For the first weeks, you won't be able to do much about this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching her to distinguish night from day. At night , you can try the following to help your baby begin to figure out that nighttime is for sleeping:. Learn your baby's tired signals. You'll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby's daily rhythms and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when he's ready for a nap or an early bedtime.
But if you spot these or any other signs of sleepiness, try putting him down as soon as possible. If he becomes overtired, it can be harder for him to settle down and sleep. Start a bedtime routine for your baby. It's never too early to start trying to follow a bedtime routine.
It can include a few things as simple as:. Put your baby to bed when he's sleepy but awake. By the time he's 6 to 8 weeks old, you can try giving him a chance to fall asleep on his own by putting him in his crib or bassinet when he's sleepy but still awake. This doesn't work with all young babies, though. You can always try again when he's a little older. You might also put your baby in his crib or bassinet sometimes during the day when he's happy and wide awake. This will help him develop positive associations with it.
Expect some trial and error while you figure out what's the best approach with your little one. For example, you might put your baby down, read a book, and pat her for a few minutes before leaving her on her own. Some sleep experts advise against rocking or nursing your baby to sleep, even at this young age. Not everyone agrees with this strategy, however, so do what works for your family.
It depends on your baby. Usually by 6 months, most - but not all - babies are capable of sleeping for 8 to 12 hours, with brief awakenings but no feedings, during the night. But that doesn't mean your baby will. Some infants sleep for stretches of up to eight hours at night as early as a few weeks old, but many won't sleep this long until they're older.
Even if she's not sleeping through the night, your baby's sleep patterns will probably be more predictable after a few months. Read about putting her on a sleep schedule and tips for helping her fall asleep on her own in our article Baby sleep basics: 3 to 6 months.
BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.
We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Getting your baby to sleep. American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleeping through the night. Stages of newborn sleep. Sleep in infants. American Thoracic Society. Children and sleep. National Sleep Foundation. How your baby's sleep cycle differs from your own.
If you rock your baby to sleep before bedtime, your little one may expect to be rocked to sleep after nighttime awakenings. Instead, try putting your baby into a crib or bassinet while drowsy but still awake. This way your baby will learn to fall asleep on his or her own. Some babies squirm, whine, and even cry a little before falling back to sleep on their own. Unless you think that your baby is hungry or ill, see what happens if you leave your baby alone for a few minutes — he or she might settle down.
If your baby wakes during the period that you want him or her to sleep, keep activity to a minimum. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play with or talk to your baby.
Change or feed your baby and return him or her to the crib or bassinet. If your baby is waking early for a morning feeding, some small changes may allow a slight shift in schedule. You might try waking your baby for the late-night feeding at a time that suits your sleep schedule:.
It may take a few nights to establish this routine, but being consistent will improve your chances of success. Some infants at this age will start sleeping through the night, but there is a wide range of normal. If you have questions about your baby's sleep, talk with your doctor. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. How Should Babies Sleep? Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one: Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on the stomach or side.
Use a firm sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly. But because they have a small stomach, they must wake every few hours to eat. But this can vary a lot. In most cases, your baby will wake up and be ready to eat at least every 3 hours. How often your baby will eat depends on what he or she is being fed and his or her age. Make sure you talk with your healthcare provider to figure out if you need to wake your baby for feedings.
Watch for changes in your baby's sleep pattern. If your baby has been sleeping consistently, and suddenly is waking more often, there may be a problem. Or your baby may be going through a growth spurt and need to eat more often.
Some sleep disturbances are simply due to changes in development or because of overstimulation. When a newborn wakes up at the end of the sleep cycle, there is typically a quiet alert phase.
This is a time when the baby is very still, but awake and taking in the environment. During the quiet alert time, babies may look or stare at objects, and respond to sounds and motion. This phase usually progresses to the active alert phase. This is when the baby is attentive to sounds and sights, and moves actively. After the quiet alert phase is a crying phase. The baby's body moves erratically, and he or she may cry loudly.
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