Infant sleep: from birth to 3 months of age

A newborn 's sleep is very important for a child's development. So how to make your baby sleep well and form good sleep habits?

Infants sleep a lot, often sleeping 16 to 17 hours a day. But most babies don't get more than two to four hours sleep at a time, day or night, during their first weeks of life.

Sleep irregularities sometimes make you tired. When you first become a mother, you will have to get used to having to wake up a few times in the middle of the night to lull, feed, and calm your baby.

Why can't an infant's sleep be predictable?

Baby's sleep cycles are much shorter than adults, and naps are thought to be necessary for the abnormal development that occurs in the baby's brain.

All this unpredictability is a necessary baby period and it doesn't last long.

When will my baby start sleeping longer?

From 6 to 8 weeks of age, most babies begin to nap shorter days and sleep longer at night, although most babies often wake up to feed at night.

Around 4 to 6 months old, experts say most babies sleep between 8 and 12 hours a night.

How to establish good sleep habits for your baby?

Here are some tips to help your baby sleep stabilization :

Let your baby sleep often. During the first six to eight weeks, most babies don't stay awake for more than two hours. If you put your baby to bed later, he may be tired and have trouble sleeping;

Teach your baby the difference between day and night. Some babies are “night owls” and will wake up when you want to go to sleep. For the first few days, you won't be able to do much of this. But once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching your baby to distinguish day from night;

When your baby is awake during the day, talk and play with your baby as much as possible. You keep the house, room bright and do not worry about minimizing daytime noises such as phone ringing, music ... If your baby overslept while breastfeeding, gently wake him up;

At night, you shouldn't play with your baby when he wakes up. Turn off lights, limit noise and don't spend too much time talking with your baby. Soon, your baby will realize this is the nighttime time to sleep;

Look for signs that your baby is tired. Follow your baby for signs of fatigue. Babies may rub their eyes, pull their ears or become more stubborn than usual. If you notice these or any other signs of drowsiness, try putting your baby down to sleep. If you notice these signs of drowsiness, prepare your baby for a nap;

Collective habits overnight infant. It is never too early to practice the habit of sleeping at night. It can be as simple as changing your baby's pajamas, singing a lullaby and kissing your baby goodbye;

Put your baby to bed when he is sleepy but still awake. By the time your baby is 6 to 8 weeks old, you can start putting your baby to sleep alone.

With the above tips, your baby can have a good night's sleep and soon form good sleep habits.

Hope this article has provided you with lots of useful information.