Your Top 10 Questions About Sleep—Answered!

Rest easy. Here's everything you need to know.

New parents often worry about their baby’s sleep: Is he sleeping too much or not enough? Is he in the right position? Where should he sleep? Don’t let these questions keep you up at night— the answers are easy once you know the basics.

A newborn’s circadian rhythm, or internal clock that tells the body when to sleep, is not well developed at birth. As a result, he can sleep as easily during the day as he does at night. A normal, full-term newborn sleeps about 14 to 18 hours a day but rarely for more than a few hours at a time. And when he does sleep, he may twitch, smile, frown, make sucking movements or breathe irregularly. A lot of parents think that their baby isn’t sleeping well as a result, but this is totally natural.

Around 2 to 3 months of age, sleep becomes more regular as the circadian rhythm kicks in. Babies become more aware of darkness and light, and feedings and nighttime routines begin to make their sleep and waking patterns seem more conventional.

As your baby grows, he’ll need less sleep. At 2 to 6 months of age, most infants need 15 to 16 hours total each day and will sleep up to 6 hours at a time, but by 6 to 9 months, they can be down for up to 7 hours at a time. At 9 to 12 months, most babies sleep 14 to 15 hours a day and can sleep through the night for up to 10 to 12 hours. One or two daytime naps are usually fine. With these patterns in mind, read on for details.

1. Is my baby getting enough sleep?

Each baby is unique: Some need much more sleep than others. If your baby wakes up in a good mood, appears alert and happy during the day, and can fall asleep easily at night and at naptime, he is most likely getting enough rest.

2. When will my newborn sleep through the night?

Sleeping through the night is generally defined as sleeping 5 hours straight without waking. Newborns are physically unable to sleep for long periods of time because they need to eat every 2 to 3 hours. However, by the time full-term babies are 2 to 3 months old, their stomach has grown and can hold enough milk to keep them satisfied for 5 to 6 hours at a time, so they can sleep for longer periods during the night.

3. How do I help my child learn to sleep through the night?

Starting around 3 or 4 months of age, try to give your baby most of his feedings during the day. You should also try to keep him awake for longer periods during the day to help him differentiate between day and night. During the day, play with your baby, listen to music, sing songs and involve him in normal family activities. At night, keep the house quiet and the lights down to signal that night is time to rest. If your baby wakes up at night for a feeding or a diaper change, keep the lights low, and don’t engage him. This reinforces that nighttime is for sleeping, not for playing.

Next page: The Next Questions
Page 1 of 3

 

Printer-Friendly Version

---

Related Links:
	Feeding Fundamentals
	Keep Your Child Well
	Home Sweet (and Safe) Home
	Play & Learn

---