7-month baby sleep schedule- written by a sleep expert

Your baby has reached the 7-month milestone and is developing a whole of host of brand new skills. From sitting up on their own, trying solid foods and maybe even crawling, your baby is more active and alert than ever. It's wonderful to see them maturing and experiencing things for the first time but all this new excitement means your baby may want to spend more time playing and less time sleeping!
The world has suddenly become such an interesting place that they may start to resist naps and bedtimes. One way to combat this is have an age-appropriate sleep schedule in place, so that you know exactly how many hours sleep your baby needs, at their age, both during the day and at night. Being aware of the wake windows for 7-month-old babies is also important so that you're not letting your baby go too long in between sleeps and making them overtired. Not leaving enough time in between sleeps can also make nap and bedtimes difficult, as your baby may not be tired enough to drift off.

If this all sounds a bit too complicated, fear not, I'm Jo Smith, a trained baby sleep specialist, mother of three and founder of Jo So Sleepy and I've developed an easy to follow sleep schedule for 7-month-old babies below. You may want to tweak the timings to better suit you but this plan gives you a clear idea of exactly how many naps your baby should have, how long the naps should be and how long they should be awake in between naps.
I've also included my top sleep tips for 7-month-old babies and some useful dos and don'ts when it comes to encouraging good sleep patterns for your child.

7-month-old baby sleep schedule

7-month-old baby sleep and feed schedule

7am Awake and feed (awake for 2 hours 15 mins)

8.45am - Wind down time

9.15am - Nap 1 (1 hour 45 mins)

10.15am - Awake

11am - Feed milk and or solids (when ready)

11.45am - Wind down time and top up feed

12.15pm - Nap 2 (2 hours)

2.15pm - Awake and feed/snack (awake for 2 hours 15 mins)

4.30pm - Nap 3 (30 mins)

5pm - Awake, feed milk -solids when weaned (awake for 1.5 hours)

5.30pm - Bath, calm down time and ready for bed

6pm - Feed

6.30pm - Bed

How much sleep does a 7-month-old baby need?

At 7-months your baby needs around 14 hours of sleep over 24 hours hours. This is usually made up of 2.5 to 3 hours of daytime naps and 11-12 hours of sleep at night-time. However, every baby is different and their needs can vary too. These figures are just averages and should be used a general guide.

What are the wake windows for 7-month-old babies?

In general for babies aged 6-8 months, wake windows (the amount of time between naps or bedtime) will be between 2-3 hours. Wake windows can get longer as the day progresses but your baby's first nap of the day should be taken within 2 hours of them waking up. The longest period of time they should be awake is just before bedtime. Your baby may need 2 hours of awake time before their first nap and up to 3 hours of awake time before their last one.

Is there a 7-month sleep regression?

Although there is no evidence to suggest that babies go through a sleep regression at 7-months-old parents may report sleep issues at this age.
Here are some of the reasons why your 7-month-old may be having trouble sleeping:

Dropping the third nap
They may be getting ready to drop the third nap of the day so might be resisting it then ending up overtired at bedtime. If this happens try bringing their bedtime forward by 30-60 mins. When your baby begins to move towards two naps a day, they’re likely to have some two-nap days and some three-nap days until they’re ready to drop nap number three for good.

**Not feeding enough
**Your baby is likely to be much more distracted during feeding times now as they are so aware of the sights and sounds of the world around them. This can lead to night-time hunger and more frequent waking. Before feeding try to limit as many distractions as possible to help with this.

Being more mobile

Many parents report that as soon as their baby can pull themselves into a standing or sitting position in their cot they start doing this at naptime and sometimes in the night. One way to avoid this is to timetable some relaxing wind down time just before bed. Try reading books, giving baby a gentle massage or listening to relaxing lullabies.

Separation anxiety

Now your baby is much more alert they're also more aware that at night-times you're not around, causing them to wake up. My advice is not to ignore them but to wait a few minutes to see if they settle, if not go in and reassure them that you're nearby, offering gentle comfort to help them drift back off.

How will I know when my baby is ready to switch to two naps a day?

Transitioning from three naps to two typically happens around 7 to 9 months, but every baby is different. Here are some signs that your baby might be ready for the switch:

When you notice these signs, try gradually reducing the third nap and adjusting the schedule to two longer naps. However remember it’s a process, so go at your baby's pace!

Can a 7-month-old baby sleep through the night?

Some babies can sleep through the night at this age. They will wake, but if they are self-soothers then they should be able to drift back off with their parents help. If they have had enough milk and or solids throughout the day are and not reliant on being rocked or feed back to sleep then they are more likely to sleep from bedtime until the morning. Not every baby is the same and some may still need one or two night feeds at this age so go with your own babies needs.

Top sleep tips for 7-month-old babies

Encourage self-soothing

Most 7-month-old babies will now be developmentally able to fall asleep independently so if you have been rocking or feeding them to sleep now’s the time to try and transition to allow them to fall asleep on their own. Relying on methods like feeding or rocking to sleep can create bad habits that are hard to break as children grow older.

Create a consistent bedtime routine

Establishing a calming, predictable bedtime routine helps signal to your baby that sleep is coming. Simple activities like a warm bath, gentle massage, pyjamas, a lullaby, or reading can ease them into sleep - this shouldn't be too long, 45 minutes maximum.

Follow age-appropriate wake windows

Staying within these wake windows (see above) helps prevent overtiredness, which can lead to difficulty settling down and more night wakings.

Darken the room for naps and nighttime sleep

A dark room can help your baby sleep longer, as it encourages the release of melatonin, a sleep hormone. Blackout curtains or shades can be useful for blocking out light, especially during the longer days.

Avoid overstimulation before bed

Keep things calm before naps and bedtime to help babies wind down. Overstimulation—such as loud noises, active play, or screen time—too close to bedtime can make it harder for babies to fall asleep.

Cap naps to protect night sleep

Limiting individual naps to be age appropriate can help ensure your baby is sleepy enough at bedtime and doesn’t start to mix up day and night. Total daytime sleep figures should be considered (see above).

Be responsive, but give baby a chance to settle

When your baby stirs or cries at night, wait a few moments to see if they resettle on their own. Sometimes, babies will fuss lightly before drifting back to sleep. If they continue to cry, check on them and offer gentle comfort to help them feel secure.

Address any discomfort or hunger

Ensure that your baby is comfortable and well-fed before bedtime. Teething, hunger, or other discomforts can disrupt sleep. Babies in this age range may still need one or two night feeds, so be mindful of hunger cues.

How much solid food should a 7-month-old baby eat?

At 7-months the main source of food for babies is still breast milk or formula and this will continue until they reach the age of one. Giving your baby solid food to experiment with is fantastic at this age, but it shouldn't replace their milk. This could lead to your baby not receiving the right amount of daily calories needed and could result in more frequent night wakings as they could be hungry.
General advice is to offer you baby breast milk or formula every two-and-half to three-and-half hours during the day (or when they show signs of hunger). Solid foods should be offered to your baby around 30 to 90 minutes after a milk feed.

What are the developmental milestones for 7-month-old babies?

At 7-months-old your baby's brain is busy developing and learning new skills. Physically your baby is likely to be able to sit up on their own now, without needing support. Your baby should now be able to support their body weight in a standing position, when they are helped to do so by an adult. They may also be showing signs of starting to crawl. You may notice that get on their hands and feet and begin to rock back and forth as they get ready to crawl. However, not all babies crawl, some scoot forwards and backwards, others drag themselves in a commando-style crawl. Some babies even skip crawling completely and start to pull themselves up in a standing position.
Your baby is no doubt very interested in any object they can get their hands on and you might spot them passing things from one hand to another. They will also want to explore objects by putting them in their mouths, so now's the time to start putting things you don't want them to grab up high. Be careful as at 7-month-old babies should also be able to find partially hidden objects.
You may have just started weaning onto solid foods, it's completely normal if your baby doesn't appear to 'eating' solids yet, they may just be enjoying feeling of the different textures of fruits and vegetables in their mouth or hands and using their tongues to taste new and exciting flavours. If this is case remember that breastmilk or formula should be the main source of food for your baby until they are at least one-years-old.
Emotionally and socially your baby will now be able to make a variety of sounds that show both positive and negative emotions and may well react to the emotions of other people.
Early language skills are developing now and your baby may start making vowels sounds and should recognise and respond to their own name and start recognising common words like 'Mamma' and 'Dada.

What activities can I do with a 7-month-old?

Make a surprise box

If there's one thing that babies love, it's pulling out every wipe in a pack in baby wipes. One way to recreate this and save your wipes is to fill an empty tissue box with thin pieces of material like silk scarves, clean cloths or muslins.

Reach for the toy
Another fun game to help encourage crawling is to pop your baby on their tummy and place a toy just out of reach. Not only will this help strength and work their tummy muscles but it gives them a great problem to try and solve.

Make a sensory tube
Pop one of their favourite toys inside a cardboard tube and watch them try to figure out how to get it out.

Get noisy
Get your pots and pans out and a few wooden utensils and let your baby experiment with all the different sounds they can make.

Sensory fun

Lay out a variety of different textures for them explore with their hands such as a tin foil blanket, scrunched up paper and foam sponges.

Founder of Jo So Sleepy Jo Smith, is a certified sleep coach and a proud mum of three wonderful girls. Her journey into sleep coaching began from her own experience as a sleep-deprived mother, navigating the challenges of sleepless nights and the quest for restful sleep. After using a sleep coach herself, which she found to be life-changing, she recognised the profound impact that proper sleep support can have on families.

Understanding firsthand how exhausting it can be to care for little ones while juggling the demands of motherhood, she knows just how crucial sleep is for both parents and children. Driven by her passion for helping families, Jo changed her career to guide parents through the sleep struggles that often arise with newborns, toddlers and children.