Conversations among new parents often revolve around sleep, including questions about the length and frequency of infant sleep. The subject of whether a baby sleeps through the night crops up almost inevitably in these types of discussions. Since premature babies often meet developmental milestones later than their full-term counterparts, parents of preemies might wonder if the prematurity will also affect their ability to sleep for longer stretches of time.
Significance
Many doctors discourage parents from letting most newborns sleep through the night, according to the Kids Health from Nemours website, and the can be especially true for preemies. Sleeping too long can interfere with the eight to 10 feedings a day most premature infants need to grow and thrive. When your baby reaches a normal weight and size, your doctor probably will allow him to go longer between feedings. At this point, when he sleeps through the night will depend more upon his age, temperament and sleep habits than upon his physical ability to sleep for longer stretches.
Time Frame
BabyCenter, a pregnancy and parenting advice website, states that sleeping through the night depends more upon a baby's age than his size. Since a premature baby arrives before his due date, you will need to take his adjusted age -- his age if he had arrived on his due date -- into account when calculating when he might sleep through the night. The Mayo Clinic website states that most 3-month-olds sleep five hours at a time and many 6-month-olds sleep nine to 12 hours at a time.
Considerations
Although premature babies often spend more of their time asleep then full-term infants, the sleep usually occurs in shorter increments. Approximately 90 percent of this time is spent in REM sleep -- periods of light or active sleep characterized by rapid eye movement -- according to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, author of "The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth Until Age 2." Sears theorizes that this lighter sleep might help accelerate preemie's brain growth. Since premature infants face an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sleep apnea -- pauses in breathing during sleep -- the lighter sleep might also protect them from compromised breathing or other conditions that might jeopardize their survival.
Misconceptions
Parents often assume "sleeping through the night" means a baby will snooze according to a regular 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. pattern. In reality, pediatrician Dr. Judith Owens the director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, states that "through the night" means midnight to 5 a.m. Adjusting your expectations about the duration of this momentous event can help you appreciate your preemie's longer stretches of sleep.
Prevention/Solution
Encouraging healthy sleep habits and creating a safe sleep environment can improve your baby's sleep and protect her from SIDS. Always put your baby to sleep on her back. Remove all fluffy bedding, pillows and stuffed animals or toys from the crib. Keep the lights dim when you feed or change your baby at night and avoid making eye contact or playing with her. By putting her to bed drowsy, but still awake, you can teach her to fall asleep on her own.
