Do you have a baby … or an exceptionally cute talking turtle? At 7 months, it’s hard to tell. Your little one is likely scooting all over the house, sometimes in circles or backwards, chatting delightfully in his own baby language. Independent and more confident than ever, he may be able to sit up unassisted, choose his own toys and express specific likes and dislikes.
Balancing your baby’s need for movement and exploration while making sure he still gets enough sleep can be challenging. But don’t give up. Sticking to nap and bedtime routines is more important than ever. His brain and body are doing their most important work — growing like crazy! — when he’s snoozing. Here’s how to encourage healthy sleep habits for your 7-month-old as he inches ever closer to his first birthday.
How much should a 7-month-old sleep?
Your 7-month-old should sleep about 14 hours a day, including two or three naps and nine to 11 hours at night. However, anywhere between 12 and 16 hours of sleep a day is considered normal.
His sleep preferences will change as he grows, and you may notice him waking early, consolidating naps or wanting to stay up a little later. That’s normal too.
Sample sleep schedule for a 7-month-old
While every baby is different and there are no firm rules about how to plan your child’s day, this sample sleep schedule can provide a jumping-off point for your 7-month-old's routine.
Keep in mind that this schedule assumes your baby naps twice during the day, but some 7-month-olds may still need a short third nap too.
- 7:00 a.m.: Awake
- 9:30 a.m.: Nap
- 11:30 a.m.: Awake
- 2:00 p.m.: Nap
- 4:00 p.m.: Awake
- 7:00 p.m.: Bedtime routine
- 7:30 p.m.: Bedtime
What is the 7-month sleep regression?
If your 7-month-old was a solid sleeper but is now suddenly waking up at night, battling naps, ignoring all those tried-and-true sleep cues and making you feel like you're back in the newborn stage again, don’t panic. Sleep regressions, or phases in which a baby struggles to sleep as well as he once did, are frustrating but temporary.
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Sleep regressions can occur at any age, although they're most common at 4 months, 6 months, 8 months and 12 months. They usually coincide with developmental milestones — at 7 months, that can be scooting, crawling, babbling and sitting up. Your baby is excited to try out his new skills, which can interfere with sleep. Teething pain is another possible culprit.
Can you sleep train a 7-month-old?
You and your baby already have a relaxing bedtime routine down pat. He gets a warm bath and final feeding, then you read him a bedtime story. Finally, it’s a soothing lullaby, then lights out. Except, at 7 months, he’s suddenly not ready for bed. Ever.
If this sounds familiar, sleep training may help. By 7 months, your baby is developmentally ready to learn how to self-soothe and put himself to sleep, and most pediatricians will give the go-ahead to try sleep training if you haven't already.
There are a few different sleep training methods, including cry it out (parents leave the room after placing baby in his crib and don't come back in until he's asleep), the Ferber method (parents check on baby in increasingly longer intervals) and the chair method (parents sit in a chair in baby's room, moving it closer and closer to the door).
After a few days, your little one will master the art of falling asleep on his own. (Some babies are more stubborn and take over a week, but don't give up!)
7-month-old sleep tips
- Prep for sleep. At 7 months, your baby's bedtime routine may have a few more steps. Of course, you’ll want to make sure he's well fed and has a clean diaper. Reading a book and listening to music together can also help signal that it's bedtime. He may even have some teeth by now, so "brushing" (gently rubbing new teeth with a clean, damp cloth or your finger) might become part of his evening routine, too.
- Adjust your baby’s bedroom. Newborns have very basic needs: a clean diaper, food and a safe place to sleep. But your 7-month-old's needs may grow more specific. By now, he probably has developed some sleep preferences. For example, he may prefer white noise to silence or like a pacifier when falling asleep. Making sure his bedroom is conducive to good slumber will help ensure he sleeps well during the night.
- Skip screens. Your 7-month-old is curious. He’s reaching for your phone and seems drawn to TV. You might think, "Could a little screen time help him fall asleep?" However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends against screen time for children under 2 and specifically notes that such exposure can make it harder for babies to get quality sleep. Try reading or singing instead.
- Stay active during the day. Your 7-month-old is an energizer bunny. Keep him busy in between naps so he has plenty of time to practice all of his new skills.
- Prioritize naps. Speaking of naps, your 7-month-old may soon drop his third nap, if he hasn't already. That’s normal. Your job is to make sure the time he does sleep during the day is uninterrupted and high quality, and ideally happens in his crib.
7-month-old sleep problems
As your baby approaches his first birthday, he’s practicing his new skills and independence, especially at bedtime. Here’s how to tackle the top sleep problems that can occur at this age.
- Fighting bedtime. Your 7-month-old is more aware of the difference between playtime and bedtime. These days, he's likely joining you on errands and visiting friends and family, and may even have regular playdates with other babies. Even if he’s having fun and doesn’t seem tired, stick to his usual bedtime and nap routine — an overtired baby is actually harder to get to sleep. If he continues to fight sleep and you’re comfortable with sleep training, now is a good time to try it.
- Crying at night. If your previously solid sleeper suddenly starts waking up in the middle of the night, he might be teething, especially if he's also drooling or pulling on his ears. If teething rings don’t offer relief, talk to your pediatrician about other options, such as infant acetaminophen or infant ibuprofen (which you can give after 6 months).
- Early waking. It's normal for babies 6 months and older to wake up between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., but if he's up earlier than that — and won't settle back down after a diaper change or feeding — your early riser may be getting either too much or too little sleep. Take a closer look at his schedule to make sure he's getting enough daytime sleep, or reconsider his bedtime. You can try putting him down 30 minutes earlier or later, for example, and seeing if that helps him stay asleep longer.
At 7 months, it’s common for your baby’s sleep patterns to go through big changes. After all, he is too!
While his sleep might continue to experience disruptions at this age, there's a lot you can do — from sticking to a consistent bedtime routine to trying sleep training — to make sure he gets the rest he needs. After all, he's busy building his future sleep habits, and he needs your guidance every step of the way.
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