In their first few months, newborn babies often sleep round the clock, and their sleep and wake times are usually influenced by their need to be changed, nurtured or fed. Despite the fact that most newborns sleep between 16-17 hours over a 24-hour period, their sleep duration can vary between normal healthy babies, ranging from 11 to 20 hours. It is very important that parents have the awareness of how newborns and infants sleep, so as to be able to set realistic expectations for themselves and their newborns.
Babies do not know what ’sleeping through the night’ is and many don't do so until they are more than 3 to 6 months old. Every baby is different; it is possible that your baby has different sleep patterns from other babies and yet be normal and healthy. As he grows and develops over time, your baby will begin to sleep longer periods of time at night.
Spontaneously, all babies wake up at least a few times during the night and in the first couple of months, they often require soothing and intervention from caregivers to fall back to sleep. They can later develop the ability to self-soothe to sleep between the age of 3 to 6 months onwards. Parents should encourage their babies to learn to fall asleep independently at early stage.
Parents should consider the following outline to help their babies develop the ability to fall asleep independently.
1. Make sure you put your baby to bed when he is drowsy but still awake, so that he can learn to fall asleep on his own in his own cot/crib. Avoid breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby to sleep, so that he does not associate this as a prerequisite for sleep.
Although some parents find that gentle rhythmic patting of their babies help in settling them to sleep, however, for the same reasons as bottle feeding and breastfeeding above, it is best to stop the patting when the baby is quiet and is about to fall asleep.
Bottle-feeding, breastfeeding, patting and other methods of settling your baby until he is completely asleep may lead to your baby associating sleep with these conditions, which may make it difficult for him to go back to sleep if he wakes up during the night.
2. Wait a few minutes before responding. If your baby wakes up and cries or fusses at night, allow your baby to try to fall back to sleep on his own first but if he continues to fuss or cry, check on him. Check if it is time for his next feed, if the nappies are soiled or if your baby is uncomfortable for some other reason, including being unwell or having a fever.
3. Avoid stimulating your baby. Whenever you are feeding or changing your baby during the night, always do so in a quiet and calm manner.
4. After the age of six months, avoid night feedings. Feeding babies at night are not necessary after the age of six months from the physiological point of view and it may increase wetting and disturb sleep.
Make sure to follow these tips for you to train your babies to fall asleep properly and for you to be aware of their sleeping pattern. Also, avoid the association of your gestures in making them to fall asleep. Breast-feed them or give them formula milk good for babies during the day so you can find your way to sleep at night also.
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