Sleep. It often feels elusive to parents of newborns, who must cope with frequent waking during the night. While babies do need to wake in the night to feed in their first few months, parents can help set the stage for a consistent sleep schedule early on – something that is good for both the baby and his or her caregivers.
When can parents expect babies to sleep through the night?
When a baby weighs about 12 lbs., he or she will likely have enough fat and muscle stored to be able to sleep through the night ““ which means baby is sleeping five straight hours without waking to eat, said Dr. John LaCount, a pediatrician with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Florence office.
To give babies a better chance of sleeping for a longer stretch at night, LaCount suggests swaddling newborns when you put them to sleep to keep them from moving around too much. This is especially helpful at reducing babies’ Moro reflex, when babies startle and suddenly throw their arms out to the side, which can wake them up prematurely.
Once your baby moves past that newborn phase of alternating between sleeping and eating in the early months, LaCount said parents should try and get children on a regular nap schedule during the day with naps limited to two hours at a time. This helps infants to know the difference between day and night.
“If they get much past a two-hour nap, you are probably setting yourself up for problems sleeping at night,” LaCount said.
What are some other tips to get babies to sleep?
Teaching your child to soothe themselves to sleep can go a long way in helping your baby establish a good sleep schedule.
“Try to get kids in bed before they fall asleep entirely, so they can learn to self soothe,” LaCount said.
If children fall asleep in your arms, they will have a harder time settling themselves back to sleep again if they wake in the night ““ they are more likely to fully wake up and begin crying, instead of waking and then drifting back to sleep on their own.
Don’t be afraid to let your baby fuss for a little while if they wake up when they should still be sleeping.
“Give them time when they are fussing, you don’t have to go in immediately when they cry,” Dr. LaCount said. “Five to ten minutes is not an unreasonable time period in that situation. Families all too often rush in and then you have awakened them entirely. Let them fuss and they will go back to sleep rather quickly.”
To reduce the risk of SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – the American Academy of Pediatrics announced in October 2016 that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents for at least the first six months. The academy recommends children sleep on separate surfaces within the same rooms, such as a crib.
