Bleary-eyed new parents tell plenty of horror stories about the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn baby. Though you may be ready for your baby to sleep all night just days after bringing her home from the hospital, most babies aren't ready to sleep through the night until they are 4 to 6 months old. Once your baby is old enough to be able to make it through the night without additional feedings, you can do several things to help her sleep through the night.
Step 1
Give your baby a long feed between 10 p.m. and midnight. Keep your baby awake for the two hours preceding this feeding.
Step 2
Swaddle your baby snugly before lying him down in his crib. According to the University of Michigan Health System, swaddling helps babies fall asleep and stay asleep.
Step 3
Set the stage for nighttime by dimming the lights and keeping noise and activity to a minimum during bedtime hours.
Step 4
Make late-night contact matter-of-fact. Don't play, sing or cuddle with your baby as you take care of her needs.
Step 5
Try alternative comfort options before feeding your baby when he wakes during the night. Change his diaper, re-swaddle him or walk with him for a few minutes instead of immediately offering him food.
Step 6
Learn to recognize when your baby is getting sleepy so that you can put her down before she becomes overtired. Babies who are overtired can actually have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Sleepy eyes, disinterest in toys and activities, yawning and fussing are all signs of tiredness.
Tips and Warnings
- Swaddle your baby by wrapping her like a burrito: Fold a blanket in half to make a large triangle. Lay your baby in the center of the triangle so that each of her arms points to a point of the triangle and her feet point to the triangle's third point. Fold the left side of the blanket across your baby's body, and tuck it snugly around your baby's body. Fold up the bottom point of the triangle over your baby's feet; then, fold the right side of the blanket across your baby's body, and tuck it in, too. If you're having trouble swaddling, your pediatrician can walk you through the process.
- Always put your baby to sleep on his back to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
