Sleep and BabyHow Much Sleep Does My Baby Need?
When you bring home your newborn from the hospital, you soon realize that sleeping like a baby doesn't mean what most people usually take it to mean. Sleep and baby may seem to be at odds and parents primary goal is to get some
sleep help for baby.
NewbornWhen you first come home with your baby, you may feel like you are in a constant cycle of feeding and napping. This is completely normal. Newborns will often sleep about sixteen hours a day, spread out in about two hour segments around the clock.While their stomach is still so small, babies need to eat frequently, especially if you are nursing. It is a good idea, especially when you first get home from the hospital, to nap during the day when the baby naps. You will be on their sleep schedule for a while. Some nursing mothers use a co-sleeping method so that they lose less sleep until the baby begins to sleep through the night. By keeping the baby close, the little one feels secure and aren't waking up frightened during the night. If you are bottle-feeding, you might try taking turns with the feedings with your partner, so both of you get a little more sleep.
One MonthBy the time babies are about one month old, they are starting to be awake more, as they are learning about the world around them.They will usually sleep about fifteen hours a day, with around six hours of that time during the day. You will quickly pick up on the cues that your baby is ready for a nap; she will fall asleep shortly after a feeding or even while she is being fed. You are beginning to see your baby establish some sleep patterns. Three MonthsNow is the time that every parent lives for: the baby normally begins to sleep through the night. By about three months, their stomach has grown and they can eat more, so they can sleep longer at a stretch during the night.They still sleep about fifteen hours, but their naptime decreases to about five hours. Not every child will start to sleep through the night right at three months. Some take a little longer. When you start to introduce some solid foods, that also usually helps the baby begin to sleep longer at night. Six MonthsAt six months, babies drop to needing about fourteen hours of sleep each day, with only about four hours at naptime. However, sometimes at about six months, infants will still wake up during the night.If they are sleeping in their own room, they will wake and realize that mom is not right there. Sometimes they will go back to sleep, but sometimes they just need to know you are near. Nine MonthsNine months is another milestone. By now, they should be sleeping through the night regularly.While they still need about fourteen hours of sleep, they begin to nap less. They may only nap about three hours during the day. Twelve MonthsBy the time a baby is about a year old, they will normally be sleeping about thirteen hours a day. They will sleep about ten or eleven at night, with a two or three hour nap during the day.Some children may not want to even nap at all. They are too busy exploring their world, but it is still a good idea to try to encourage naptime. And Sometimes Sleep and
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