Baby Becoming More Active
A 2-month-old baby is becoming more active and alert. It is an exciting time of life for both the baby and the family around the baby. It also is a struggle as to how much a 2-month-old sleeps during this transition time. The common factor for 2-month-olds at this age is that their naps become shorter and the nighttime sleep hours become longer, with most babies. It will depend on the baby.
Set a routine that is consistent. His or her sleep pattern will adjust to the time table that you establish as the babys routine. Most babies seem to have a big growth spurt at this age too. This can also make your baby want to eat more and sleep more.
How To Wake Baby For Feedings
If babys perfectly healthy but just a tad sleepy, celebrate the fact that you have a good sleeper on your hands! But when you need to rouse your little snoozer for a feeding and are running into trouble, you might have to use a few tricky tactics. Here, a few tips:
Unswaddle baby. Sometimes it just takes a little less coziness to get baby to wake up. Take off her swaddle blanket and undress her a bit, and she just might feel cool enough to open her eyes.
Change babys diaper. A little freshening up can help wake baby.
Place baby on a firmer surface. Putting baby someplace where she may feel a little vulnerable can help rouse her, says Leigh Anne OConnor, a lactation consultant and La Leche League leader.
Give baby a sponge bath. A gentle sponge bath with a warm, wet washcloth is likely to get baby to perk up.
Stroke babys back. Running your fingers up and down babys spine can help keep her awake to feed, Ganjian says.
Very gently blow in babys face. Sure, baby might give you a weird look, but this move can help startle him awake enough to eat, Ganjian says.
Try a wet washcloth. If all else fails, placing a cold, wet washcloth on babys foot should help rouse her, says OConnor.
How Much Sleep Do Kids Need
The amount of sleep that kids should get changes significantly as they get older. As they move from toddlers to school age, their sleep becomes increasingly similar to that of adults.
In this process, the sleep requirements for young children decline, and that is reflected primarily in a decreased amount of time spent napping during the day.
Even though kids sleep for fewer hours than babies, sleep remains critical to their overall health and development. Lack of sufficient sleep at a young age has been correlated with problems with weight, mental health, behavior, and cognitive performance.
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To Help You Figure Out The Early Weeks Of Newborn Sleep We’ve Put Together A Handy Sleep Schedule Of How Much Your One
Your new baby needs lots of sleep: a newborn should get 14-17 hours of sleep per 24 hours , according to the National Sleep Foundation.
A one-week-old baby will likely sleep in spurts because they need to eat often to ensure proper weight gain, and, of course, they need plenty of diaper changes. Your newborn might even fall right back asleep after filling their tummy However, if your baby is sleeping through feedings, ask your pediatrician for advice.
Week Old Sleep Schedule Development And Sleep Patterns
Your newborns sleep patterns: A 1-week old will sleep upwards of 16-18+ hours in a day, but babies this age tend to sleep in chunks of 2 hours at a time and will need to eat that often. It is important to feed 1-week-old babies often to ensure proper weight gain and, if youre breastfeeding, it helps establish your milk supply. So, even if your baby wants to sleep longer than 2 hours, you will need to wake him or her to feed. Its very likely your baby will go right back to sleep after a feeding and diaper change quite a bit of the time. Or, at least, it might feel that way.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your babys night sleep will not be very long just yet. In fact, late bedtimes are common at these younger ages and many newborns mix up day and night. This means if they are awake at all, they are awake at night when you are sleeping and then sleep in very long stretches during the day. Understandably, you may be wishing they would sleep that long at night. If so, you will want to consider correcting your newborns day/night confusion if they dont correct it themselves in the next week or so.
| 1-Week-Old Sleep Schedule |
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Trust Your Instincts And Get Help When You Feel Stressed
If something feels wrong with you or the baby, talk to your physician. And remember that your own mental health is crucial.
Coping with sleep deprivation is very stressful, especially if your infant opens in a new windowseems to be especially fussy or prone to crying. Watch for signs of opens in a new windowpostpartum stress and opens in a new windowpostpartum depression, and reach out to others for support.
Get Sunlight And Avoid Artificial Lighting At Night
Make sure you expose yourself and your baby to bright light during the day. And keep lights outor at least dimmedafter sunset.
As noted above, natural lighting helps influence newborn sleep patterns. But it also helps you keep your own circadian rhythms from drifting, which is important if you are going avoid insomnia and be a source of daytime cues for your newborn.
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When Should I Seek A Doctor’s Help
Contact your healthcare provider if:
- Your baby seems to be extremely fussy/irritable or cannot be soothed he/she may have a medical problem such as colic or reflux .
- Your baby appears to have a breathing problem.
- Your baby has a difficult time being awakened from sleep.
- Your baby is uninterested in feeding or persistently shies away from activity.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/17/2020.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Accessed 3/23/2020.
- National Sleep Foundation. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sleep. Accessed 3/23/2020.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment. November 2016, 138. Accessed 3/23/2020.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Safe Sleep. Accessed 3/23/2020.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Education. Healthy Sleep Habits. Accessed 3/23/2020.
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How Can You Help Your Baby Fall Asleep
Not all babies know how to put themselves to sleep. When it’s time for bed, many parents want to rock their baby to sleep. Newborns and younger infants will fall asleep while breastfeeding. Having a routine at bedtime is a good idea. But if an older baby falls asleep while eating or in your arms, this may become a pattern. Your baby may then start to expect to be in your arms to fall asleep. When your baby briefly awakens during a sleep cycle, he or she may not be able to go back to sleep on his or her own.
After the newborn period, most experts recommend allowing your baby to become sleepy in your arms, then placing him or her in the bed while still awake. This way your baby learns how to go to sleep on his or her own. Playing soft music while your baby is getting sleepy is also a good way to help create a bedtime routine.
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Does My Baby Sleep Too Much
Some babies are better sleepers than others. They might not wake up for meals in favor of sleep, though. Youll need to be extra careful during the first couple of weeks and assess their progress.
Keep an eye on your babys diapers. Their urine shouldnt be too yellow , and there should be an adequate number of stools of the right color. Mustard in color and seedy texture are normal.
A baby who doesnt sleep enough will be clingy and whiny. Or, they might be hyper and hard to soothe. A sleepy baby doesnt have these issues, but can make parents antsy by sleeping too soundly.
It takes at least six months for a baby to establish their own circadian rhythm. But if yours seems to be oblivious to any differences between night and day, a bit of help might be just what they need to get used to feeding at regular intervals and thriving.
If youre dealing with an overly sleepy baby, youll first need to make sure there are no medical issues causing them to sleep all the time.
Jaundice, infections, and any medical procedures, such as circumcision, can make your baby sleepier than usual.
Your pediatrician will check if your baby is gaining enough weight. If not, you might need to wake them up to eat every three hours depending on your doctors recommendations.
Here are some things you can try to promote regular sleeping schedules:
You can also try to monitor their rapid eye movement sleep stage. This is the light sleep stage.
Wake Windows For A 10
Babies usually eat during their wake windows. A wake window is the period of time when the baby is awake in between nap times. They are important to know about because an overtired baby struggles to fall asleep.
The average wake window for a 10-week-old infant is 45-60 minutes. This is the sweet spot of how long your baby should be awake so they aren’t too tired. During the baby’s wake window, you can feed the baby, change the diaper, play with the baby or do anything you want. But don’t try to keep the baby up longer than their wake window, otherwise, you could end up with a fussy baby who isn’t getting enough sleep.
For more baby sleep schedules and baby sleep tips click here.
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Newborn Sleep Rhythms: Why Newborns Seem To Sleepand Wakearound The Clock
The timing of adult sleep is governed by circadian rhythms physiological changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. Many of these changes are influenced by your exposure to light.
For instance, when you expose yourself to sunlight during the day, you are helping your body calibrate its internal clock. Even if you are sleep-deprived, morning light helps ensure that you will be more alert during the day than you are at night.
Conversely, the absence of light at night helps your body wind down. When darkness falls, your brain interprets this as a signal to start producing melatonin, a hormone that triggers relaxation, paving the way for sleep.
You can easily disrupt this process by exposing yourself to artificial light sources in the evening especially sources of blue light . But as long as you stick with the program bright light during the day, and darkness at night you will likely find yourself in sync with the natural, 24-hour day.
And of course most adults are in sync. But its different for newborns.
Newborn sleep is not governed by strong circadian rhythms.
Things dont begin that way. Not when babies are still in the womb. During pregnancy, fetuses are tuned into their mothers physiological cues about day and night.
But after birth, this intimate hormonal connection is broken. Newborns must develop their own circadian rhythms of hormone production.
Why Doesnt My Baby Sleep Through The Night
Of course, every tired parent yearns for the day that their baby sleeps through the night.
While theres no magical way to make it happen overnight, there are things that you can do that will affect how easily your baby falls asleep and whether they successfully sleep without waking until the morning.
Specifically, infant sleep experts note that consistency, sleeping environments, your interactions with your baby if they wake during the night, and nighttime feeding schedules can have a direct impact on how successfully youre able to transition your baby into consistently sleeping through the night.
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Always Practice Sleep Safety
Above all, always maintain a safe sleeping environment for your baby. Newborns should sleep on their back until they can roll over both ways on their own, which usually happens around six months of age.
Additionally, babies should only sleep on a firm mattress. Keep the crib free from loose bedding, stuffed animals, and pillows. They’re all potential choking hazards.Its also recommended that you invest in a video baby monitor so that youre able to have the reassurance that your little one is sleeping soundly.
Can Newborns Sleep For Six Hours Straight
A newborn most likely will not be able to sleep for six hours straight. Newborns typically sleep in one- to three-hour chunks of time and also need feedings every three to four hours. Either your newborn will wake up on his own when heâs hungry, or youâll need to wake him, depending on the advice of your healthcare provider.
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When Do Babies Start To Sleep Through The Night
For adults used to sleeping for 7-9 hours each night without interruption, having a baby can be an eye-opening experience. Even though newborns and infants spend most of their time asleep, they rarely sleep through the night without waking up.
In general, it is thought that babies start to consolidate their nightly sleeping period at around six months, making it more likely for them to sleep through the night. At the same time, research has found that the date of this milestone can vary significantly. In one study, a considerable number of six- and twelve-month-old babies did not sleep either six or eight hours consecutively at night:
| Age |
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| 43.4% |
While parents often worry if their child takes longer to start sleeping through the night, this same study found that there were no detectable impacts on a childs physical or mental development if they werent able to sleep for these longer consecutive periods as an infant.
Over time, parents should expect their child to start sleeping for longer segments at night, but to date, the importance of sleeping through the night has not been shown to be more important for infants than total daily sleep time.
That said, there are steps that parents can take to encourage longer periods of consecutive sleep at night, and any concerns about frequent nighttime awakenings should be discussed with the pediatrician most familiar with the babys specific situation.