Sleep Ponderings from Me: Nighttime Sleep for Infants

Gosh, I appreciate sleep, and although I miss so much about the newborn stage, I don't miss sleep deprivation. Thank goodness it is short lived EVEN if it doesn't seem like it when you are in it.

Nighttime sleep is dictated by an infants hunger (for the most part).
What I did: I would breastfeed every three hours during the day. My last feeding would be at 10pm and then I would feed whenever the baby woke during the night (I would not wake them- please listen to a doctor if there is a reason to wake them). This is what I did- and it worked great! I know there are other ways to do this and do what works best- but just make sure everyone is getting as much sleep as possible.

Other tips to increase nighttime sleep:

• Start with a simple bedtime routine- bath and feeding... (don't forget to change the diaper before and put PJs on- there is a chance you may have to change the diaper again- have the necessary things ready and those sleeper gowns are great for quick diaper changes at night).
  
• Swaddle- get a good swaddling blanket and swaddle that sweet little thing as tight as it needs to be for them to not squirm out of it. Note: let your child dictate how long they need to be swaddled- don't move them out too soon. Swaddling helps them not wake themselves when those cute little newborn reflexes go off.
• Turn on a fan in the room- (SIDS prevention tip) and possible a sound spa to drown out other sounds.
  
• Feed your hungry baby- make sure you get them a full feeding to maximize your next stretch of sleep.
• Chill for a minute when you hear them making noise- babies and kids (and adults) make noise in their sleep- don't be overzealous to go get them- they may surprise you and go back to sleep.
  

And when will you be sleeping through the night? Hopefully soon! According to Marc Weissbluth, the author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, "many infants between six weeks and four months will naturally go to sleep late around 9:00 to 11:00 p.m., and sleep several hours without the need to be fed... After four months, infants tend to go to sleep earlier; around 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and some now need to be fed once or twice before they wake up to start the day..." So, the answer is it will vary with your baby and what you are comfortable doing.

My first baby was sleeping through the night at five months (only after some specific sleep training to break her from the habit of waking every 2 hours to feed). My next two babies were sleeping through the night by eight to ten weeks.

One last thought, some days are funky; some nights are funky. Sometimes there is no clear explanation for why an infant has a bad night of sleep or whatever it may be that is 'off'. Begin again tomorrow