How Should Babies Sleep
During the first weeks of a baby’s life, some parents choose to room-share. Room-sharing is when you place your baby’s crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring at night. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing.
While room-sharing is safe, putting your infant to sleep in bed with you is not.Bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.
Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:
But Dont Make Them Nap For Longer Than 2 Hours
This will be hard to do initially, especially during the early weeks. But try as much as you can to prevent longer naps during the day, so they can go have a longer sleep during the night.
You can gently wake them up by opening the curtains, exposing them to sunlight, changing their clothes, etc. Do anything you can to wake them up if theyve been napping for longer than 2 to 2.5 hours.
Bottom line is, make them nap frequently but limit the length of their nap, to encourage them to sleep longer at night.
Use Night Time Rituals
If you create a consistent, yet boring routine, it is more likely that your newborn will sleep through the night. A bath, reading a story, singing a lullaby, or rocking for a few minutes are great ways to consistently wind your baby down for bedtime.
Many babies will prefer a specific sleepwear item to provide feelings of comfort, safety, and security as they head to bed. Medical studies have shown that babies sleeping in wool sleepwear settle more quickly, cry less, sleep longer, and even feed better. Woolino products are an excellent option as they are made with the Magic of Merino Wool, and the benefits are countless.
Putting your newborn to sleep with a predictable nighttime ritual will also come in handy down the road when your baby begins to go through sleep regressions.
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Newborn Sleep Cycles: Why Newborns Are Light Sleepers
When adults first fall asleep, we pass through a couple of light sleep stages, and then plunge into a bout of deep sleep.
Afterwards, we switch into REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, a sleep stage famous for its association with dreaming, and the loss of muscle tone. We dont move much during REM.
When REM is over, we either awaken, or return to light sleep and begin the cycle again. For the average adult, a single sleep cycle lasts about 90-100 minutes. We may partially awaken many times during the night. But were more likely to wake up all the way during transitions between stages, during light sleep, and during REM.
Newborn sleep is also characterized by sleep stages and cycles, but there are crucial differences.
First, babies typically begin their sleep bouts in the newborn equivalent of REM .
Second, newborns in REM arent as physically inactive as we are. Unlike us, they may thrash around, stretch, twitch, and even vocalize. The results can fool parents into thinking their babies are waking up, when they are actually experiencing normal REM sleep.
Third, newborn sleep cycles are shorter around 50-55 minutes for the average infant and REM makes up a much bigger proportion of sleep.
Its not unusual for newborns to spend more than half their total sleep time in REM . Indeed, several studies suggest that, over the course of a 24 hour day, some newborns spent may spend as much as 75% of their sleep time in active sleep .
Tip #: Use Light To Teach Babies Day And Night
Its always dark in the womb, so light and dark are new distinctions to a baby.
One retrospective study asked mothers questions about their babies. It concluded that a consistent and early lights-off time was associated with longer sleep. In other words, turning out the lights at the same time each night can help train your little one that its time to sleep.
In addition, a regular bedtime routine can help alert baby that its time to swiftly head off to dreamland.
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Dont Worry If Naps Are A Hot Mess
Yes, consistency is key, and the safest place for your baby to sleep is on her back in a crib. But many babies under 6 months dont nap best there, so dont beat yourself up if she falls asleep on your chest or in a carrier or a car seat , or if you wind up pushing a stroller around the block for 40 minutes so shell get some shut-eye. Youre not wrecking night sleep by letting naps be a little more haphazard in the first six months. Most babies dont start developing a real nap schedule until 5 or 6 months, and even then, some nappers will put up a fight and others will be way more flexible about napping on the go. Szmulewitz
How Long Should You Let Your Newborn Sleep Without Eating
Newborns should eat as often and as long as they want, so it may be necessary to wake your newborn if she’s sleeping too much to meet her calorie and nutrient needs. Frequent feeding is crucial for your newborns growth and development. Right after birth, babies lose up to 10 percent of their body weight and need to regain it quickly.
Keep in mind that while infants feed frequently, they usually consume tiny amounts, as little an ounce or two at a time. Portions and sleep times will both increase as your baby gets older. Heres a typical schedule for guidance:
- Newborns: feed every two to four hours
- 2 months: feed every three to four hours
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All Babies Are Different
Some babies need more help than others to fall asleep. But most babies will develop a regular sleep pattern over time, although these will continue to change as they grow.
All children will eventually develop the ability to fall asleep without a parent being present, though this is likely to happen when they’re closer to a year old and not in the early months. For tips on how to cope with a lack of sleep, see here.
This page was last reviewed in November 2021
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No matter how much you want your baby to sleep, its essential to keep their sleep environment as safe as possible. The AAP recommends following the below guidelines for the safest sleep environment possible for babies up to 1 years old:
- Put your baby to sleep on their back every night
- Place them on a firm, flat sleep surface
- Never sleep with your baby
- Room share for at least the first six months
- Do not add loose or soft objects to your babies crib, such as blankets, non-fitted sheets, bumpers or stuffed animals
- Do not let your baby get overheated
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How Can I Make My Baby Sleep Longer At Night
Getting Newborn Babies to Sleep Longer Stretches at Night
Check Out Our Sleep Tips
In Baby Sleep Simplified you’ll find sample schedules for every age through the first year, as well as tips on what you should focus on during every sleep stage to help your baby become a good sleeper. You can also check out our 7 Tips and Tricks on How to Get Your Newborn to Sleep or our 7 Highly Effective Sleep Tips.
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Develop A Bedtime Routineand Stick To It
“A consistent bedtime routine can work wonders. The order is up to you, but it usually involves a soothing bath, a story, and one last feeding. I also like to add a quick massage with lotion, gently squeezing and releasing the baby’s knees, wrist, elbows, and shoulders, wherever there’s a joint. Then you might do a final ‘closing up’ of the nursery: Now we turn out the light, now we start the white-noise machine, now we sway beside the crib, now I lay you downand that’s the signal that it’s time to sleep.” Nalle
Keep A Proper Balance Of Activity And Daytime Naps
Babies that remain active during the day will gradually run out of energy and sleep better at night. Thus, it is important to keep the little ones engaged during their waking hours.
Intersperse this daytime routine with two to three short naps of 2030 minutes ideally so that the baby does not become overtired. Also, it is important to maintain a considerable gap between the last nap of the day and your babys final bedtime to encourage quick and sound sleep during the night.
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Spring Into Action At The First Sign Of Sleepiness
“Timing is critical. Tuning into your baby’s natural biological rhythmsby reading their drowsy signsensures that when they’re placed in their crib, melatonin is elevated in their system, and their brain and body will be primed to drift off with little fuss. If you wait too long, however, your infant can become overtired. Not only will they have lower melatonin levels, but their brain begins to release wakefulness hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This makes it difficult for your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep and can lead to early wake-ups. So don’t miss these cues: When your little one is still, quiet, disinterested in their surroundings, and staring off into space, melatonin is peaking in their system and it’s time to go to bed.” Jenni June, a sleep consultant in Los Angeles
Keep Crib Bumpers Loose Bedding Toys And Other Soft Objects Out Of Your Babys Crib
What is safe sleep?
Safe sleep means putting your baby to sleep in ways that can help protect him from dangers, like choking and suffocation , and sudden infant death syndrome . SIDS is the unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. SIDS usually happens when a baby is sleeping. Its sometimes called crib death because the baby often dies in his crib.
How much sleep does your baby need?
Newborns sleep about 16 hours a day, usually in 3- to 4-hour periods. Your baby needs to eat every few hours, which is why she doesnt sleep for longer periods of time. Your baby may get cranky or overtired if she doesnt get enough sleep.
Dont be surprised if your baby can only stay awake for an hour or two. Over time, her body gets into a sleep pattern. She starts sleeping for longer stretches, even during the night. If youre worried about your babys sleep, talk to her health care provider.
Where should your baby sleep?
The safest place for your baby to sleep is by herself in a bassinet or crib. If you have multiples , put each baby in his own bassinet or crib. Here are some dos and donts about making your babys sleep space safe:
How do you put your baby to sleep safely?
Heres how to help keep your baby safe when you put her to sleep:
How does breastfeeding affect safe sleep?
Breastfeeding for at least the first 6 of your babys life can reduce your babys risk of SIDS.
Are there other ways to help reduce your babys risk of sleep dangers, including SIDS?
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How To Get Your Baby Sleeping Through The Night
Getting a baby on an overnight sleep schedule can seem like an impossible dream. But it can be achieved in three days. And you can start tonight. The only obstacle is you.
If your baby is happy, healthy, and thrivingand more than 90% of babies areyour baby can learn to sleep through the night in three days, says pediatrician David Buchholz, MD, senior founding medical director of primary care at Columbia University IrvingMedicalCenter.
Change Your Babys Diaper Before A Dream Feed
If possible, change your babys diaper BEFORE a dream feed. Doing it after a dream feed might wake up your baby too much and they might struggle to go back to sleep.
If you notice that they will usually poop right after a dream feeding, then try changing their diaper at least, 30 minutes after dream feeding them.
Remember to use overnight diapers to avoid diaper leaks or worse, diaper blowouts. Read more tips on changing diapers, especially at night here.
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Newborns Dont Have A Developed Circadian Rhythm
Think of the circadian rhythm as the internal 24-hour master body clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.
Exposure to light during the daytime tells your internal master clock your circadian rhythm to send signals to your body to stay alert, awake and active.
At night, since its dark, your circadian rhythm now tells your body to produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, which helps and keeps us asleep through the night.
Newborns havent regulated their circadian rhythm yet. In a mothers womb, a fetus depends on their mothers internal cues about day and night. When the mother is active, a fetus heart speeds up. When the mother is sleeping, their heart and respiratory rate slows down. Mothers also pass their melatonin through the placenta, directing the fetus internal clock.
But after birth, that connection is obviously broken and newborns have no choice, but to develop their circadian rhythm.
In short, they dont know the difference between day and night. They dont know yet that its time to sleep at night and time to wake up and stay alert during the day.
Tip #: Rethink Your Stance On Night Waking At Least For Young Babies
Weve all witnessed a heated debate in a playgroup about using the cry-it-out method in the middle of the night. But for the first 6 months at least, babies waking at night is completely normal and crucial for feeding. It doesnt necessarily need to be fixed.
While it can be stressful to have a baby who wakes frequently in the night, its very normal in the early months and even beyond.
That said, you can start encouraging even young babies to use the self-soothing abilities that naturally begin to emerge around 4 months. When baby wakes at night for a feeding, you can foster these abilities by:
- keeping the room dark and quiet as you feed baby
- letting baby fuss for a few minutes before feeding
- using a pacifier and soothing touch to lull baby back to sleep
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Rd Month Newborn Sleep Tips
What Your Newborn Is Up To: Does time seem like its flying by yet it feels like your newborn has been a part of your family for a long time?
Thats the life of raising a baby!
So what things are in-store as your infant heads into 3 months?
You probably are beginning to hear more baby coos and see baby smiles. At this stage, babies tend to start interacting with you more. They take more interest in their toys and other stimuli. Their bodies are growing stronger and holding up their heads more. Perfect time to work on tummy time!
And sleep. Theres emerging predictability with newborns at this stage. This means you can begin to work on routines and developing healthy newborn sleep habits!
What Is Sleep Training
Sleep training refers to the practice of creating a bedtime routine designed to help your baby work on a 24-hour clock, the same way adults and children do. This can help them recognize when its time to sleep and when its time to be awake.
Sleep training can begin at 4 months old when a baby begins to sleep for longer periods and is not as reliant on constant feeding .
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Offer Your Baby A Pacifier
Research has shown that a pacifier can help calm your baby at night and also reduce the risk of SIDS. If youâre breastfeeding, wait until your baby is about 3 to 4 weeks old before offering a pacifier. If your babyâs pacifier falls out while sleeping, thereâs no need to put it back in their mouth. However, donât let your baby fall asleep with a bottle, as the milk or formula can pool in their mouth, leading to dental decay and ear infections.
Why Sleep Is Important For The Whole Family
Sleep matters for everyone in the household. True sleep deprivation can be dangerous for your physical and mental health.
Poor sleep can lead to a variety of other health problems, from weight gain to mental disorders. It can also just make you plain miserable throughout the day, when youd rather be enjoying life with your new baby.
Babies also benefit from regular and consistent sleep, with newborns even sleeping up to 17 hours per day . Young babies will sleep as much as their bodies need a quality that caregivers should, whenever possible, seek to emulate. We know easier said than done.
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