When Do Babies Typically Sleep Through the Night?
After having a baby, your family life must be full and happy. Every night, the baby lies in the crib you carefully prepared for him, listening to your soft singing lullaby, slowly fall asleep. The moon is like water, sprinkled on the baby's sleeping face. Everything is so quiet and beautiful. But the baby's cries in the wee hours often break the peace. Yes, after having a baby, a quiet night's sleep is a luxury for parents. But this is only temporary, and soon the sweet baby will learn to sleep through the night and stop disturbing your dreams. Kaiya Angel will accompany you on your parenting journey, so let's explore four aspects of when babies can sleep through the night.
What is baby sleeping through the night?
"Baby sleep through the night" means that the baby can fall asleep continuously and uninterrupted at night, and stay asleep for a long period of time without waking up in the middle of the night. This means that the baby is able to sleep for a longer period of time at night, usually six to 12 hours, without frequent interruptions in feeding or soothing to sleep. This is good for both the baby and the parents, as a full night's sleep helps the baby grow and develop, while also allowing the parents to get better rest.
When do babies sleep through the night?
When can your baby start sleeping through the night? The answer to this question varies depending on your baby's age. The timeline of your baby's all-night sleep is roughly as follows:
0 to 3 months: Babies at this stage need a total of 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day, and possibly more. However, these sleep periods are usually not continuous and are interrupted by the baby's frequent eating, so this stage can be very hard for the mother.
3 to 6 months: At this time, baby begins to slowly lengthen the night sleep time. Some babies may be able to sleep for five hours at a time, which can already be considered "sleeping through the night."
6 to 9 months: At this stage, night milk gradually reduced or stopped. Baby’s sleep time will be extended, generally 8 to 9 o 'clock before bed to feed a milk. Baby sleeps until 5 to 6 o 'clock in the morning and then feed the second time. Most babies start eating solid foods at this time, so the chance of starting to sleep through the night increases.
12 months: Most babies can usually sleep 10 to 12 hours a night.
In general, most babies are able to start sleeping through the night after six months, usually for six to eight hours at a time. However, the exact timing may be different for each baby. If your baby is still unable to sleep through the night after 6 months of age, it may be necessary to analyze the reasons for the inability to sleep and take some measures to help them establish better sleep habits.
What might prevent your baby from sleeping through the night?
Stomach capacity: In the first few months of life, your baby has a small appetite so needs to eat frequently, which can cause baby to wake up during the night. But as they grow and their stomach capacity increases, they are able to stay full for longer periods of time at night, so they wake up less frequently during the night.
Eating habits: Overeating or being hungry can cause your baby to wake up at night. Establishing regular feeding times and ensuring adequate daytime and nighttime meals can help improve the quality of your baby's night sleep.
Sleep environment: Too cold or too hot, too much noise, too much light or too dark can affect the quality of their sleep. Ensuring a comfortable, quiet, warm and dark sleep environment can help your baby fall asleep better and sleep longer.
External stimulation: When baby is in contact with external stimulation, they are easy to become excited so night sleep becomes more difficult. These stimuli include excessive stimulating play and entertainment. Reducing these stimuli will help your baby sleep through the night.
Physiological reasons: Baby's body is constantly growing and developing, and certain physiological changes may cause discomfort, such as gas, tooth growth, etc., which may affect the baby's sleep.
How to get baby to sleep through the night?
Stop baby's night milk in time
Gradually reduce the number of night milk: When the mother breastfeeds the child during the day. you can appropriately lengthen the interval of breastfeeding, in order to adjust the interval of the baby's night milk. In this way, the regularity of the baby's rest can play a certain adjustment, and the purpose of breaking the night milk can be achieved after a long time. If the interval between breast-feeding is 4 hours during the day, the first sleep at night can generally reach 5 to 8 hours. So mother should make corresponding adjustments according to the specific situation of the baby.
Adding solid foods before bedtime: When transitioning the baby off night feedings, you can also consider introducing some semi-liquid solid foods before bedtime. These types of foods provide a strong sense of fullness, and typically, if the baby doesn't feel hungry at night, they are less likely to wake up. However, it's essential to be mindful not to overfeed the baby, as this can put excess strain on their digestive system.
Distinguish between night and day feedings
A new born baby needs to be fed at all times of the day and night. In order to make night feeding reduce the disturbance of sleep, night feeding should be quiet, do not talk, do not turn on the light. In this way, your baby will understand that now is not the time to play but the time to sleep. During the day feeding, you can communicate with your baby more.
Play more with your baby during the day
The day should be an active time for your baby to engage in colorful activities, such as rocking toys, listening to stories, playing tickling games, etc. This will make the baby more active during the day and easier to fall into deep sleep at night. Although there should be enough activity during the day, it is also necessary to be careful not to make the baby too tired. An overtired baby may have a harder time falling asleep.
Focus on your baby's calcium intake
Provide calcium-rich foods, such as milk, beans, animal liver, etc., to meet your baby's nutritional needs. Because Calcium is one of the essential elements for nerve conduction. Having an adequate amount of calcium helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system, including the processes involved in falling asleep and waking up. If a baby's nerve conduction is disrupted, it can lead to difficulties falling asleep or being easily awakened.
Identify day and night distinctions
Help your baby identify the difference between day and night. At night, establish a regular bedtime routine, such as quiet play, reading, taking a warm bath, changing clothes, singing a hypnotic song, gently shaking the baby, using a sleeping sack, and turning off the bedroom light. Daytime naps can be more casual. This helps your baby understand the difference between day and night and can sleep longer at night.
Understand baby's sleep cycle
Baby's sleep has a sleep cycle, a cycle of about 60 minutes. After the cycle, baby will automatically wake up. If there is no hunger or urine, baby will automatically transfer to the next sleep cycle. At this point, do not disturb their sleep. Most babies in this period do not feed at night and can sleep for a long time, lasting more than 6 hours.
Providing a comfort object for babies
This comfort object, for example, a blanket, a fluffy toy, can effectively substitute for parental presence and soothe the baby to sleep. One way to make a blanket or teddy bear a baby's favorite is to leave it near you for a while so that it gets "mom's scent." Babies have a very sensitive sense of smell. When they wake up in the night (which they often do), having their mother's scent around them can be reassuring and help them fall back asleep.
Help your baby fall asleep independently
Avoid your baby getting into the habit of feeding or being rocked to sleep. Try to put your baby to bed while they are awake. This helps them learn to fall asleep on their own in bed, not in your arms. At first, you can accompany your baby to sleep, but gradually reduce the amount of time you spend with him. This can be done by sitting on the edge of the bed and then slowly leaving the room. This helps your baby get used to falling asleep on his own.
