Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old Baby

January 6, 2022

“What should my baby’s schedule look like?” is one of those questions for which there are a lot of right answers.  Being “on a schedule” is usually just a matter of following baby’s natural cycle; it shouldn’t feel forced or like a stand-off between parent and baby, and there are as many versions of a good schedule as there are families and caregivers.  And for some parents the schedule is their first step to helping baby sleep through the night.  Below is one example of a 4-6 month’s old schedule which can be used as a Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old Baby.

Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old Baby

7:00am            wake up, change

7:15 or 7:30    milk/formula given when baby is showing signs of hunger

8:30                solids: grain, or grain + fruit when solids are introduced as directed by your pediatrician. Milk/formula can also be given here.

9:30                wind down to get ready for nap

10:00              down for a nap

 – 4 hour cycle repeats upon waking up –

11:30                milk/formula

12:30                solids: grain or grain + veg (when lunch is introduced as directed by pediatrician) Milk/formula can also be given here.

12:00 – 1:00     activity

1:00 – 1:30pm   wind down for nap

1:30 – 3:30        nap

– 4 hour cycle repeats again upon waking from nap, but with a third short nap-

3:30                   milk/formula

3:30 – 4:30        quiet play, try to stay around home and stick to calm activities

4:30 – 5ish         nap

5:30                   dinner of solids (this is appropriate whenever you want to begin the addition of an evening meal—we are only including it to show what it looks like to have a 3 meal per day schedule)

6:15 – 7:00         milk/formula, getting into PJ’s, books and quite time and then into bed

10pm                  Dreamfeed if you wish.  Baby does not have to be fully awake for this. It is just a small 2-3 ounce feed to be sure baby has gotten all of the ounces in for the night. You do not have to wake baby, simply hold the bottle or breast to baby’s lips and baby will instinctually take in what is needed. When you’re done there’s no need to burp since baby ois so relaxed but a quick diaper change should be done.

Conclusion and Sleeping through the Night

There will be 3 “blocks” of 4 hours.  The last block will only include a short nap since it is close to bedtime. 

Click here if your baby is ready to sleep through the night, meaning going at least 8 hours without a feed, and you’d like a step by step plan to help.

Each block begins with milk and the last block ends with milk, so feeding times are at: 7am, 11:00am, 3pm and 6:30pm. There may be milk “snacks” in between and at mealtimes, especially for our breastfed babies who do not take in 6 ounces per feed but the 4 main feeding times are the anchor to this schedule.

Once again, the schedule above is just an example.  Please share what works for you on Facebook!