An infant who is unable to sleep can take a toll on the most patient parent or caregiver. According to the National Sleep Foundation, your baby doesn't develop more predictable sleep-wake cycles until 3 to 6 months of age. Most babies who reach the half-year mark can sleep through the night. However, if you have an infant who can't sleep, keep in mind what's common for this developmental stage--as well as ways to troubleshoot and remedy sleeping difficulties.
About Infant Sleep
Newborns sleep up to 17 hours a day in 1- to 2-hour intervals, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), due to the need for frequent feedings and the lack of ability to discern day from night. By the time your infant reaches 2 months of age and up to the 1 year mark, he typically gets 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night, napping between 2 and 4 1/2 hours during the day, according to Australia's Raising Children Network. As your infant gets older, nap time decreases, with naps numbering between one and four and lasting between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Infants 6 months of age and older have sleeping patterns that more closely resemble those of an adult, says the Raising Children Network. Lacking the need for nightly feedings, most infants of this age can sleep for 6 or more hours at a time, with the occasional awakening.
Infant Sleeping Difficulties
A 6-month-old infant who is unable to sleep may have difficulty getting settled in for the night, says the Raising Children Network, as she's acquiring the ability to keep herself up. Your baby's sleep may be disrupted as she masters new gross motor skills, such as the ability to crawl, a milestone that also coincides with difficulty getting to sleep. Another cognitive development that hinders your infant's sleep is that she's aware of object permanence; she knows that you're in the house somewhere even when you're out of sight--a skill she didn't have as a newborn--which accounts for temporary night awakenings during which time she cries out for you. Separation anxiety is common in infants between 6 months and a year, says the Raising Children Network.
Self-Soothing Strategy
It's important that your infant master the art of self-soothing so he can fall asleep independently, says the American Sleep Association (ASA). Whenever your infant cries, your instinct may be to placate him by rocking, holding, feeding or taking him into your bed. However, the ASA cautions that you're teaching your infant that extra attention is needed to fall asleep--a bad habit he can carry on for a long time. Help your infant learn to self-soothe by putting him in his crib when he's just drifting off, not when he's asleep. If he wakes during the night and cries or fusses, wait a few minutes to see if he drifts back to sleep on his own, advises the AAP. Check on him briefly if he continues to cry, but don't pick him up or turn on the lights. However, if your infant's crying becomes frantic, he may be trying to tell you that he has a soiled diaper or feels sick.
Feeding
Your infant may not be able to sleep because of a nighttime feeding disorder, which is common in both babies and toddlers, says the ASA. You may feed your infant excessively if she can't fall asleep without first being fed, even though she's not really hungry--another bad habit that can carry into childhood. By the time your child is 5 months of age, she doesn't need more than 8 oz. of fluid at night. The ASA indicates that if your infant's diaper is wet every time you check on her in the middle of the night, she might be overfed. Establish appropriate eating and drinking times.
Environment and Routine
Other helpful ways to help your infant settle in at night include keeping him preoccupied during the day, says the AAP, stimulating him with play and personal engagement so that his waking hours are extended. When bedtime rolls around, keep environmental noise and stimulation to a bare minimum to keep your infant quiet and calm. The most important way to get your infant to sleep is to establish a consistent, regular bedtime schedule and routine, says the National Sleep Foundation. Consistency is vital not only when your child is an infant, but during the toddler, preschool and school-aged years.
