Just respond to their needs. Has your baby hit their milestones where your doctor feels baby has the capability to sleep through the night?
Many babies need to keep night time feedings in place to help extend their overnight sleep and help baby not go into sleep deficit as their body still requires the feedings to help them thrive.
Do not rush to remove the feedings before baby is developmentally ready. As your baby is slowly reaching the following milestones, his sleep is getting longer gradually.
Each baby being different, you may see them fall into a more predictable sleep pattern and have longer stretches of night time sleep any where between 10 weeks to 6 months. Getting familiar with what these milestones are will help you set some expectations :. Moro Reflex has decreased or stopped.
Moro startle reflex is an involuntary reflex all babies are born with. This is a sign of a still developing nervous system. The moro reflex will gradually ease and cease to awaken your baby mid sleep. You can calm your baby and help them sleep through this reflex by swaddling them.
Although the moro -reflex is completely overcome by 4 — 5 months, your baby can be calmed with swaddling to help them sleep through this reflex. Your baby is gaining weight at a healthy rate. One of the reasons your baby needs to feed so frequently- even in the middle of the night - is because they need those nutrients for their grow th and healthy develop ment! Your baby will NEED those night feedings until they have established a healthy pa ttern of weight gain and reach the proper age-weight milestones established by your pediatrician.
Night feedings have started to decrease. Newborns have very small tummies. They are unable to take in large quantities and hence need to eat more frequently. A s they grow so do their bellies. At 10 weeks to 6 months, your baby may be able to eat more and spend more time sleeping or playing between feeds. As your baby reaches healthy weight milestones, as approved by your pediatrician, the number of night feedings should begin to decrease.
Your baby is now eating more during the day and can stay asleep longer between feeds. Many moms, especially those of breast fed babies, are used to nursing their babies to sleep. More than likely, feeding has become a soothing mechanism for your baby. Your baby is learning to self soothe. However, to get them sleeping through the night without crying out for you when they do wake up will require them to learn how to self-soothe.
During the 4 th trimester, you did whatever you could to help soothe your baby. Around months, is a good time to start a consistent sleep routine during naps and bed time gradually teaching them to self soothe so that as they are 5 or 6 months they have a predictable sleep schedule, routine and are able to self soothe most of the times. The Zen Swaddle and Zen Sack are helpful aids as your baby learns to self soothe because thy mimic the gentle comfort of your touch.
Also check tips on healthy sleep routine and schedule. My little one used to wake up a few times a night, mostly because she wanted to be snuggled. She new sleeps [with the Zen Swaddle] through the night until am!! Some moms may expect their 2-week-old to sleep for longer stretches.
Although these milestones are usually reached between 4 to 6 months, every baby is different. Some babies may begin to sleep hour stretches as early as weeks while others may not find a longer sleep pattern until past months. Keep ing your expectations realistic and working with your baby until they are able to surpass these milestones consistently will eventually help you and your baby get long e r sleep stretches.
According to the National Sleep Foundation , percent of babies are sleeping through the night by 9 months old. Between 4 and 6 months old is when babies start getting most of their sleep at night instead of throughout the day. Some common methods include the Ferber method , the "fading" method, the "cry it out" method , and the "no-cry" sleep training method. Lewin says. This is normal—but if your child is dependent on you to fall asleep, she'll also be dependent on you to put her back to sleep each time she wakes up, Dr.
Other reasons to chat with the doctor: your baby snores, she has a hard time breathing, or she seems extremely fussy at bedtime and after feedings which could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
By Tamekia Reece Updated June 11, Save Pin FB More. Decreased startle or Moro reflex. The startle reflex causes your baby's limbs to jerk in response to certain triggers: a loud noise, a change in temperature, sudden movement, even a bad dream.
If your baby still has a strong startle reflex, her arms may flail and wake her from her sleep. The reflex usually drops significantly and disappears by 4 months. Increased feeding and weight gain Little or no need for multiple feedings throughout the night Increased ability to self-soothe by sucking on her fingers, hands, or a pacifier —a skill she'll need to help her get back to sleep if she wakes during the night.
By Tamekia Reece. Comments Sort by: Newest. Newest Oldest. Load More Comments. Close this dialog window Add a comment. But the length of nighttime sleep increases. Generally, newborns sleep about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night.
But they may not sleep more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night 6 to 8 hours without waking until they are about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.
About two-thirds of babies are able to sleep through the night on a regular basis by age 6 months. Babies also have different sleep cycles than adults. Babies spend much less time in rapid eye movement REM sleep which is dream time sleep. And the cycles are shorter. The following are the usual nighttime and daytime sleep needs for newborns through 2 years old:.
Once a baby begins to regularly sleep through the night, parents are often unhappy when the baby starts to wake up at night again. This often happens at about 6 months old. This is often a normal part of development called separation anxiety. This is when a baby does not understand that separations are short-term temporary.
Babies may also start to have trouble going to sleep because of separation anxiety. Or because they are overstimulated or overtired. Common responses of babies having these night awakenings or trouble going to sleep may include the following:. Sleep problems may also happen with illness. Talk with your baby's healthcare provider if your baby begins having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, especially if this is a new pattern. You can help your baby sleep by recognizing signs of sleep readiness, teaching him or her to fall asleep on his own, and comforting him or her with awakenings.
Your baby may show signs of being ready for sleep by:. Babies may not be able to create their own sleeping and waking patterns. Surprisingly, not all babies know how to put themselves to sleep. And not all babies can go back to sleep if they are awakened in the night. When it is time for bed, many parents want to rock or breastfeed a baby to help him or her fall asleep. Creating a bedtime routine is a good idea. But don't let your baby fall asleep in your arms.
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