Helping Your Baby Sleep at 8–16 Weeks: Naps, Awake Time, and Loving Routines
The weeks between two and four months bring exciting changes. Your little one is becoming more alert, noticing faces, sounds, and patterns in their day. At the same time, sleep can feel unpredictable, and you may wonder if you’ll ever get a stretch of rest again. Here at Harmony, we support families through this stage by helping establish routines that nurture both baby and parent.
A Gentle Rhythm for the Day
Here at Harmony, we find that many families thrive with a three-hour Eat, Play, Sleep rhythm from early morning to early evening. Awake periods may include snuggles, tummy time, or calm floor play, followed by naps that usually happen in the crib but sometimes on the go. Both are completely normal at this stage.
A typical day between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. might look like this:
This schedule gives plenty of feeding opportunities, bonding moments, and awake time for floor play while encouraging most naps in the crib.
Top Priorities
At this stage, focus on:
Feeding every 3 hours
Plenty of floor time for development
Most naps in the crib
Living life, getting out, and enjoying interaction
Realistic Goals
Between 8 and 16 weeks, families often settle into a comfortable rhythm. You’ll notice more smiles, longer periods of alertness, and recognition of patterns. Most babies begin achieving longer stretches of sleep, and naps require gentle guidance and consistency.
Things to Work Towards
30 minutes of floor time daily
Most naps in the crib
75–90 minutes awake time per session
Bonding and feeling good as a family
Notes from Harmony
By around 8 weeks, a consistent schedule helps babies learn the rhythm of their days and recognize patterns between caregivers. Naps can still be tricky, so floor time is essential for development, muscle strength, and cognitive growth. This period is all about setting a strong foundation for healthy sleep while enjoying the increasing interaction and personality your baby is showing.
Harmony Baby Concierge is a full service Newborn Care + Postpartum Support Agency based in Dallas, Austin and Houston, Texas. We have a well-rounded team of Newborn Care Specialists, Night Nurses, Postpartum Doulas, Newborn Night Nannies and Baby Nurses. We provide lactation support, newborn care, night nursing, gentle sleep training and parent education to families of newborns. We serve all families with love, warmth and care. Serving: Dallas, Austin, Houston, Highland Park, University Park, Kessler Park, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, Plano, Frisco, Celina, Prosper, Fort Worth, Southlake, Westlake, Irving, Preston Hollow, Park Cities, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Houston, Manvel, Galveston, West University, Austin, Barton Creek, Round Rock, Houston, Denver, New York City, Greenwich CT, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Englewood Colorado, Cherry Hills Village CO, and Surrounding Areas.