Feed, play & sleep
Feed, play & sleep

3-6 months: feed, play and sleep patterns

Feed, play and sleep

The feed, play, sleep and repeat pattern is the basic order of a baby's day at any age.

Every baby is different, so sleep, play and feeding needs vary. As much as having a routine might be helpful, it can also be quite stressful trying to make your baby 'fit' into a specific routine!

Instead, it is best to learn your baby's hungry and tired signs and then develop a pattern that is specific to your baby and can be repeated in a similar order throughout the day.

In this section:

General feed, play and sleep patterns for babies aged 3-6 months


Feed Demand feed in response to hungry signs, generally 6-8 feeds over a 24 hour period, every 3-4 hours during the day and may need 1-2 night feeds
Play Tummy time, rattles/soft toys, reading to your baby, walks in pram, massage, visiting friends
Awake time Usually only 1.5-2 hours
Sleep Most have 2-3 sleeps of up to 2 hours at a time and may have a 6 hour long sleep at night until first night feed (15-16 hours total over 24 hours)
Settling strategies Rhythmic gentle patting, bath, using a baby pouch, going for a walk in the pram or drive, music or white noise, singing to your baby, cuddles

This is a guide only - feed and sleep patterns are different for every baby and are often changing. Watch for your baby's hungry and tired signs.

See below for what a typical day might look like for a 3-6 month old baby.

A typical day in the life of a 3-6 month old


Early Morning Breast/formula feed
May return to sleep OR play
Respond to your baby's tired signs > SLEEP
Mid morning
Awake time 1.5-2 hours 		Breast/formula feed
Play
Respond to your baby's tired signs > SLEEP
Lunchtime
Awake time 1.5-2 hours 		Breast/formula feed
Play
Respond to your baby's tired signs > SLEEP
Mid afternoon
Awake time 1.5-2 hours		 Breast/formula feed
Play
Respond to your baby's tired signs > SLEEP
May only require a short nap
Evening Breast/formula feed
Bath
Quiet time (e.g. story, cuddles)
Settle for night
SLEEP 1-2 breast/formula feeds may be needed overnight

Adapted with permission from the Tresillian website, helping parents gain confidence in their new roles as mums and dads.

This is a guide only - be sure to follow your baby's hungry and fullness signs.

Feed patterns

By the time your baby is 3 months old, they will generally want to feed every 3-4 hours during the day but may also still need 1-2 night feeds.

Remember:

Play ideas

By 3 months of age your baby will be awake for longer during the day - around 1.5-2 hours at a time. Playing with your baby helps with bonding and is an important part of their development.

Tummy time
Tummy time is especially important as it builds your baby's head and neck strength which is needed for lifting their head and learning to crawl, and then eventually walking!

Check out these tips for getting started with tummy time.

Find out more about how newborns develop and get some great ideas for playing with your baby at:

AVOID screen time (TV, tablets, phones, computers etc)
Screens are not recommended at any time for children under the age of 2 and can delay your baby's development.

Find out why screen time is not recommended.

Free play
Letting your baby play freely without always being held or restrained in a bouncer, pram or high chair, is important. But if your baby is on the move, you will need to think about home safety to make sure they have a safe play space!

Find out why allowing free play and limiting restraint are so important.

Sleep patterns

Day sleep
By 3-4 months of age, most babies tend to have 2-3 sleeps during the day of up to 2 hours each time. Some babies may have shorter but more frequent naps. Your baby will generally be ready for sleep again 1.5-2 hours after waking but as this changes from baby to baby, be sure to watch out for your baby's tired signs.

As long as your baby is happy and content, they are probably getting enough sleep.

Night time sleep
When your baby is 3-6 months old, they should be sleeping for a total of 9-12 hours at night but may still wake 1-2 times a night for feeds. If your baby is waking more often than this, they might need help re-settling. Your baby could also have a 6 hour long sleep at night until their first feed - this is also normal.

Managing naps while you're out and about
Not all of your baby's day naps have to be in the cot at home! It is just as important that you get out and don't feel trapped at home just so your baby can sleep!

When you're out, try to be consistent when settling your baby. For example, making sure they're always in the pram for nap time. Many (but not all!) babies sleep well in the car, so you might like to plan your day so that you are driving when it comes to nap time.

If possible, try to have a quiet day at home the next day after a busy day out - this helps your baby also learn to settle in the cot.

Tips for settling your baby to sleep.