Sample Schedule for a 5 Month Old Baby

“What should my baby’s schedule look like?” is one of those questions for which there are a lot of right answers.  There are as many versions of a good schedule as there are families and caregivers, and especially for parents with twins, getting baby “on a schedule” is the first step to helping baby sleep through the night.  

Below is one example of a common schedule for a 5-6 month old:  

Sample Schedule for a 5-6 Month Old

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 when baby wakes 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 when baby wakes, 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 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, put on PJ’s, books, quite time and then into bed

10pm                  Dreamfeed.  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 is so relaxed but a quick diaper change can be done.

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.  What works for you?