Babies have different sleep patterns as they grow and age. At first, it may seem like your new baby is sleeping all the time. This is because newborns are only awake for a few hours each day.
This sleep pattern decreases as the baby grows, so by the time he is 3 months old, he only sleeps twelve to fifteen hours every day. Your child at this age has also stopped eating most of the night. This may be the time to try to start establishing regular sleep patterns. You should start by establishing a nightly routine, such as giving your baby a warm bath, reading a story, and then putting him to bed. You should do this routine at the same time every night to get your baby used to sleeping at night. You should also set a regular nap time for her. Within a short period of time, your baby should sleep for a stretch of six hours during the night.
You should not be alarmed if your baby starts waking up at night again over the next few months. You are becoming more aware of your surroundings and may be awakened by turning over or sitting up in your sleep, or the baby may simply want you. You should go to her room, settle him and leave him in her bed. This will establish that nighttime is still bedtime and within a few weeks she should be back to her usual schedule.
By six months your baby should be sleeping a total of eleven to fifteen hours a day and should start sleeping for longer periods of time. You can limit nap time to one in the morning and another nap in the afternoon. She must maintain the regular sleep pattern that she established three months earlier. Some babies start waking up again in the middle of the night at this stage. If your baby wakes up because she is sitting up while she sleeps, she will need to teach him to go back to bed. You can do this by turning it into a game during the day. You can just sit him down and then lay him down. As you repeat these movements, the baby will learn to do them on his own.
By the time the baby is one year old, he should be sleeping through the night without waking up at all. But if he’s still waking up, you have to be firm with him. At this age, the baby may not understand all of his words, but the tone of her voice can convey her point of view. You need to tuck the baby back in, kiss him goodnight, and firmly tell him to go to sleep. Your baby may cry for the first few nights, but will eventually go back to sleeping through the night.
Babies’ sleep patterns vary from child to child. By establishing a regular schedule starting at three months of age, you can probably be sure he’ll get a good night’s sleep.