Sleepless nights are common after having a baby, but they don't last forever. Most babies begin sleeping for long periods at night from 6 months of age.
Newborn babies need to be fed every few hours after they reach 3 months. Babies are then usually fed once or twice a night. Before the age of 6 months, most babies sleep 6-8 hours without feeding. Once they are 9 months old, they begin to sleep 11-12 hours at night. But we must remember that every child is individual.
When will the baby sleep through the night?
Newborn babies typically sleep for 1-4 hours. Most newborns require about 17 hours of sleep per day. After sleeping, the baby wakes up hungry and needs feeding, which helps them gain weight and grow.
Babies develop regular sleep patterns between 6 and 8 weeks of age. It takes them time to understand the difference between night and day. However, by the time they are 4 months old, most babies will sleep twice as long at night as during the day.
Night sleep is sleep for more than 6 hours. The baby may wake briefly to feed and then go back to sleep.
The importance of children's sleep
A child needs healthy sleep for the proper formation of the nervous system and for growth. Mood, activity and well-being depend on this. Therefore, it is important that your baby gets enough sleep. There are certain norms that depend on age:
- 1-2 months – from 11 to 18 hours;
- 2-12 months 14-15 hours;
- 1-3 years – 12-14 hours;
- 3-5 years – 11-13 hours;
- From 5 years – 10-11 hours.
During sleep, growth hormone is produced and the immune system is strengthened. Due to lack of sleep, concentration decreases, the risk of injuries, infectious diseases, and obesity increases. Children become restless, anxious, capricious, and lag behind their peers in growth and development.
It is important to establish healthy sleep for your baby. To do this, parents need to understand why he can wake up, what prevents him from falling asleep soundly, and what needs to be done to avoid problems.
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What interferes with a child's sleep?
Most newborn babies need to be fed at night. Until they are 3 months old, they often wake up at night.
Formula-fed babies sleep longer and wake up less often at night. This may be due to the mixtures taking longer to digest. However, in general, breastfed and formula-fed babies will sleep similarly throughout the day.
A 3-month-old infant requires one feeding per night until approximately 6 months of age. Infants aged 3-6 months may associate feeding with sleep. Feeding your baby right before bed can make it difficult for you to fall asleep on your own. Over time, he will only be able to fall asleep if he is fed. This can keep your baby from sleeping through the night.
Problems that may prevent your child from sleeping:
- too cold or hot air
- disease
- need for food
Babies usually start sleeping through the night and then start waking up again. This is called sleep regression, which can occur when development accelerates. Sleep regression can last for days or weeks, but parents and caregivers can address the causes.
When a baby reaches 3-4 months of age, he sleeps less during the day and longer at night.
The baby should sleep in the same room as the parent until he or she is 6 months old.
Why does the child wake up
Until the age of one and a half, all children wake up at night, sometimes several times. This is due to the fact that babies have shallow sleep and a short sleep cycle. Usually after six months, children are able to fall asleep on their own after waking up. But not everyone can do this.
The child’s character, lifestyle, and environment can influence awakening. Until six months of age, babies wake up mainly due to hunger. But there are several other reasons for waking up at night:
- afraid of the dark, loneliness;
- something hurts;
- teeth are being cut;
- wet diaper;
- the room is hot or cold, dry air or stuffy;
- loud noises, noise from the street or light interfere;
- the day was busy, the baby was overexcited;
- doesn’t get enough sleep, so he’s overtired;
- incorrect sleep associations, without which he cannot sleep, for example, motion sickness.
Attention! Breastfed babies wake up more often at night to feed. Breast milk is quickly absorbed, so the baby feels hungry. When complementary foods are introduced, night awakenings will gradually stop.
How to improve your child's sleep?
- Don't let your baby become overtired
: Look for signs when he's starting to fall asleep. Signs may include drooping eyelids, slow movements, yawning and eye rubbing. Daytime naps can help your child not become overtired. - Make a distinction between night and day
: This helps your child understand that night is time for sleep. In the evening, dim the lights, use blackout curtains, keep noise to a minimum and speak quietly. - Maintain a consistent bedtime
. - Create a simple, relaxing routine before bed
: this could include a bath, a short massage, a story, or gentle music. Most babies will learn to associate routines with sleep. - Associate the bed with sleep
: If your baby always falls asleep while being held or fed, he may associate this with sleep and be unable to fall asleep in the bed. - Feeding
When your baby reaches 3 months of age, create a feeding schedule. Try to stick to this schedule so that your baby adapts. Feeding your baby before bed can prevent him from becoming hungry and waking up during the night. Gradually reduce night feedings so that your baby sleeps for longer periods at night. The parent or educator must:
- gradually leave more time between feedings
- feeding should be continued for a short period
- soothe your baby in your bed when he wakes up instead of automatically feeding him
Try to keep your baby from falling asleep while feeding.
How does your baby sleep?
Baby owl: awake at night, sleeps during the day
If the duration of nighttime wakefulness is several times greater than during the day, then the parents themselves are to blame. You should not let your child sleep throughout the day. You need to spend more time with the baby, distract him from sleep with conversations and games. The room should be bright, not dark.
In the evening, it is advisable to take a bath with an infusion of string or chamomile. A bath relaxes the baby's body and promotes sound sleep. Pay attention at first to the baby’s reaction to the presence of these herbs. Are there any allergies, is anything bothering the child? Observe strict temperature conditions. Bathing water should be between thirty-seven and thirty-eight degrees. The entire evening ritual should promote relaxation, not excitement. For example, a calm lullaby will relax you, while a new bright toy will make you excited.
For particularly active infants, there is an old proven method for good sleep - swaddling. If the child doesn’t like it and sleeps more peacefully in a vest and rompers, then go ahead. Be sure to take into account your child’s individuality and listen to his wishes. There are no strict rules for infants.
The baby sleeps soundly, but sometimes wakes up
If your child has interrupted sleep at night, then most likely the reason is temporary. The most common causes are intestinal colic, teething, an overfilled diaper or uncomfortable bedding.
For a good night's sleep, it is necessary to ventilate the room in which the child will sleep in the evening. It is important to maintain normal air humidity in the apartment.
One of the common causes of childhood sleep disturbances is the transfer of the child to artificial feeding. Mom's breast was a symbol of calm for the baby, and when he was deprived of this, his sleep became restless. Although over time, artificial babies sleep soundly all night without waking up.
The child wakes up at night feeling hungry
Very often children of this age wake up because they are hungry. During the first year of life, your diet changes almost every month. In the first two to three months, pediatricians recommend feeding the baby often, but in small portions, so as not to overload the fragile stomach.
With each month, the amount of food consumed (at each feeding) will increase, and the interval between feedings will become slightly longer. There will be a variety of complementary foods included in the diet, but some babies will still wake up to be fed. Sometimes it just becomes a habit. In such cases, you can try giving your baby some water instead of formula. If he falls asleep again after this, it means he is not hungry at all.
You can wean your baby off night feedings gradually, starting at nine to ten months. It is much more difficult to wean infants, especially if the baby was breastfed until he reached the age of one. It is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of each child separately.
There are several recommendations:
- During the daytime, the baby should eat most of the daily food intake.
- Be sure to stick to a daily routine: feed your baby at the same time every day.
- Evening feeding should be filling so that the baby does not get hungry in his sleep.
- The volume of children's portions at night should be gradually reduced. It is better to replace nutritious meals at night with tea or water.
- It will be better if the baby falls asleep on his own. Preliminary and short rocking motions in a stroller or crib can help him with this. Being half asleep, he will soon fall asleep on his own.
Baby doesn't sleep at night after reaching one year of age
If a child at the age of one year does not want to sleep at night, then you can try to “agree” with him. At this age, children react sensitively to positive and negative emotions, to the environment and relationships in the family. It is important for a child to be loved, to feel constant attention and care.
The relationship between mom and dad also plays a big role. The child is calm if there is a friendly atmosphere in the family. And the stronger the child’s nervous system, the more complete his sleep will be. Parents must guess the child’s wishes and solve his problems in a timely manner.
A restful night's sleep directly depends on how much time your child spends during the day. The more the baby plays, develops, learns and has fun during the day, the better he will sleep at night, and parents will have more free time for themselves.
When to see a doctor
If your baby is not sleeping through the night by the time he is 6 months old, it is best to consult a doctor. Although it is unlikely that anything is wrong, the doctor will check your baby's health and be able to provide support.
Lack of sleep can be very difficult for parents. Try to develop good habits, but be flexible and make changes to your routine as needed.
Scientific article on the topic: Insomnia in infancy - no cause for concern.
Night sleep duration
If you start feeding your baby not according to a schedule, but on demand, then the norm for an hour's sleep can be about 8-9 hours. If the mother sleeps with the child, the sleep will be longer and more restful. This is explained by the fact that the child will feel maternal care, the smell of milk, and the familiar beat of the heart. This will also be a plus for mom, since she will be able to sleep longer and without motion sickness. Babies who sleep in their own crib sleep about 6-7 hours a night.
It's funny that during the first weeks, babies hardly hear any extraneous sounds and can easily sleep even with music on.
Often it makes no difference to babies when they sleep. Newborns should sleep both day and night. Sleep patterns should be shaped by parents. If everything is done correctly, then mothers can increase the interval between feedings at night, thereby, at the age of six months, the child will be disturbed only once a night. Under no circumstances should you interrupt your newborn's sleep in order to feed. It is better to wait until the child wakes up and wants to eat.
How many times a day should a newborn sleep and what can ensure the correct regime?
The following factors may influence proper sleep patterns:
- Ventilation of the children's room.
- Wet cleaning.
- Maintaining an optimal temperature of 20-22 degrees, humidity should be 50-70 percent.
- Daytime nap outside. If it is not possible to go outside with your child for a walk, then you can leave the stroller on the balcony. In the winter season, it is necessary to dress children warmly.
- There is no need to rock your newborn baby if he is already sleeping.
- Do not curtain the windows, do not be afraid of light. Car noise and muffled conversations are acceptable.
- Carry out hygiene procedures before going to bed.
- Do not try to put your child to bed early in the evening; you need to correctly calculate the time so that sleep returns to normal.
How many times a day should a newborn sleep? Table of decrease in sleep with the age of the child (up to one year):
- the smallest children who have not reached the age of 3 months need 10.5 night and 7.5 day sleep;
- from 3 to 5 months - you need to sleep 9 hours at night and 5 hours during the day;
- up to 8 months - rest at night increases to 10 hours, and how many hours should a newborn sleep during the day? Daytime sleep should be reduced to 4 hours;
- at 9-11 months - the same sleep time is required as for the previous age;
- By the age of one year, the sleep of a family child is reduced. During the day, a child can sleep 1-2 times for 2-2.5 hours. At night, the norm is 11 hours, and the child usually does not wake up.
