Sleep Routines All parents want their infants to sleep well. But many new moms ask the same shared questions: • • •
How long will my baby nap? What time should she go to bed? How many hours of sleep can I realistically expect?
There is no definite answer to these questions as every baby is different and sleep routines change as your baby develops and grows older. Here are some guidelines to help you… Newborns express their need to sleep in different ways. Some fuss, cry, rub their eyes or indicate this need with individual gestures. However, babies are not able to establish their own sleeping and waking patterns. You can help your baby sleep by recognizing signs of sleep readiness, teaching him/her to fall asleep on his or her own, and providing the right environment for comfortable and safe sleep. Most experts recommend allowing a baby to become sleepy in your arms, then placing him or her in the bed while still awake. This way the baby learns how to go to sleep on his own. Playing soft music while your baby is getting sleepy is also an effective way to help establish a bedtime routine.
What are the signs of sleep readiness? Your baby may show signs of being ready for sleep when you see the following signs: • • • •
Rubbing eyes Yawning Looking away Fussing
Newborns need to sleep in both the day and night. The hours per sleep will vary. Ideally you will want the daytime cycle to be 1-2 hours of awake time then 3-4 hours of napping which should make up 8 hours during the day. They can be encouraged to sleep less during the day by exposing them to light and noise and by playing more with them in the daytime. At night, it is advised to start establishing a bedtime routine (bathing, reading, singing). This will help your baby relax and sleep well. Newborn babies are too young to establish such routine but this will help setup a familiar bedtime routine at as they grow older. Putting your baby in the crib at night teaches your little one that it's the place for sleep. A quieter environment and dimmer lighting will help the baby relax and fall asleep with ease. When infants are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become "selfsoothers". This enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night if they wake. Your baby will drift on and off through the night, waking to feed.
Here's an estimate for how much your baby or child should be sleeping. Remember that all kids are different, and some may need a little more or less than others: Newborn-4 months Total Sleep: 16-18 hours Night-time Sleep: 8-9 hours Naps: 7-9 hours (3-5 naps) 4-12 months Total Sleep: 12-16 hours Night-time Sleep: 9-10 hours Naps: 4-5 hours (2-3 naps) 1-2 years Total Sleep: 11-14 hours Night-time Sleep: 11 hours Naps: 2-3 hours (2 naps) 3-5 years Total Sleep: 10-13 hours Night-time Sleep: [10-11] 10-13 hours Naps: 0-1 hours (naps usually stop by age 5)
6-12 years Total Sleep: 9-12 hours Night-time Sleep: 10-11 hours Naps: n/a
Understanding How Babies Sleep: The biological basis of baby sleep changes between 2 and 12 months.
In the early months, baby sleep tends to be divided into 50% active sleep and 50% quiet sleep. Babies often wake after phases of active sleep. • •
Active Sleep - An infant sleep phase involving head and muscle movements, similar to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in adults. Quiet Sleep – In babies, a sleep stage in which muscles are relaxed, limbs are still and breathing is deep and regular. Babies cycle in and out of quiet sleep and are less likely to wake during this stage.
At around three months, sleep patterns become more regulated and can be divided into cycles of light sleep and deep sleep. The amount of light sleep decreases and cycles of light and deep sleep last 20-50 minutes •
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Light Sleep – The phase of sleep that is easy to wake from, sometimes you might not realise you are asleep. You dream during light sleep. It is also called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep Deep Sleep – The peaceful and restful phase of sleep. Someone in deep sleep is hard to wake up and might feel drowsy when they do wake up. Deep sleep is also known as nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep
By six months, baby sleep patterns are closer to those of grown-up sleep and wake less at night. At around six months, your baby will develop lots of new abilities that can affect sleep. At this age babies gain the ability to keep themselves awake and are learning many exciting new skills. The combination of being able to do exciting things and being able to stay awake means your baby might wake more often during the night and be more reluctant to go back to sleep.
By eight months, 60-70% of babies can settle themselves back to sleep without a parent’s help. Others keep waking if they need help to settle back to sleep, or if they’re still having breastfeeds or bottles during the night.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them: 1.Letting your baby or toddler stay up late Set an appropriate bedtime routine and stick to it. Figure out the best bedtime for your child. Just as important, watch for signs that he's getting tired, such as droopy eyelids or eye-rubbing. If you tuck him into bed when he's drowsy but not overtired or completely asleep, it will be easier for him to learn to fall asleep on his own. As your child gets older, plan his extracurricular activities around regular bedtimes and nap times so he's more likely to get the sleep he needs.
2. Relying on motion There's nothing wrong with rocking your little one to relax her before bedtime. Use motion for calming, not napping or sleeping as she might grow to depend on it to fall asleep, which means she'll need the same attention every time she wakes up during the night. Try not to rely on car rides, infant swings, or walks in the stroller to get your baby to sleep. If your baby starts nodding off in a swing or car seat, quietly move her to a crib as soon as you can.
3. Introducing distractions at bedtime You might think an eye-catching mobile, cheerful night-light, or quiet music would help your baby fall asleep. Instead, they can distract your baby and keep him awake. Keep your baby's room dark and quiet. Remove anything that's remotely entertaining from around the crib. Infants and toddlers sleep best in rooms that are nearly pitch-black. Use a fan or white noise machine to muffle house or street sounds.
4. Failing to establish a bedtime routine If you're like most people, you have a routine that helps you wind down at the end of the day. Babies and toddlers are no different. Without a consistent routine every night, children have trouble settling down for bed, and sleep quality may suffer. Create a comforting bedtime ritual. Children of almost any age benefit from following a series of steps leading to bedtime.
5. Picking up your baby as soon as he starts crying When your baby starts crying at night, you may feel the urge to hurry over and feed him, check his diaper, or pick him up for a cuddle – but that deprives him of the chance to learn how to soothe himself back to sleep. Wait a few minutes before going to your baby. Just like adults, babies naturally wake up several times a night. Since they aren't born knowing how to settle themselves back down to sleep, they need the opportunity to learn. When your baby cries, give him a few moments to self-soothe – by finding a dummy to suck or a dudu to hold onto, for example. And one day he'll fall back to sleep without needing a thing from you.
6. Putting your baby to bed with a bottle A bottle at bedtime can soothe your baby to sleep, but it does have risks. For example: • • • • •
She may start to rely on the bottle to fall asleep. It may be harder to wean him from the bottle once he's ready to start drinking from a cup. She may choke on the liquid. He's more likely to get ear infections. She has a greater risk of tooth decay.
Save the bottle for mealtime, not bedtime. Rely on a consistent bedtime routine and your baby will learn to settle down without the risks of a bottle habit that can be hard to break.
7. Sending mixed messages about where to sleep Do you let your toddler climb into bed with you a couple times a week, maybe when he's especially fussy? The problem here is not the sleep method but the mixed message. Many parents choose to sleep-share. Others may be surprised to find themselves with a family bed they didn't plan on, and this confusion can disrupt your child's sleep. Set firm guidelines about where to sleep. It's best to decide whether you want a family bed early on, but it's never too late to establish rules. If you want to end the nighttime visits, explain to your toddler the reasons he should stay in his own bed for the whole night. You could tell him everyone sleeps better, for example.
8. Allowing bedtime to become a battleground As children exercise their growing independence, they often test limits by resisting bedtime. But allowing your child to continue pushing back sets up an unhealthy pattern of frustration and lost sleep. Stay calm and be strategic. You can avoid nightly battles by anticipating needs, setting and enforcing rules, and letting your child have a say in her bedtime routine.
Be consistent about the sleep routine. A predictable nighttime ritual gives your child a sense of security, making it easier for her to wind down at night and wake up feeling refreshed.
It is most important to remember that YOU can choose what works best for you and your baby.
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