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You move a late bedtime earlier gradually, not all at once. Shift bedtime earlier by about 15-20 minutes every few days, make sure the last nap isn't too close to bedtime, and as your baby matures, gently reduce the number of naps. A consistent wind-down routine and dimming the lights in the evening help signal that night-time is coming.
⚠️ Caution:This is shared experience, not a rigid rule - sleep needs vary and change fast in the first year, especially during developmental leaps and teething. Go at your baby's pace; if your baby seems chronically overtired, isn't sleeping enough overall, or sleep suddenly worsens with other symptoms, check with your paediatrician.
Parents feel stuck with a very late bedtime and fear they've 'ruined' their baby's sleep. The reassurance is that bedtime is highly moveable with small, steady steps - trimming the last nap, a predictable routine, and evening light cues gradually pull bedtime earlier without a battle.
Here's what moms in our community shared based on their own experience.
Don't try to jump it all at once - move bedtime up by about 15-20 minutes at a time rather than expecting 11pm to become early suddenly. Around 5-6 months they're usually down to about 2 naps, so making sure they aren't napping in the late afternoon (roughly 4-5 hours before your ideal bedtime) really helps.
Cutting or capping the last nap of the day made the biggest difference for us. When my son woke from his second nap around 5-5:30pm, he'd then be ready to sleep for the night around 10pm, and we kept nudging it earlier.
It's common for a 5.5-month-old to take 3-4 naps and be transitioning to a 3-nap schedule. What helped: a consistent 'same-every-day' wind-down (like massage, change of clothes and story time, or bath and story time), and starting to dim the lights around 8pm so they learn the difference between day and night.
The information shared on this page comes from real experiences of mothers in our community. While we strive to provide helpful insights, this content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician, healthcare provider, or other qualified medical professional for any questions regarding your child's health or development.
Last reviewed: August 14, 2026
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