Parenting website KidsHealth defines sleeping through the night for babies as a period of five straight hours of sleep. For some 3-month-old babies, this is possible, but for many infants, sleeping through the night is a bit far off. Though it may simply be that he's not physically capable of sleeping five hours in a row, you might be able to identify a problem area that's keeping him from sleeping to his potential.
Baby Sleep at 3 Months
According to BabyCenter, your baby should sleep a total of approximately 15 hours per day when she's 3 months old. Of these 15 hours, five come in the form of daytime naps, and the other ten come at night. Of course, this nighttime sleep is often interrupted by the needs and the cries of your baby.
Waking Up
When your baby is 3 months old, nighttime interruptions are inevitable. However, how you react to his cries is critical. If you show him that nighttime is not a time for fun, he will be more inclined to stay sleeping. To do this, keep the lights off and don't play with him when he wakes up. This will help him realize that nighttime is for sleep and daytime is for play.
Nighttime Feedings
Most 3-month-old babies can go through the night with only one nighttime feeding. However, when your baby wakes up, you don't need to run into her room ready to feed her before she settles back down. At 3 months, she's able to hold the food in her stomach for longer, so wait for her to tell you she's truly hungry before feeding her.
Self-Soothing
A big way to help your baby sleep through the night is to help him to self-soothe. Not running in to feed him the second he starts crying is one great way to accomplish that goal. The other way is to put him in his crib while he's still awake, but very drowsy. These two methods will help him to settle himself back to sleep, which will show him that he's capable of falling asleep on his own and he does not always need to you in order to get back to sleep.
Naps
An improper nap schedule can sabotage all the progress you have made towards helping your baby sleep through the night. She shouldn't be napping excessively through the day. Naps should be limited to a couple of hours at a time--and she shouldn't nap too close to her bedtime. You want her to be tired as she approaches bedtime, and managing her naps well can ensure that she's ready for sleep when the time comes.
