The Golden THREE NAP Schedule: Fully Explained!

Hi! Welcome to one of my mini resources, which just so happens to be one of my most highly recommended topics… the by-the-clock THREE nap schedule. I wanted you to have a space to go to, beyond my instagram, that offers you a bit more information, so that you can apply these tools with confidence and ease.

If you’re here reading this, chances are you have a baby who is either gearing up to be ready to move from 4-3 naps.. or you have a baby who has been ready, and you’ve been trying to work out a schedule that suits them, but it’s just not going so well.

Babies tend to transition from 4-3 naps typically around the 4-5 month mark, some babies not showing readiness until closer to 6 months. In any event, this mini resource was created to help offer an alternative for a nap schedule that has worked so beautifully for so many families. This three nap schedule is truly the hidden gem of the baby sleep world, in my humble opinion. I have seen it work beautifully for independent sleepers, as well as babies that are contact sleepers/transferred into the crib fully asleep.

It is not difficult to find a plethora of wake window schedules online, and there are some that are really awesome! I’ll share some of these types of schedules within future resources for those who prefer them, as well.

So, the by-the-clock schedule… what makes it different? While it still offers that important flexibility required to follow your baby’s unique sleep cues, it doesn’t require constantly crunching wake window calculations all day long. Now, though I do find wake windows can be a good fit for many babies, I typically see them working a bit better for babies that are sensitive to becoming extremely overtired very, very easily. This by-the-clock schedule remains my preferred, still, and it’s always the one I recommend trying first to see if it suits you!

I’ll start by saying this… wake windows and baby sleep schedules are not evidence based. They are simply timings that have anecdotally shown to work well for many babies, in terms of ease of falling asleep, and sleep duration. So, while I do have recommended sleep schedules that I offer to families as a means of optimizing their child’s sleep - it’s important to remember that YOU know your baby best. This means, that if something is not working well for them, trust that. Alternatively, if you are struggling to find a schedule that does bode well with their little body… try this out! All about tuning in.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION BELOW.

Skip down to ‘Schedule’ if you just want to get to the nitty gritty.

Here’s a little background, or, ‘the why’, behind this by-the-clock schedule. This by-the-clock three nap schedule is also referred to as the “bio schedule”. Essentially, the idea is that by offering your baby sleep at consistent times of day (versus strictly following wake windows based on previous nap length), their body naturally begins to get into a rhythm of falling asleep at roughly those same times. This is intended to align our baby’s biological clock, or, sleep-wake cycles’and daily energy peaks and dips, with the consistent nap times we are setting.

But, what is a ‘biological clock’, anyway? Well, all living organisms, from ants to elephants, have biological clocks that regulate their biological rhythms, or in other words, repetitive biological processes. Your baby’s circadian rhythm, which tells their body when to be awake and asleep over a roughly 24-hour cycle, is one of these biological rhythms! Interestingly, our babies biological sleep clocks begin to mature in and around roughly the 3 month mark.

So the idea here is we are aiming to get our baby’s body into a rhythm with these peaks and dips. Now, to reiterate, the efficacy itself of schedule is not based in science… and during my own schooling while learning about the idea of this schedule, I will be honest, I had my doubts. But, as soon as I began to incorporate it into my sleep practice, with many (if not most) babies I worked with, I saw such amazing improvements with their sleep. Sleep is a complex ‘puzzle’ that has many facets, and scheduling is just one piece. It is a large piece, however, which is why I wanted to offer this information to as many of you as possible. So, this is what it looks like:

SCHEDULE:

Wake up time: ideally anytime between 6-7:00am

Nap 1: begin between 8:30-9:00am

Nap 2: begin between 12:00-1:00pm

Nap 3: begin approximately 2 hours after 2nd nap ended

Bedtime: have baby asleep for the night 2-2.5 hours MAX after waking from third nap

*The ranges in the start times above allow you to tune into your baby’s sleep cues to determine where in that range they should go down for nap. Watch your baby, and as soon as you see those cues (for exmaple, yawning, rubbing face, tugging ear, staring off, glazed over look. etc), start that sleep routine and begin winding them down for sleep right away to avoid the melty overtired zone!

Once I give this schedule, I am flooded with (amazing!) questions, so below is an FAQ for you to have look through to find the answers to any different scenarios that tend to pop up while using this bio schedule (example, how to go about this schedule if they were to wake extra early in the morning, have a super short or crummy nap, skip a nap, etc.).

FAQ and Helpful Scenario Planning

Q: My baby woke earlier than usual, at 5:45am, should I put them down earlier than this schedule outlines, such as at 7:30am?

A: Putting your baby down much earlier than their usual nap time (e.g., earlier than 8:30am) is sort of like pouring cement on that early morning waking cycle. It tends to persist that super early wake pattern the next day, because the body gets used to waking and then napping very early over and over again! Instead of putting them down early, try your best to anchor the start of first nap no earlier than 8:30am. If your baby woke incredibly early (e.g., 4:00-5:00am.. gah, I know this is tough on everyone.. early morning waking guide to come soon!) and are becoming very, very melty and overtired, 8:15am is okay, but do try to pull it out to that 8:30am goal start time the next day if you can. Getting outdoors, having some stimulating play like peek-a-boo, or having a snack is a great way to help extend that first window to make it to first nap time (8:30-9:00am). The start time of first nap actually works to set the tone for the rest of the day! Hence the term, ‘anchor’. It keeps the rest of the schedule steadier, and helps to prevent pulling the entire day very early after an early morning wake.

Q: What if my baby has a short first nap?

A: If your baby has a short first nap, aim to have them asleep at the EARLIER end of the 2nd nap range. This would be closer to the 12:00pm mark, in this instance. This is part of reason there is a full hour range to use for 2nd nap (12:00-1:00pm). You’ll want to aim to anchor the start time of this nap no earlier than 12:00pm, as well. Alternatively, if they had a nice chunky 1-2 hour first nap, your baby might show their sleep cues towards the end of that 12-00-1:00pm range. Notice the patterns from day to day and you’ll start to slowly gain some predictability in their patterns there.

Q: Why is 3rd nap supposed to start ‘approximately 2 hours later’, and not at a set time like the previous 2 naps?

The reason the third nap is based more on the passage of time (approximately 2 hours) is because the third nap is supposed to function simply as a ‘bridge to bedtime’. In other words, it’s just meant to take the edge off the built up sleep pressure baby’s body experiences as the day goes on, so that they are able to make it to bedtime without crashing.

Q: How long until I start seeing my baby get into a rhythm with this by-the-clock schedule?

A: As with most things baby sleep, it takes time for you baby to adjust and get into a nice flow! I’ve seen babies fall asleep for nap easier and nap longer quite quickly after using this schedule, and I’ve seen babies take a couple of weeks for this schedule to get into a good rhythm for them. Every baby is different! I always recommend giving this schedule a good consistent go for 1-2 weeks to allow your baby’s body to get used to sleeping at this consistent times of day. If we go back and forth with trying wake windows and then this schedule and then back, that consistency is lost. If you’re interested in trying this, do give it a fair shot to shake out! :)

Q: What happens when I transition my baby to 2 naps?

A: 3-2 Nap transition resource to come! You can also check my Instagram highlight, named ‘3-2 Nap Transition’, where I walk through scenario planning live, during this tricky period while using this bio schedule. I will say, one of the massive benefits of using this schedule, is that it makes the transition to 2 naps when baby is ready, MUCH easier. 

Did you find this mini resource helpful? Please let me know via DMs on my IG page! Your feedback is incredibly valuable to me and I want this space to be a helpful as possible to you.

Warmly,

Shanna, M.Ed. | Modern Sleep Mama

Certified Sleep Consultant

You can learn more about the processes of the biological clock, i.e., ‘circadian rhythm’ facts, here:

https://nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx