Babies start changing a lot when they hit six months old, and getting plenty of sleep is vital. That’s why you need to come up with the perfect 7 month old schedule for your baby.
My son is now 7 months and has been on a consistent schedule since he was about 3 months old with gradually decreasing the amount of feedings and naps over time. Even with implanting a daily routine, we do have days that are thrown off by illnesses, activities, or outings.
How Much Sleep Does a 7 Month Old Need?
Everyone knows that a well-rested baby is a happier baby. You want to ensure that your child gets the appropriate amount of sleep in a 24-hour period.
An average 7 month old sleeps at least 14 hours total in a 24 hour period. This time should be divided into 11-12 hours at night and 2.5 to 3 hours during the day.
You might notice that, when the third nap drops, their night sleep gets shorter. Your baby needs more wake time in between sleep but needs to keep their two naps, so they end up going to bed a bit later.
The Average Wake Time for a 7 Month Old
The average wake time for a 7 month old is around 2.25 to 3.5 hours long. That highly depends on the length of their naps.
Babies tend to be the sleepiest when they first wake up in the morning, so expect that window to be shorter.
Then, your baby is awake more in the afternoon with longer stretches. On average, the longest wake time will be 3.5 hours long.
Should a 7 Month Old Sleep Through The Night?
My 7 month old had been sleeping through the night for over a month now after a good week of sleep training. We tried a couple different methods around 5-6 months which finally worked to get him sleeping well.
If you want to know how to sleep train at 7 months, make sure you read this article: How I Got Both of My Babies Sleeping Through the Night at 5 Months Old.
We thought we were in the clear after he had been sleeping through the night for over a month, but then he got a bad cold this month and regressed terribly. That’s when he started waking up multiple times a night again.
Even though we were very adamant about the sleep training (cry-it-out) method, it all went out the window when he was sick. I just couldn’t let my poor baby cry and scream when I knew he was actually in pain and needed me.
This had a snowball effect because the more I answered his cries in the middle of the night, the more he would wake up needing me. Then we went a few weeks with multiple night wakings.
So 7 months didn’t start out well for us with sleeping through the night. However, after sleep training again, he figured it out and is now sleeping well!
This Doesn’t Apply to All Babies
If your 7 month old isn’t sleeping through the night, don’t stress. The AAP shows that between 25-50% babies won’t sleep through the night even at one-year-old.
Some babies at 7 months old are able to to sleep through the night.
How Many Naps for a 7 Month Old?
An average 7 month old takes two to three naps per day, totaling two to three hours per day.
This will vary based on how long each nap is and how long your baby sleeps at night.
At this age, some babies drop their third nap around this time, but you need to decide if that works for your baby.
How Long Should a 7 Month Old Nap?
You know that your baby needs two to three naps per day, and an average of two to three hours of daytime sleep.
The first nap of the day should be around one hour long. Then, the second nap should be between an hour and two hours long if they aren’t taking three naps.
If they are taking a third nap, the second nap is around an hour, with the final nap acting as a catnap.
When to Drop Your Seven Month Old’s 3rd Nap
During that whole sleep regression, he was still taking 3 naps. Although, I was convinced that something in his schedule was causing the sleep disruption and I had to make a change.
When he was taking a 3rd nap, he would end up sleeping until 4:30/5:00. I realized this was just too close to his bedtime so it may have been effecting his nighttime sleep. Therefore, I spaced out his 1st and 2nd nap a little farther and he did much better.
Now I typically try to hold out his 2nd nap until later in the day (around 1:30 instead of 12pm) so that he doesn’t have too long of an awake stretch before bedtime.
If you notice that your 7 month old is sleeping too late in the evening or struggling to go to bed at night, it’s probably time to drop the third nap.
Why is My 7 Month Old Waking Up at Night?
If you notice that your baby suddenly is waking up more in the middle of the night or waking earlier than before, it might be because you transitioned to two naps rather than three naps.
Don’t panic!
This is normal whenever nap schedules change. As their bodies adjust to the new 7 month old schedule, they’ll stop waking up so much at night.
Bedtime for a 7 Month Old
Are you wondering what the perfect bedtime for a 7 month old is?
When creating a schedule for your 7 month old, you need to think about the ideal time for your baby to go to sleep and when you want them to wake up in the morning.
Your baby needs 11-12 hours of sleep at night. So, your baby should go to bed 12-13 hours after waking up in the morning.
This is crucial to remember.
Your baby needs at least 2.5 hours of wake time before bedtime. So, you have to plan that nap time right when picking a bedtime for a 7 month old.
At this age, babies typically go to bed between 7:00 – 8:00 PM.
7 Month Old Sleep Regression
Believe it or not, you aren’t out of the woods when it comes to sleep regressions. Babies encounter a new sleep regression between 7-9 months old.
Around this age, we see a change in sleep habits, and many 7 month old babies experience a sleep regression.
Don’t be shocked if all these changes and new milestones disrupt your baby’s sleep, but it will get back on track shortly.
During this stage in life, your baby is encountering a lot of developmental milestones. They start to scoot, crawl, babbling, sitting up, eating solids, and more. Then, teething could interfere.
How Much Should a 7 Month Old Eat Daily?
When you’re creating a 7 month old schedule, you have to consider how much your baby should eat in a 24-hour span.
At this age, breast milk or formula needs to be the primary nutrition with solids coming in secondary. The amount that your baby eats at 7 months old will be similar to 6 months.
Here’s how much, on general, your infant should eat each day.
- A minimum of six nursing sessions per day or a total of 26-32 ounces of formula.
- 4-6 ounces of water is acceptable.
- 2-4 TBSP fruit
- 2-4 TBSP vegetables
- 1/2-1/3 cup dairy
- 2-4 TBSP baby cereal
Building a schedule for your infant requires considering how you want to give solids to your baby. Typically, doctors recommend giving breast milk or formula first and offering solids in between.
Remember, solids is secondary!
Making time for solids
Around 7 months, you may want your baby on a more consistent feeding schedule when it comes to solids. You want him to start getting used to eating 3 main meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), to establish a mealtime routine.
I try to give 3 solid meals a day, but some days it just doesn’t’t happen if we are out or too busy. It’s ok to skip a meal here and there because he is still getting his primary nutrition from breastmilk or formula. However, being as consistent as possible will help establish the routine quicker.
Related Post: 13 Tips to Getting Your Baby to Eat New Textures
2 Nap Schedule for a 7 Month Old
Here is my 7 month old’s daily schedule. We typically stick to this everyday (if I’m lucky). Based on what time he gets up in the morning, I may adjust the times, but try to stay as close as possible to this schedule.
If there’s a delay for one of the feedings because a nap ran late or something in our schedule required an adjustment, I try to still do the next feeding or nap at the same time so the rest of the day doesn’t get thrown off.
I love having an early bedtime for my children so I have time in the evenings to unwind and get things done. Although they wake me up very early, I’ll take the down time at night when I can get it!
At 7 months, I have reduced down to 4 liquid feedings (down from 5).
6:00 am: Wake up
6:30 am: Feeding- Breastfeed/Bottle
7:30 am: Feeding- Solids
8:00 am: Play Time
9:00 am: Nap
10:30 am: Feeding- Breastfeed/Bottle
11:00 am: Play Time
12:00 pm: Feeding- Solids
1:30 pm: Nap
3:30 pm: Feeding – Breastfeed/Bottle
4:00 pm: Play time
6:00 pm: Feeding- Solids
6:30 pm: Feeding – Breastfeed/Bottle
7:00pm: Start bedtime routine
7:30pm: Sleep for the Night
Your baby might wake up 1-3 times in the middle of the night for a feeding.
3 Nap Schedule for a 7 Month Old
Before he dropped down to 2 naps, at the beginning of 7 months, he was taking 3 naps. Here was a 3 nap schedule for a 7 month old.
6:00 am: Wake up
6:30 am: Feeding- Breastfeed/Bottle
7:30 am: Feeding- Solids
8:00 am: Play Time
9:00 am: Nap
10:30 am: Feeding- Breastfeed/Bottle
11:00 am: Play Time
11:30 am: Feeding- Solids
12:00 pm: Nap
2:30 pm: Feeding – Breastfeed/Bottle
3:30/4 pm: Short nap
5:00pm Play time
6:00 pm: Feeding- Solids
6:30 pm: Feeding – Breastfeed/Bottle
7:00pm: Start bedtime routine
7:30pm: Sleep for the Night
Your baby might wake up 1-3 times in the middle of the night for a feeding.
A Few Common Sleep Problems at 7 Months Old
Infants at this age are going through a lot of changes, so it’s not uncommon for you to encounter some sleep problems at this age.
Here are a few things you might notice.
- Baby Fighting Bedtime
If your baby is suddenly fighting bedtime, it’s likely because your baby suddenly is aware that life is fun and they don’t want to go to bed.
Another issue is that your baby might be overtired – an overtired baby is harder to get to sleep. This might be the time to consider sleeping training your 7 month old or adjusting your schedule to ensure your baby gets enough sleep. - Your Baby is Crying at Night
If your otherwise solid sleeper is suddenly crying in the middle of the night, it could be teething. It might be the time to introduce some remedies for teething pain. - Baby Wakes Up Super Early!
It’s normal for babies to wake up between 6:00 to 7:00 AM when they’re seven months old, but if your baby wakes up earlier and refuses to go back to sleep, it could be that he is getting too much or too little sleep.
Use this as a sign to take a look at his schedule and make sure he receives adequate daytime sleep. Then, try to fix his bedtime like putting your baby to bed 30 minutes earlier or later.
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8 Tips to Help Create a 7 Month Old Schedule
Your baby should naturally fall into a schedule similar to the one above. However, if they don’t, there are a few ways to get them on a consistent daily routine.
It’s important to have a predictable routine everyday. At this age, they will start to really understand the flow of their day. Knowing when they will be eating, sleeping, and playing will reduce fussiness and irritability and make for a more pleasant baby. It will also be easier on you to work around their schedule when planning outings and getting things done.
Below are some tips to get you started. Read this post for more details on establishing good sleep habits and a daily routine for your baby.
1. Put them down drowsy, not asleep
When you’re ready to put them down for a nap or bedtime, make sure they aren’t sleeping before you put them in their crib. At this age, even if they are wide awake, they should be able to put themself to sleep.
If your baby has fallen asleep in your arms, you don’t want to gently put them down in the crib without waking because that doesn’t teach them how to fall asleep on their own. Just give them a little nudge to wake them up before putting them down.
If they need a little help getting drowsy, you can rock them, shush them, walk with them, swaddle them, or give a pacifier. All 5 of these strategies worked for me when my baby was a newborn, but now he doesn’t need any of it.
Related Post: 11 Tips and Ideas For Being Outside With Your Baby
2. Playtime is Important too
Don’t underestimate the power of play to get your baby on a consistent schedule. Even though it may not seem like they are doing too much to you, they are exerting a lot of strength and energy during play. Just reaching for toys, transferring them from hand to hand, propping up on their forearms, and pushing a button to make music start is hard work.
Playing will help to get them tired since they’re doing a lot of work through out the day, instead of just laying in a swing. More importantly, it’s also. great for their development and they will pick up and learn new skills everyday.
Related Post: 21 Developmental Activities and Play Ideas for Your 6 to 9 Month Old
3. Put them in the crib for all sleeps
This is just helpful to start establishing that routine early because you want them to be sleeping in the crib. If you just let your baby take naps in your arms all day, they aren’t learning how to fall asleep on their own and in the proper environment. When they’re 9 months old, you don’t want the only place they nap to be in your arms!
You should be at least attempting to put your baby down in their crib for every nap. This will get you and the baby into a routine and he will know his consistent eat, play, sleep schedule.
Related Post: The Sleep Training Methods That Got Both My Babies Sleeping Through the Night
4. Understand your baby’s cues
Your baby may or may not show signs of being tired or hungry at different times of day. It may take you a few weeks to figure them out, but you will eventually understand what your baby is trying to tell you.
My baby’s hunger cry is more of a scream, whereas his tired cry is just being fussy and irritable. I’ve learned those signs as the months have gone on.
My 7 month old still typically doesn’t show these signs of tiredness though. He doesn’t yawn, rub his eyes, or get fussy every time he’s ready for a nap.
However, I still always put him right down in his crib at the above mentioned times and he goes right to sleep after a few minutes of fighting it. This is because his schedule and routine is well established enough that his body knows when it’s time for nap times and meal times.
5. Assist your baby in these habits
Your baby may not always show the tired cues. My first baby never really told me she was hungry or tired and would probably go 10 hours without eating if I didn’t feed her on a 2.5-3 hour schedule. It goes the same for sleeping.
You may be thinking, my baby does not like to nap. Is that because you never see them yawn or when they get fussy, you feed them and they will always just eat because that also soothes them? You may have to help them get tired for a nap just as you do with bed time.
Start the same routine you would do at night when it’s time for a nap. Whether it be to use a sleep sack, a sound machine, rocking, etc. It should get them drowsy enough to take a nap. Even if they aren’t showing their tired cue, still put them down for a nap based on this timing.
6. Don’t let one change throw off the whole day
If your baby took a longer than usual nap or your shopping ran 30 minutes late and a feeding got pushed back, don’t let that throw off your day. Continue the rest of the schedule as usual even if that means grouping 2 feedings closer together than normal.
Related Post: 12 Simple Activites to Get Your Baby to Sit Up Independently
7. Be Consistent
If you’re consistent about putting them down for naps and feeding them at these times, you will be creating a good habit for them. Whether they are showing hunger or sleepy signs, attempt to do all of these things at the same time everyday.
Don’t go back and forth between a precise schedule and then no routine at all or your baby will get confused. Try this schedule for multiple days in a row and your baby will eventually figure out what he should be doing and when.
8. Use positive sleep associations
At this point, my son is a champ at falling asleep in the crib by himself. However, at first, it wasn’t so easy. There are some sleep aids that I still use to ensure that he goes to sleep quickly and stays asleep.
Here are some of my favorite sleep aids and others that have worked too. Some things that work for my baby may not work for yours. That’s why it may be helpful to try out different products to see what works best for your specific situation.
Related Post: Top 10 Must Have Toys For Your 0-6 Month Old
Favorite sleep aids
I love my Dohm sound machine for white noise that I leave on through the whole night and all naps to provide background noise when it’s too quiet. Sometimes silence can make it difficult for them to fall asleep.
I’ve also noticed that my humidifier makes a very similar white noise sound so since I always keep that on in my baby’s room, it provides white noise. However, I purchased another humidifier to use for my other child’s room hoping it would provide the same white noise, but it didn’t. They are making non-noisy humidifiers now which defeats the purpose of that for me!
We used to swaddle my son until he started rolling around 4-5 months. Now we continue to use a sleep sack so he still gets that feeling that he’s being hugged while asleep. The Nested Bean Zen Sleep Sack has been working great for us.
This sleep sack still gives them the tightness around their body of being hugged, but their arms are free. It also keeps them warm since they can’t use blankets.
Starting your routine
If you follow the above steps consistently, your 7 month old schedule will just fall into place. They will eat, play for a bit, take a nap, and repeat. Providing your baby with a stable schedule will be easier for both you and them. They’ll know what to expect when and you will be able to plan out your days much more efficiently.
Read more about creating better sleep habits for your baby here, if they aren’t getting on a routine by themselves.
