Sleepless nights are expected when you have a baby. In the first few months, it’s normal for your baby to sleep for about five hours at a time, according to KidsHealth.org. But, as the months go by, she should be sleeping for longer periods at night. However, some babies are poor sleepers. Factors, such as stress or separation, can disrupt your baby’s sleep. A daytime and nighttime routine helps your little one sleep better at night.
Step 1
Program your baby for nighttime sleep by feeding him every three hours during the day. He won't miss a feeding and awaken at night to make up for it, advises William Sears, parenting author and associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine.
Step 2
Schedule your baby's nightly feedings properly. For instance, KidsHealth.org suggests that if your baby usually falls asleep after a dinner-time feeding and awakens again at 2 a.m. for a late-night feed, try waking your baby at 11 p.m. for the late-night feed instead. Choose times that suit your schedule.
Step 3
Determine the most comfortable spot for baby to sleep, advises Sears. Some babies sleep best in their crib, some prefer a bassinet, while others prefer to sleep with parents.
Step 4
Keep the baby awake during the day when it’s convenient for you. If your baby sleeps too much during the day, he’ll be more alert at night and less likely to sleep well.
Step 5
Keep nap times consistent. According to Sears, napping around the same time each day helps your baby to sleep for longer stretches at night.
Step 6
Pamper your baby before bedtime. Give her a warm bath and gentle massage to induce sleepiness.
Step 7
Don’t rock the baby to sleep as she will grow to expect this treatment to fall asleep, explains KidsHealth.org. Instead, put your baby into her crib or bassinet while she’s drowsy and quietly walk away.
Step 8
Be flexible. Your baby’s sleep needs and patterns change as he gets older, explains Robert Needlman, a specialist in pediatric behavior and development at DrSpock.com. Try a few different approaches to induce sleep when your baby’s patterns alter, such as adjusting nap and snack times.
Tips and Warnings
- Some parents find that sleep aids, such as tapes with ambient sounds or lullabies, help babies get to sleep. Be patient with your baby. You cannot “force” a baby to sleep. Just try to create the most soothing sleep environment and a suitable daytime and nighttime routine, and let nature take its course.
- Concerns about co-sleeping causing SIDS may be overblown, according to Sears, who has written about the issue in his book “The Baby Sleep Book and SIDS: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.” However, factors likely to increase the risk of SIDS during co-sleeping include parents drinking alcohol, taking medications or using drugs before sleeping with the baby. Sleep on a big, firm bed without pillows so there’s little risk of your baby being smothered when you’re sleeping together.
References
- KidsHealth: Sleep and Your One-to-three Month Old
- “Bed Timing”; Marc Lewis and Isabela Granic; 2009
- Ask Dr. Sears: Sleep Problems
- Dr. Spock: Ask Our Experts
- Parenting: Ask Dr. Sears: Co-Sleeping
