ROUTINES

3 MONTHS TO 3 YEARS

3 weeks to 3 years

2023
© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link]
Table of
Contents
01 ABOUT ME

02 ROUTINE ROADMAP

03 A NOTE ON CATNAPPING

04 PROS AND CONS

05 NEWBORNS (0 - 12 WEEKS)

07 3 MONTHS

12 4 MONTHS

17 5 MONTHS

22 6 - 8 MONTHS

27 9 - 12 MONTHS

31 12 - 18 MONTHS

35 18 MONTHS - 3 YEARS

37 FAQS

38 CONTACT US
Hello! I'm Caroline.

So thrilled to have you here.

A bit about me...

I am the mother to four beautiful souls who

are my world and inspiration.

Mind Body Sleep was born in 2018 after my

personal experience with sleep challenges
with our first baby.

I ventured to the depths of sleep

deprivation and came out the other side a
litte wiser and lot better rested.

Mind Body Sleep is powered by a deep

passion to support families through the
early years of navigating sleep.

Sleep plays such an important role in our

well-being and health. Both for us and our
little ones.

Having a little knowledge and confidence to

understand your child's sleep journey can
make the world of difference.

We don't expect perfection by any means.

But, having a well rested baby is possible!

Let's make it a reality!

Caroline x
1
Babies and routines are like cookies and cream, a match made in heaven.

Predictable routines offer a sense of security and stability, aiding cognitive and emotional growth.

When you get it right, magic happens;

Babe settles easier for naps and at bedtime

Babe takes longer naps
Babe sleeps solidly at night (around feeds)
Babe is overall well rested and happy

Creating a routine for your baby can seem daunting, but don't stress! I've done the hard work for
you.

The routines in this guide have been successfully tried and tested by myself and the families I've
had the pleasure of working with world-wide. Created with your little one's every need in mind.

Of course, I celebrate all different families and styles of parenting and understand that these are
not the ONLY routines that work and they are certainly not set in stone. Feel free to get creative
and make adjustmetns to suit your unique baby.

I have included four different routine models;

Catnapping
Short-Long-(Short)
Medium-Medium-(Short)
Long-Short-(Short)

Named for their nap length structure, each routine has its pros and cons. If you find that your
little one has fallen into a routine that is completely different to the ones included, then by all
means continue with what you are doing. There is no one size fits all solution.

I hope these routines give you some confidence while navigating your way through the highs and
lows of your baby's sleep journey.

Don't get caught out! Save this guide to your phone or print out your current routine and stick it
on the fridge so everyone knows what your baby is up to!

Much love!

*This guide should not be used as a substitute for medical advice. Consult your
paediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about your baby's individual needs.

2
 A note on catnapping

I felt it was important to include a catnapping routine option. Although it's not
necessarily the routine we're striving for, the vast majority of families I hear from
have experienced a period of catnapping (short naps) with their little one at some
point or another.

Most commonly we see catnapping occur somewhere between 6 weeks to 6

months. It is usually triggered by the emergence of more complex, structured sleep
cycles.

It can take a bit of time and practice for our babies to successfully start being able
to consistently move from one sleep cycle to the next on their own.

I won't delve too deeply into this here, but I acknowledge that catnapping is a
reality for many families. I know it can be exhausting and stressful spending hours
in a dark room trying to resettle your baby.

So, know this... It's ok to take the pressure off and let the catnapping be until you're
ready to tackle a resettling strategy.

There are certainly ways to support your little one and help them consolidate their
naps when they're ready. But, catnapping up to about 6 months is still considered
developmentally normal.

I have included a catnapping routine option up to 6 months. If catnapping persists

for your baby beyond this, consider other factors that could be tweaked to support
them further. Health, sleep environment, feeding/nutrition, and sleep associations
all play and important role in your little one's sleep.

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 Pros and Cons

Balances
Actively Flexibility to
Solidifies sleep Less need
helps to Smooth nap do regular
long lunch pressure to to wake
prevent transitions naps on the
nap early on avoid over baby
early rising go
tiredness

S-L-S

M-M-S

L-S-S

S-L-S = short-long-short routine

M-M-S = medium-medium short routine
L-S-S = long-short-short routine

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 Newborns - (3-12 weeks)

Let's start with the wee little ones!

Scheduled routines that focus on times by the clock can be VERY difficult
to achieve during the first three months. Newborn sleep is rapidly
developing and largely disorganised. However, a loose routine is very
beneficial in helping to regulate your baby's biorhythms.

Having a routine gives some (flexible) structure to your day and your
baby will love the predictability. You'll also find it easier to read your
baby's hunger, tired and "I'm bored" cues.

Don't panic if your baby doesn't follow this routine daily. We definitely
don't expect consistency at this age. If breastfeeding in particular, you
may want to feed on demand, so feeds might be more or less frequent
and at completely different times than mentioned, and that is ok!

Observe your baby's awake times and tired cues for nap timings. As they
get older their awake windows will gradually increase, so you will have
more time between naps and the number of naps will decrease. You can
also try extending short naps by assisting in arms or in the pram or
carrier/front pack.

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 3 - 12 weeks - FEED, PLAY, SLEEP

- Awake and milk feed - try to start the day at a similar time each morning.
- Floor time
- Nap 1 - best time to attempt in cot
AVERAGE AWAKE TIMES
- Awake and milk feed
- Sensory play 3-6 weeks - 45 - 60 minutes
6-9 weeks - 1hrs - 1hr15mins
- Nap 2 - best time to attempt in cot 9-12 weeks - 1hr15mins - 1hr30mins
- Awake and milk feed
- Tummy time/skin to skin
- Nap 3 - in cot or assisted in arms, pram, carrier
- Awake and milk feed
- Floor time - outside (optional)
- Nap 4 - in cot or assisted in arms, pram, carrier
- Awake and milk feed
- Nappy/diaper free time (optional)
- Nap 5 - in cot or assisted in arms, pram, carrier
- Awake and milk feed
- Bath and bedtime routine - bath is optional
- Final feed and settle for the night - (or optional 6th nap if bub is
catnapping followed by bath and bedtime routine, then settle for the
night)
- Overnight - feed on demand

* The number of naps will depend on baby's awake times, length of naps
and whether they are doing an early (6-7pm) or late (8-10pm) bedtime.

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 3 MONTHS

By three months your baby may have settled into a bit of a catnapping
cycle or they might be doing a variety of short and long naps. Both are
ok.

If you are experiencing persistent catnapping but both you and bub are
managing ok with the short naps, it's ok to roll with it. You can absolutely
try resettling naps when you feel up to it, but on the days you're not able
to you can follow the catnapping routine provided. Alternatively, you can
continue to follow the loose feed, play, sleep routine above instead of
aiming for a schedule which some babies may still struggle with.

Schedules are often very hit and miss at this age, so while I have included
some routine examples, flexibility is still important as we still don't
expect much consistency.

At this age your baby will likely still require a fair amount of hands on
help when settling. This can be acheived by rocking, feeding, bouncing,
cuddling, using the pram or carrier, or you can try settling in their
cot/bassinet with shushing and patting.

Introducing a dream feed overnight is optional. Dream feeds can be

helpful by aligning your baby's overnight feed/s with your bed time. But
this doesn't work for every baby, so if your baby is waking again shortly
after the dream feed or they are difficult to rouse or become unsettled
during the feed, this might not be a good option for them.

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 3 months - CATNAPPING

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
8:30am Nap 1
9:15am Awake and milk feed
10:45am Nap 2
11:30am Awake and milk feed
1pm Nap 3
1:45pm Awake and milk feed
3:15pm Nap 4
4pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Nap 5
6pm Awake and milk feed
6:30pm Optional bath
7pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 3-4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 3 months - SHORT-LONG-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
8:30am Nap 1
10am Awake and milk feed
11:30am Optional top up feed
11:45am Nap 2
2pm Awake and milk feed
3:15pm Optional top up feed
3:45pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Optionl bath
6:15/6:30pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 3-4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 3 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
8:30am Nap 1
10:15am Awake and milk feed
11:45am Optional top up feed
12pm Nap 2
1:45pm Awake and milk feed
3pm Optional top up feed
3:30pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Optionl bath
6:15/6:30pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 3-4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 3 months - LONG-SHORT-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
8:30am Nap 1
10:30am Awake and milk feed
12pm Optional top up feed
12:15pm Nap 2
1:45pm Awake and milk feed
3pm Optional top up feed
3:30pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Optionl bath
6:15/6:30pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 3-4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 4 MONTHS

It's common to see a "regression" in sleep this month. But don't panic,
this is actually a positive sign of development! Your baby's sleeping
patterns are maturing. They will be navigating through more complex
and adult-like sleep cycles and their 24hr circadian rhythm is falling into
place. Exciting! This is a great age to start leaning towards a more
structured routine if that's your jam.

Catnapping is still very common at this age, but a consistent resettling

strategy can help your baby start achieving at least one long nap a day,
albeit with a little help.

You can start playing around with the different routines to see which one
feels right for you and your family.

Don't feel you need to be a slave to nap time. Short naps can be done on
the go while you are out and about, whereas the longest nap can be
done at home.

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 4 months - CATNAPPING

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
8:45am Nap 1
9:30am Awake and milk feed
11:30am Nap 2
12:15pm Awake and milk feed
2:15pm Nap 3
3pm Awake and milk feed
5pm Nap 4
5:30pm Awake and milk feed
6pm Optional bath
6:45/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 4 months - SHORT-LONG-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9am Nap 1
10am Awake
10:15 Milk feed
11:30am Optional top up feed
12pm Nap 2
2pm Awake
2:15pm Milk Feed
4pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link] 14

 4 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9am Nap 1
10:30am Awake and milk feed
12pm Optional top up feed
12:30pm Nap 2
2pm Awake
2:30pm Milk feed
4pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 4 months - LONG-SHORT-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9am Nap 1
11am Awake and milk feed
12:30pm Optional top up feed
1pm Nap 2
2pm Awake
2:30pm Milk feed
4pm Nap 3
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 5 MONTHS

Nothing major to report this month. Your baby's tolerance to stay awake
is still increasing so you'll notice those awake times slowly stretching out.

Your babe might also be moving around more, perhaps even attempting
to roll. If they're still being swaddled for sleep, now is a good time to
transition to an arms out sleeping bag.

If your baby is healthy and thriving you can aim for 1-2 milk feeds
overnight. However, additional feeds are absolutely fine if that is working
for you and bub.

If you're working on settling in the cot, attempt this at nap 1 or 2

(whichever is going to be their longest nap).

Don't forget you can find balance between naps on the go and naps at
home.

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 5 months - CATNAPPING

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9am Nap 1
9:45am Awake and milk feed
12pm Nap 2
12:45 Awake and milk feed
2:45pm Nap 3
3:15pm Awake and milk feed
5:15pm Nap 4
5:45pm Awake and milk feed
6:15pm Optional bath
7:15/7:30pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 5 months - SHORT-LONG-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9:15am Nap 1
10am Awake
10:15/10:30am Milk feed
11:45am Optional top up feed
12:15pm Nap 2
2:15pm Awake
2:30pm Milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 (might need to be assisted)
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link] 19

 5 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9:15am Nap 1
10:30am Awake and milk feed
12:15pm Optional top up feed
12:45pm Nap 2
2:15pm Awake
2:30pm Milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 (might need to be assisted)
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link] 20

 5 months - LONG-SHORT-SHORT

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
9:15am Nap 1
11:15am Awake and milk feed
12:30pm Optional top up feed
1:30pm Nap 2
2:15pm Awake
2:30pm Milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 (might need to be assisted)
5pm Awake and milk feed
5:30pm Bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:45pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly+)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 6-8 MONTHS

Between 6-8 months a lot of babies will make the transition from three
to two naps. This is done by dropping the last nap of the day.

To ease the transition, the third nap can be shortened to as little as 10

minutes or only offered every other day. An earlier bedtime can also
help while they get used to that longer awake time before bed.

Signs they're ready for two naps?

Consistently refusing the nap regardless of how hard you try to assist
them, bedtime being delayed after the third nap, additional night wakes,
early rising, and showing the ability to happily stay awake for 3.5+ hours
in the afternoon.

Most babies will be ready to start solids around 6 months, if you're

unsure about your little one's readiness talk to your GP/paediatrician.

I recommend introducing lunch first (11am), followed by dinner (5pm),

then finally breakfast (7:30am).

Breastmilk and/or formula is still your baby's main source of nutrition at

this age, so should be offered before solids.

If still offering a dream feed, stop by around 7 months and let your little
onw wake natuarlly for their night feed/s.

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 6 months - CATNAPPING

Time Activity
7am Out of bed and milk feed
7:30am Optional solids
9:30am Nap 1
10:15am Awake
10:30-11:30am Feeding window - milk feed then solids
12pm Optional top up feed
12:45pm Nap 2
1:30pm Awake and milk feed
4pm Nap 3
4:45pm Awake and milk feed
5pm Optional solids
5:45pm Optional bath
6:30/6:45pm Milk feed and settle for the night
10:30pm Optional dream feed
Overnight Feed on demand (approx 4hrly)

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link] 23

 6-8 months - SHORT-LONG-(SHORT)

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and milk feed
7:30am Optional solids
9:30am Nap 1
10am Awake
10:30-11:30am Feeding window - milk feed then solids
11:45am Optional top up milk feed
12:30pm Nap 2
2:30pm Awake and milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 - 10-30 minute nap (optional)
5pm Awake and milk feed + optional solids
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night
11pm (overnight) Optional dream feed

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 6-8 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM-(SHORT)

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and milk feed
7:30am Optional solids
9am Nap 1
10am Awake
10:30-11:30am Feeding window - milk feed then solids
12:30pm Optional top up milk feed
1pm Nap 2
2:30pm Awake and milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 - 10-30 minute nap (optional)
5pm Awake and milk feed + optional solids
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night
11pm (overnight) Optional dream feed

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 6-8 months - LONG-SHORT-(SHORT)

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and milk feed
7:30am Optional solids
9:30am Nap 1
11:30am Awake
12pm-1pm Feeding window - milk feed then solids
1:30pm Optional top up milk feed
2:30pm Nap 2
3pm Awake and milk feed
4:30pm Nap 3 - 10-30 minute nap (optional)
5pm Awake and milk feed + optional solids
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night
11pm (overnight) Optional dream feed

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 9-12 MONTHS

Your little one may experience some mini set-backs with their sleep
during this period. In most cases these "regressions" are only temporary
and due to rapid development.

A lot of babies will be ready to sleep through the night after 9 months.
But, there's no rush to night wean if night feed/s are working for you and
your little one.

Signs they could be ready include;

They're thriving in their overall growth.

They're eating well during the day having at least 2-4 good
breastfeeds/bottles and 3 solid meals plus snacks.
They're not hungry when they wake in the morning, so not having a
full feed at 7am.
They're occasionally sleeping through the night already
They can settle and re-settle independently.

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 9-12 months - SHORT-LONG

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and milk feed
7:30am Breakfast
9:30am Nap 1
10am Awake
11-11:30am Feeding window - solids then milk feed
12:30/1pm Nap 2
2:30/3pm Awake and milk feed - can substitute this
milk feed with afternoon tea
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night.

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 9-12 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM

Time Activity
6:30/7am Awake and milk feed
7:30am Breakfast
9:30am Nap 1
10:30am Awake
11-11:30am Feeding window - solids then milk feed
1:30pm Nap 2
3pm Awake and milk feed - can substitute this
milk feed with afternoon tea
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
7pm Milk feed and settle for the night

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 9-12 months - LONG-SHORT

Time Activity
6:30/7am Awake and milk feed
7:30am Breakfast
9:30am Nap 1
11:30am Awake
11-11:30am Feeding window - solids then milk feed
2:30pm Nap 2
3pm Awake and milk feed - can substitute this
milk feed with afternoon tea
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
7pm Milk feed and settle for the night

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 12-18 MONTHS

There is a common sleep "regression" around 12 months (Happy

Birthday!) which can see some nap refusal.

Many babies will still need two naps at this age so don't take this as a
sign of them being ready to drop a nap. Persist with offering both naps
for at least two weeks before deciding to make any drastic changes to
their routine.

Most babies will be ready for just one nap between 14-18 months old.

If following a medium-medium or long-short routine and you are finding

your little one is flat out refusing their second nap or bedtime is being
pushed too late, try shortening the morning nap and leaning more
towards the short-long routine.

When your toddler IS ready to make the 2-1 nap transition reduce their
shortest nap while shifting their long nap towards the middle of the day.

This transition can take a couple of weeks, so you might flip-flop

between one and two naps until they settle into one solid nap around
midday.

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 12-18 months - SHORT-LONG

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and breakfast
8am Milk feed (optional - can serve with breakfast
in a sippy cup)
9:30am Nap 1
10am Awake
11/11:30am Lunch
12:30/1pm Nap 2
2:30/3pm Awake and afternoon tea/optional milk
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 12-18 months - MEDIUM-MEDIUM

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and breakfast
8am Milk feed (optional - can serve with breakfast
in a sippy cup)
9:30am Nap 1
10:30am Awake
11/11:30am Lunch
1:30pm Nap 2
2:30/3pm Awake and afternoon tea/optional milk
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
6:30/7pm Milk feed and settle for the night.

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 12-18 months - LONG-SHORT

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and breakfast
8am Milk feed (optional - can serve with breakfast
in a sippy cup)
9:30am Nap 1
11:30am Awake
12pm Lunch
2:30pm Nap 2
3pm Awake and afternoon tea/optional milk
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
7pm Milk feed and settle for the night

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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 18 MONTHS - 3 YEARS

By now your toddler will likely be rocking one nap a day!

Time to relax, your routine will stay pretty steady now for at least a year.

Most little ones will drop their day nap somewhere between 2.5-3.5
years, assuming they're having a solids 10-12 hours overnight.

If their night stretch is shorter than 10hrs or if they are waking overnight
you might find they hold onto their nap for longer.

If poor night sleep is a concern, actively reducing day sleep can help, just
be sure you rule out any other factors like health and sleep environment
so you don't unintentionally create an overtired cycle.

When the time does finally come to drop the nap, be prepared for it to
be a gradual process that could potentially take months of slowly
reducing the length of the nap and/or only offering the nap every 2-3
days.

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 18 months - 3 years

Time Activity
6:30/7am Out of bed and breakfast
9am Morning tea
11:30am Lunch
12:30pm/1pm Nap
2/3pm Awake
2:30/3pm Afternoon tea
5pm Dinner
5:30pm Bath
6/6:15pm Optional milk feed or light evening snack
6:30/7pm Settle for the night

Notes:___________________________________________________________________________________
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My baby was born premature. What
routine should I follow?

Start by following the routine that matches

your baby's corrected age (age from due
date), you can adjust from there if needed.

My baby only tolerates shorter/longer

awake windows than the ones suggested.

Awake windows are based on averages. Some

babies will need more or less awake time. Use
your baby's tired cues and mood to guide you.
If you have a chronic catnapper and they
seem to be stuck on very short awake
windows you can actively help them extend
their awake time as part of a nap lengthening
strategy.

I need to be out of the house before 7am

during the week, will these routines still
work?

Yes, these routines are based on a 6/7am-

6/7pm day. The timing can be manipulated to
suit your family's lifestyle and commitments.
You can shift the entire routine or add
additional power naps as required.

What do I do if naps have been a disaster?

This will happen! If your little one hasn't slept

well during the day, put them to bed early
(~6pm), and strart fresh tomorrow.

© Mind Body Sleep 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | [Link] 37

CONTACT US

I understand that establishing a routine isn't always simple and life

sometimes gets in the way.

If you would like some help with any aspect of your child's sleep or
simply to customise a routine which suits your family and daily
commitments, get in touch.

PHONE
(+61) 402 202 776

EMAIL
hello@[Link]

WEB
[Link]

AREAS SERVICED
Home consultations
Sydney's Northern Beaches and North Shore
Suburbs. Travel to greater Sydney and
Central Coast may incur a small travel fee.

Email, phone and virtual consultations

Available world wide.

Follow us
@mind_body_sleep

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