Baby Sleeping Through the Night
From LoveToKnow Baby
Is your baby sleeping through the night? How many times have you been asked that question? How you answer depends on quite a lot of factors. How old is your baby? How do you put your baby to sleep? What do you do when your baby awakens at night? Has your baby been sick? Have there been any significant changes in your baby's life? The answers to any or all of these questions may have a direct bearing on how well your baby sleeps through the night.
How Old Is Your Baby?
You can't always expect to have a baby sleeping through the night. Newborn babies have frequent sleep cycles which change from deep to light sleep in short periods of time. Newborns also need to eat every two to three hours, so they just aren't physically capable of sleeping through the night.
By the time your baby has reached three or four months of age, however, she should be sleeping for longer periods at night without needing to eat. You may be able to put her to sleep around eight, and she may not wake up until five or six in the morning.
Once she has reached six months of age, she should be consistently sleeping through the night for a period of nine to eleven hours. She will continue to sleep for this period of time when she becomes a toddler.
Is your Baby Sleeping through the Night?
If your baby is a newborn, you will need to help him get to sleep by rocking to him, holding him, singing to him, etc. However, once he has reached three or four months of age, you need to begin conditioning him to fall asleep on his own. How can you do this?
You need to lay your child in his crib when he is awake but drowsy. He needs to learn how to drift off to sleep on his own. It might help if you establish a routine that signals to your baby that it is time for bed. This routine could consist of a bath, story and song, or whatever you like.
Keep in mind that it may take several tries of placing your baby in his crib while he is still awake before he successfully falls asleep on his own. By doing this however, he will have learned how to settle himself back to sleep if he wakes up during the night, thus enabling him to sleep all night without needing you to come to him.
What Do You Do When Baby Wakes Up in the Night?
Your baby will not remain in a deep sleep all night long. Just like you, he will have periods of light and deep sleep, and he needs to understand how to return to sleep on his own if he awakens during the night.
Although it may be hard in the beginning, you really don't need to go into your baby's room if he wakes up at night. Once he sees you, it's all over! He'll howl in protest if you don't pick him up immediately! Instead, give him an opportunity to go back to sleep on his own. Eventually, he'll learn how to settle himself back to sleep, and he won't expect you to do it for him!
Has Your Baby Been Sick?
Keep in mind that all children will have periods of wakefulness. These periods may have very real causes. If your child has been sick, you may have had to get up with her during the night. Once she is well, however, she'll still expect the same treatment. You may basically have to start reconditioning your child all over again. It may take a few nights, but consistency and patience will pay off.
Have There Been Any Changes in Your Baby's Life?
Finally, keep in mind that there may be extenuating circumstances in your baby's life that can interrupt her sleeping through the night. This might include a move, a vacation, a divorce, or a death in the family. It may take several days before baby is able to return to sleeping all night long. Do the best that you can to comfort and reassure her, and eventually you should be able to help her learn to sleep all night again.
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