Increase the Length of Time Your Baby Sleeps

During the first few months of human life, a baby’s sleep–wake schedule is dictated by hunger and the need to eat. Eventually, the baby will begin to develop a regular schedule based on the day–night pattern, and there are things you can do to encourage this. This process is called sleep training, and this is when you try to teach your baby to sleep through the night and to soothe herself back to sleep when she does wake. It’s important to remember that the same strategies and methods that work for one family won’t necessarily work for another, and it may take some trial and error before you find what works for your baby.

Steps

Scheduling Events for the Day

1. Get lots of exercise. Adults who are busy and active throughout the day expend more energy, and consequently tend to sleep better at night, and the same is true of babies. While babies are too young for most activities, you can encourage wakefulness during the day by talking to your baby, singing to your baby, and stimulating your baby with sounds, visual aids, and play.
2. Spend some time outside. There are several reasons why getting outside with your baby is important, and one of them is that fresh air can clean out the lungs. It can also increase oxygen intake, and this will help your baby sleep more soundly. Another reason to get outside is that exposure to natural light will help your baby’s internal clock regulate itself faster, meaning she’ll adjust faster to sleeping through the night.
   • If you can't get outside for play and activities, open the windows to allow some fresh air inside.
3. Promote daytime naps. While it may seem counterintuitive, making sure your baby gets enough sleep during the day will actually help her sleep better at night. The reason for this is that babies do need quite a bit of sleep each day, and restricting their daytime sleep will make them overtired, which will make it harder for them to fall asleep at night.
   • To promote daytime sleep, you may have to use motion to help your baby nap. This could include using a swing or carrier, a car ride, or rocking.
4. Know the signs of tiredness. Recognize and look for signs of sleepiness throughout the day, and when you spot them, get your baby down for a nap as soon as possible! Again, this will ensure she gets enough sleep during the day, and isn't overtired when it comes time to go down for the night. Signs of tiredness include:
   • Rubbing the eyes and tugging on the ears
   • Becoming whiny and tearful
   • Blank staring, stillness, and quietness
   • Yawning and stretching

Getting Ready for Bedtime

1. Fill her belly. The sleep and wake patterns of babies and newborns are governed by hunger, feeding, and digestion. Therefore, the fuller your baby is when she goes to sleep at night, the longer her food will take to digest, and the longer she’ll sleep.
   • In the couple hours leading up to bedtime, start cluster feeding your baby by feeding her every hour, and then once again right before bed.
2. Have a regular and quiet bedtime routine. Around 12 weeks, babies can begin to develop a regular circadian rhythm that’s dictated by the cycle of night and day. This means early on in life, your baby can start getting used to a bedtime routine that will signal sleep is coming soon.
   • You can start with a bedtime routine around three months, and aim for between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
   • Soothing bedtime activities include a bath, cuddles, reading, and quiet music or singing.
3. Allow her to put herself to sleep. To help teach your baby how to soothe herself to sleep at bedtime and during the night, put her down in her crib or bed when she's drowsy but still awake. Lay her down on her back, and make sure the area is free of pillows, blankets, toys, and other objects.
   • You can start allowing your baby to put herself to sleep around six to eight weeks of age.
4. Use a pacifier. A pacifier could help your baby settle quicker and fall asleep faster, and there's also evidence suggesting that pacifiers can reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
   • You may have to stop using the pacifier, however, if the baby wakes and can't get back to sleep when she drops it.

Managing Nighttime Wake-Ups

1. Manage pain if she's teething. One of the worst culprits for a baby’s disrupted sleep is the intense pain caused by teething. To help soothe her gums, try a gum massage with your finger, or talk to a doctor or pharmacist about an infant analgesic.
   • Babies generally start teething between six and 10 months.
   • Signs of teething include low grade fever, drooling, and red, swollen gums.
2. Keep out the light. As your baby adjusts to a night and day cycle, her body’s hormones will become sensitive to light and dark. The same way that adults need darkness at night to produce melatonin and sleep properly, so too is your baby’s body developing this same need.
   • Keep your baby’s room as dark as possible when it’s time to sleep, and only use minimal lighting if you need to tend to her in the night. This will prevent her from waking fully, and will make it easier to get her back to sleep.
   • During the day, don’t try to darken the house when your baby naps, or her body could become confused.
3. Keep the room at the right temperature. Babies who are put to sleep in rooms that are too warm may overheat quickly and not sleep well. Keep her room around 70 F (21 C) to promote a sound sleep.
4. Don’t stimulate her during the night. It may be inevitable that your baby wakes during the night, especially if she's still feeding every couple hours. However, you can make it easier to get her back to sleep by not rousing her into a wakeful state.
   • When you go into her room at night, keep the lights dim, make as little noise as possible, don’t make eye contact, and use calm movements and a quiet voice.
5. Give her a few minutes to go back to sleep on her own. When your baby does stir in the night, allow her to put herself back to sleep, if possible. Instead of rushing in when she stirs, wait a few moments before going to her. This will hopefully teach her to soothe herself back to sleep, which will be a useful ability throughout her entire life.
   • You can start doing this with your baby once she’s four to five months. If she doesn’t settle herself after a couple minutes, then go to her.
   • For babies who are six months and older, one method you can try is called the Ferber method. When your baby cries, go to her, give her a gentle pat, and then leave. Even if she continues to cry, wait five minutes before checking on her again and giving her another pat. Leave again, and next time wait 10 minutes before going to her. Continue increasing the amount of time between visits by five minutes.
6. Try sleeping close to your baby. On the other end of the spectrum from Ferber’s self-soothing method is the attachment parenting style, where parents use physical closeness to bond and promote sleep. While many experts do not recommend co-sleeping (sleeping in the same bed) for safety reasons, you can keep your baby’s crib in the same room as yours.
   • Along with helping you and baby bond, this will also ensure you’re available immediately throughout the night, which could help your baby from becoming too awake if she needs something.
7. Address possible causes of nighttime waking. If your baby is waking often in the night, there may be issues you can address that will make her more comfortable and keep her asleep longer. These could include:
   • Wet diapers. If your baby wakes often because of a wet diaper, try a more absorbent nighttime diaper.
   • Sleepwear that’s not comfortable. Allergies, dyes, and scratchy fabrics can all make babies uncomfortable, and this could stop yours from sleeping soundly. Try natural fibers like undyed cotton if you suspect this problem.
   • Environmental irritants, such as dust, smoke, baby powder, and perfume can all cause congestion in a baby’s sensitive breathing passages. Make sure your baby’s room is clean and free of common irritants (such as plants, feathers, wool), if she often wakes with a stuffy nose.
8. Know how to deal with sleep regressions. Sleep regressions are periods when a sleep-trained baby or toddler begins to wake frequently in the night again. These regressions can last anywhere from one to four weeks, and they often occur around four months, between eight and 12 months, at the 18-month mark, and the final one around two years of age. To manage sleep regressions, try:
   • Providing extra food during the day or, rarely, at night. Sleep regressions can often be caused by growth spurts, during which time your baby’s body needs extra fuel.
   • Offering extra physical comfort, such as a few extra cuddles, pats, or kisses as your baby is getting ready for bed, or as your baby tries to get back to sleep in the night.
   • Getting your baby to bed at an earlier hour. Because sleep regressions disrupt normal sleep patterns, they can cause your baby to become overtired, and this makes sleep even more elusive.
9. Talk to your baby's pediatrician if you have concerns. If your baby continues to have a hard time falling or staying asleep, then you should talk to your baby's pediatrician. Ongoing sleep problems may be a sign of a different problem that will need to be addressed to help your baby sleep more.

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