Expert insights into babies and sleep
Learn when, where and how much your baby should sleep.
Babies need a lot of sleep, and their sleep patterns change as they grow. Here are a few things you can do to help your baby develop good sleep habits.
How to get newborns to sleep at night
It's common for newborns to be sleepy during the day and more active at night. To change this, talk, sing and engage more with your baby during the day. At night, try to be quieter. Keep rooms dark except for a small night light.
Feed and change your baby without making any extra noise. This helps your baby understand that nighttime is associated with sleep. Most babies will have normal sleep patterns by the time they're one month old.
Sleep location
While it's up to you to decide where your baby will sleep, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that all newborns sleep in a crib in the parents' room. The reason for this is simple: it makes feeding easier.
The crib should have a tight-fitting sheet. Also, remove all blankets, pillows and stuffed animals from the crib to eliminate the chances of suffocation. The AAP does not recommend that babies sleep in the parents' bed. This can be dangerous for infants.
Waking baby to feed
Babies who have a lower birth weight are often very sleepy. You need to wake them every 3 hours for feedings. This helps avoid significant weight loss. Once babies go over their birth weight, they can feed when hungry and sleep through one night's feeding.
Fussy periods
Most newborns have a fussy period later in the day — a phase of crying that starts in the evening and lasts for up to 3 hours. This is a normal developmental stage, not colic.
Fussy periods may start when the baby is 2 to 4 weeks old and usually end around 6 weeks of age. During this phase, babies usually respond well to swaddling or gentle rocking.
Babies 4 months and older
When your baby is about 4 months old, start putting them to bed when they show signs of feeling tired. Don't wait until they're sleeping. This helps your baby learn to fall asleep on their own and in their own bed.
If you hold or rock your baby to sleep, they may have a hard time falling back to sleep if they wake up during the night. And until your baby is one year old, be sure to place them on their back to sleep whether it's day or night.
Also, don't rush in to soothe a crying baby. Your baby needs time to put themselves back to sleep. It's normal for a 6-month-old to wake up during the night, then go back to sleep after a few minutes.
But if your baby is crying for a reason — such as needing to be fed, have a diaper changed or be comforted if they're sick — you can tend to them.
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More useful insights
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