How To Help Your Baby Sleep Better: What’s Normal And How To Adjust

A baby's sleeping pattern starts to improve with the time as they grow, just when the parents body adapts according to baby sleeping and waking time and when they feel like more rest is impossible. But each passing time babies slowly adjust to their parents' sleep pattern, bringing down the number of times mothers used to feed their babies during night, giving parents a little more time to rest. But this improvement in night sleep at this stage does not mean sleeping at night, it is usually 5 to 6 hours in one go.

Babies naturally get tired if they stay awake the whole day. What is normal sleep for every baby varies differently. According to the research infants upto 3 months old need about 14 to 17 hours of sleep in a day. Many babies also begin to stretch longer after late feeding, and follow the routine of 2 to3 naps in the day.

How to Create a Safe Environment for Babies to Sleep

A Safe environment is a must to protect your baby while they are asleep.According to research, safe sleeping practices majorly help in reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, strangulations, and suffocation. While there is no proper way to prevent SIDS.

During the nighttime and taking naps, place your baby on their back. Babies who sleep on their stomachs or sides are more likely to die than who sleep on their back. Baby’s airway anatomy and gag reflex protects them from choking, so parents need not worry about it. Parents need to own space clear of toys, pillows and other objects for baby’s sleep, so you don’t have to reposition your baby when they roll both the ears on their own.

Firm and flat space is what babies need for a good sleep. The safest option is cots, or a child’s wicker cradle that follows safety rules. It is recommended to use fitted seats. Avoid using bumper pads, soft mattress, blankets, or pillows, as these are unsafe. Babies should not be made to sleep in swings, cars seats or a stroller for a long time. For the temporary usage till the time you get a proper cot, parents can use a safe, firm and fast surface like a box with a thin layer of padding.

There is a risk of suffocation, when you sleep with your baby on the same bed, especially on armchairs or couches. It is recommended to share a room by keeping your baby’s cot in your room, just beside your bed side for at least six months to a year or so. This reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by upto 50%.

Avoid overheating. Skip hats or weighted blankets indoors, instead of that dress your baby in one extra layer than what you are wearing. Make your baby comfortable with loose items

Baby Sleep Basics: Getting Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night

Patience, right habits and consistency is required to help your baby provide good sleep with longer stretches during nighttime. Here are some tips for it:

Sleepless nights in the early weeks: Baby is in need of frequent feeds and won’t sleep for a long stretch during nights for the starting few months. It is important to wake your baby up gently and with care for the feed if the baby has slept well for more than 3 to 4 hours. And parents can make the best use of it, when the baby is asleep to take a nap and give their body also rest.

Making a proper schedule too soon: It is important to give your baby rest according to their needs and help them to differentiate between day and night, allow your child to sleep whenever they are in need and try keeping a noisy and bright environment during daytime and calm, quiet and dark night.

Feeding well : It is important to feed the baby properly before sleep, so that they don’t wake up too soon from hunger. To keep babies full for longer, parents also use formula feeding at night. Before making any changes consulting a doctor is important.

Try wrapping : By wrapping your baby in a soft and snugly sheet or blanket can make your baby feel secure and promote a longer sleeping schedule. During cool weather cover them up with a heavy or warm sheet, while in warm weather keep it light.

Sleeping habits : Stick to a proper bedtime routine, bathing, feeding, or soft lullaby to signal it is night time. To teach babies to self-soothe themselves, put them in a cot when they are cribbing a little.

Over time, following these habits will help your baby sleep longer and match with your timings.

Sleeping Pattern of Babies

Babies age	Average daytime to sleep	Average nighttime to sleep
Newborns to 3 months old babies	8 hours of sleep	8 to 9 hours of sleep (disturbed sleeping pattern throughout the night)
6 to 12 months old babies	5 hours of sleep	10 to 12 hours of sleep (get habit of sleeping during night)
2 year old babies	4 hours of sleep (naps get very few after an age of 12 months)	10 to 12 hours of sleep
3 year old babies	1 hour of sleep	10 hours of sleep
4 to 6 year old	Usually naps according to the hobbies and other activities	10 hours of sleep

Final Verdict: What the Blogger Has to Say About it?

Ad baby grows their sleeping pattern and schedule automatically gets aligned with their hobbies, or activities, along with the parents time. Babies eventually learn the difference between day and night and when to sleep and when not to.

So keep calm and be patient.