It is hard to predict the exact date when a baby will start sleeping through the night. Although experts provide general guidelines, every baby is different. A variety of factors can cause disruptions or delays to this progression. Sleeping through the night is difficult for many babies until closer to their first birthday due to growth spurts, upset tummies, or teething.
While there is no guarantee you will read any sleep training success stories here is a list of a few tried-and-true tricks that can help anyone catch a bit more shut-eye.
1. Let your baby sleep drowsily
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You may put her down sooner rather than later will allow her to fall asleep more quickly. Little ones need to learn to fall asleep independently to sleep for longer periods. They might get confused and upset when they notice that things are different from when they drifted off (like not being cradled in your arms anymore).
2. Plan a bedtime routine
Researchers studied 405 mothers and their infants aged 7 to 36 months to determine if infants following a nightly bedtime routine went to sleep easier, slept better, and woke less often in the middle of the night.
It is not strange for parents to begin a bedtime routine when she turns 6 to 8 weeks old. Your baby can have any combination of activities during bedtime. Success depends on:
- The daytime should be active, and the evening should be quiet. Your baby will be tired at the end of the day, yet they won’t get too excited before bedtime.
- Night after night, repeat the same activities.
- When the routine is nearing its end, make sure all activities are calm and peaceful.
- Before going to bed, many babies enjoy getting a bath.
- The last activity you do in your baby’s bedroom should be their favorite. The idea is to make bedtime exciting and to associate the sleeping area with their favorite activity.
- Keep the room’s conditions consistent at night. It should be the same sounds and lights during the night as when they went to sleep. Ensure the lights are low, and the talking is kept to a minimum while you feed or change your baby at night. They may find it difficult to settle if they are overstimulated.
3. Extend night feedings
It would help if you gradually increased the time between feedings as she grows; newborns need to eat every two to three hours. If you are bottle-feeding with baby formula, make sure you have chosen a quality product, such as Kendamil Goat 1 – certified organic, a reputable brand and based on a goat’s milk. You can take advantage of this routine by feeding her right before you go to bed, so you know she’s full as soon as you lay your head down.
4. She may not be hungry
Sleep cycles for little ones are around 40 minutes long, which means they frequently stir during the night. She needs some time to settle on her own. Instead of immediately offering the breast or bottle if that doesn’t work, try another comfort method instead. It might just take some soft singing or a gentle rub to get her to sleep again.
5. Avoid rushing into solids
Traditionally, parents started solids early, thinking that if their babies were complete, they’d sleep better. Solid foods served too soon can inhibit sleep and cause food allergies and digestive problems. Canadian Paediatric Society guidelines state that babies aren’t ready for solids until six months, and there are no studies linked to sleep improvements from the introduction of solids.
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