Sleep is a necessity for everyone, but it is hard to come by for parents of newborn babies. Getting a baby to sleep through the night becomes a top priority for new parents.
Although every baby is different, according to the Mayo Clinic, by the age of three months many babies can sleep for five hours at a time and by six months a baby can be expected to get between nine and twelve hours of night time sleep.
Getting a good night's sleep is possible when some baby sleep advice below is followed.
Develop Good Routines and Rituals to Help a Baby Sleep Through the Night
Babies and toddlers thrive on consistency and a good bedtime routine is no exception. Although a hard and fast schedule may not realistic for a newborn baby, a routine can help a baby prepare for a good night's sleep.
Try doing the same things around the same time before putting the baby to bed for the night. Some possibilities include an evening bath, singing the same song each night, reading a story and saying a bedtime prayer. The actual routine itself isn't all that important. The main thing is that it is a quiet, peaceful time for the baby that is done consistently, right before bed. Consistency in following a bedtime routine provides a signal to the baby that it is time to go to sleep.
Don't Allow Baby to Sleep too Much During the Day
Babies naturally nap a lot during the day, but while naps are good and necessary, extra long naps are not essential and can keep a baby from sleeping through the night. It's perfectly acceptable to get a baby up from a nap before he wakes up on his own.
When the baby is awake during the day, spend a lot of time stimulating the baby. For instance, talk and sing to the baby, play with the baby and just plain have fun with the baby. Even if a baby is too young to respond much, he can enjoy games of peekaboo, "this little piggy went to market" and so on. A baby who is alert and stimulated a lot during the day will likely sleep better at night.
A Baby who is Allowed to Fuss a Little at Night is More Likely to Sleep Through the Night
Just because a baby makes noises while sleeping doesn't mean he needs attention. Some babies are noisy while they sleep and may even fuss and cry some, but that doesn't mean they need immediate attention. It's important for parents to wait until the baby begins to really cry before getting him up for feeding or diaper changes.
It's also important to be loving but interact with the baby as little as possible in the middle of the night. Though parents will want to snuggle with the baby and lovingly take care of the baby's needs, it is important to communicate through actions that the middle of the night is not for play, but for sleep. Parents can lovingly change a diaper and feed the baby but should keep talking to a minimum and should not play with the baby in the middle of the night. The baby needs to know that parents are always there for them, but are very troublesome at 2:00 in the morning!
There is hope for sleep deprived parents! Parents who develop healthy bedtime routines for babies, keep them stimulated during the day, and allow babies to fuss a little at night are more likely to get their babies to sleep through the night sooner rather than later.
Reference:
Mayo Clinic. Baby Sleep: Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night (accessed 10 November, 2009).
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