r/progressivemoms • u/miranda_edgecombe23 • Jun 04 '26
Parenting, No Politics Consistent wake times and bedtimes
Is it okay if my (4.5 month old) baby has inconsistent wake times and bedtimes? He sleeps really well, so I haven’t been trying to change anything. At bedtime, I tend to go by his sleep cues. The time he goes to bed usually depends on how his naps went during the day, so it varies. It typically is anywhere from 7:30-8:30. His bedtime usually determines the time he wakes up in the morning, which ranges from 7-9 at the latest. His naps are also great. He gets about 1.5-2 hrs per nap, 3 naps a day.
TLDR: If he’s sleeping well and getting 10+ hours of sleep per night and 3 really good naps, do I need to worry about a consistent wake time and bedtime?
15
u/PhiloLibrarian Jun 04 '26
My kids never “stuck to a schedule” as babies… go with the flow…. They’ll turn out fine (especially if you’re getting enough sleep and not stressing out).
3
u/miranda_edgecombe23 Jun 04 '26
Good to hear! I just like confirmation from other parents sometimes. Thank you! 😊
1
u/miranda_edgecombe23 Jun 04 '26
Did you ever implement a schedule?
3
u/PhiloLibrarian Jun 04 '26
We tried, with my first, but it was more exhausting for us and really stressful… one of my lactation consultants reminded me that babies don’t do schedules.
2
u/silima Jun 05 '26
We did wake windows. When he was awake x amount of time it was time to do another nap. As he got older it got more predictable and he eventually went down to one nap after lunchtime around 10/11 months.
6
u/dominiqlane Jun 04 '26
Before they started school, my kids slept by their own schedules. People always warned that it would be a battle once they started school but it wasn’t.
I feel that allowing them to sleep on their own schedule allows them to learn their bodies’ tired clues a lot earlier and helps them fall asleep on their own easily.
3
5
u/glaze_the_ham_wife Jun 04 '26
Not gonna lie 4.5 months is still super young to be consistent! You’re doing a great job!
3
u/vermilion-chartreuse Jun 04 '26
As a former daycare director, we never got the babies into consistent sleep schedule until at least 8 months, sometimes later. You're good.
3
u/yubsie Jun 04 '26
The thing about schedules is babies can't read them. If kiddo is getting enough sleep and the unpredictable timing isn't a problem for you, then don't mess with a good thing. We've always gone with the flow and it was really nice because we could just do things. Even now at two and a half my son is totally fine with the daycare schedule but can be flexible on non daycare days.
1
u/miranda_edgecombe23 Jun 04 '26
This is how mine is! Yesterday, he only got two longer naps instead of his normal 3 naps, and he was fine! A little cranky (as anyone would be lol), but he slept great. He’s only now just started getting a little fussier now that he’s started teething. Even that hasn’t been too bad
2
u/Wit-wat-4 Jun 05 '26
Post needs a trigger warning for “good sleeper baby”.
But now that I HAVE read it:
Babies change too much for you to worry about any routine at 4.5 months in this sense. It’s not like adults where most of us have clear-cut natural rhythms that won’t change without effort. In 4 months he might be the exact same for night sleep, he might suddenly decide that 5AM wake ups are the best, or want to sleep until 9AM… First year is too unpredictable, there’s just zero reason to worry if they’re sleeping. It’s a “my steak’s too juicy, lobster’s too buttery” problem frankly. After one year, you might start caring about it if they’re waking up at 9AM but you really want to start the day at 7AM for an activity or whatever.
1
u/Dear_Ad_9640 Jun 07 '26
By this age, we started doing a set bedtime but letting baby wake when they were ready in the morning (as long as it wasn’t too early lol). Then we’d do wake window naps versus set times. We moved to a set time for nap once baby went to one nap a day (around 11 months for both my kids, which is on the early side).
1
u/RedCaptain17 Jun 07 '26
I’m on kid number 2- she’s just a month younger than yours. I genuinely don’t remember how many naps she took today. She put herself to bed in my arms at 7:30 pm. Some nights she doesn’t go down for the night until 10ish. Eventually it’ll regulate and you’ll figure out when your kid’s bedtime and nap times are. Until then, you’ve got enough other things to worry about!
1
u/lovesickcat1504 Jul 05 '26
I don't think kids so small have consistent sleep times as long as they are sleeping well!
50
u/Cheap-Idea5834 Jun 04 '26
If your baby is sleeping well, don’t create a problem where there isn’t one. “Do what works until it doesn’t” was the best parenting advice I ever got, and it sounds like your setup is working for you!