Calculate the ideal bedtime for your baby based on age, morning wake time, and last nap — plus a simple bedtime routine template for faster sleep onset.
Baby bedtime isn't just a practical schedule — it's biologically important. Melatonin onset in infants and toddlers typically occurs between 7–8 PM, driven by the natural dimming of evening light. Putting a baby to bed at or just after this melatonin onset window (rather than later) results in faster sleep onset, fewer night wakings, and longer total sleep. The common mistake of keeping babies up later to "make them more tired" produces the opposite — an overtired, cortisol-elevated baby who is harder to settle and sleeps more poorly.
The early bedtime paradox: Multiple studies on infant sleep have found that earlier bedtimes (6:30–7:30 PM for babies under 12 months) are associated with longer overnight sleep duration, not shorter. This counterintuitive finding reflects the importance of aligning bedtime with the circadian melatonin window rather than attempting to "bank" sleep by keeping babies awake longer.