your room (not your bed) until they are 6 months to a year old, but that does not necessarily mean you need to be present the entire 11-12 hours they are in bed, if you have a monitor. 🙂 Families sometimes have a baby sleep in the living area until they go to bed and move the baby, so that is also an option for babies who can sleep through noise (not all can). Good luck!
Jackie says
Thanks so much! @nicolejohnson
Nicole Johnson says
You’re very welcome!
Bekah says
This was very helpful! Thank you. My son is a little over 9 weeks and he was doing one 5 hour stretch of sleep for a whole week straight before his 2 month shots. Since his shots, he has digressed on his length of sleep and is back at sleeping for only 3 hour stretches. Seeing a disgression in his sleep is so frustrating! Anything we can do to get him back sleeping at least one 5 hour stretch?
Nicole Johnson says
@Bekah You’re very welcome and congratulations! 🙂 I’m sorry to hear your son started waking more frequently after his shots. We sometimes see that for a few days afterwards. We do sometimes see babies begin their 4 month sleep regression early, though the timing would be “convenient.” You may, however, want to read up on it anyway. Here’s the link: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-patterns/4-month-sleep-regression/ . To get back to a longer stretch largely depends on what you need to “do” at the shorter stretch and what we help families with every day. You’re not alone. Good luck!