For most new parents, those middle-of-the-night cries are an expected part of having a newborn. Babies wake frequently to feed, needing to eat every 2-3 hours around the clock in those early months. While disrupted sleep is normal, it can quickly take its toll on exhausted moms and dads. When sleep deprivation sets in, it can be hard to function and properly care for your little one.
The good news is there are things you can do to help your newborn sleep longer stretches at night. With patience and consistency, many babies can start sleeping for at least 5-6 hour chunks by 3-4 months old. While every child is different, using various techniques to establish healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in getting the rest you and your baby need.
In this article, we’ll cover some of the common factors affecting newborn sleep and solutions to tackle them. We’ll also explore popular sleep training techniques to help your little one learn to self-soothe and settle at bedtime and during night wakings.
Why Newborn Sleep is So Important
Before diving into solutions, it helps to understand why those overnight sleep stretches are so crucial for babies and parents alike.
For infants, sleep is essential for proper growth and development. It stimulates the release of the human growth hormone which aids in cell regeneration and overall health. Babies who get adequate shut-eye are less fussy and have an easier time learning new skills as they grow.
For mom and dad, those uninterrupted sleep cycles allow your body to move through the various stages of sleep properly. Deep, restorative sleep recharges your body and mind, allowing you to have the energy and patience needed for the demands of new parenthood. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your mood, mental sharpness, and overall health.
The key is working together to ensure your newborn is getting the sleep they need to thrive, while also making sure your own sleep needs are met.
Factors Impacting Newborn Sleep
There are a few core reasons babies struggle with sleeping through the night in those early months. Understanding what is disrupting your newborn’s slumber can help you come up with effective solutions. Here are some of the most common factors:
Hunger
Newborns need to eat frequently, sometimes as often as every 2-3 hours. Their tiny tummies can’t go long between feedings, so hunger is a major cause of overnight wakings during the first few months. Ensuring your baby is getting enough to eat during daytime feedings can help minimize night wakings.
Feeding right before bedtime and using techniques like dream feeds can also help keep your baby satisfied for longer stretches at night. A dream feed is when you briefly and quietly rouse your sleeping baby to feed them, without fully waking them up. For some babies, this tops them off enough to sleep an additional 2-3 hours.
Dirty or Wet Diaper
Babies have very little bladder and bowel control, so sitting in a dirty or wet diaper will inevitably wake them up. Using super-absorbing overnight diapers can help minimize how often your baby awakens needing a change. But the average newborn will still need 2-3 changes per night.
Developing a diaper-changing routine with minimal stimulation can help get your baby back to sleep quicker. Turn lights low, avoid excessive talking, and do a calm diaper change and feeding if needed.
Sleep Associations
Newborns quickly develop associations between being nursed, rocked, or taken on car rides to sleep. These associations become sleep crutches, and your baby will start needing them to fall back asleep when they rouse between sleep cycles.
Breaking these associations gradually and establishing independent sleep skills are key for your baby sleeping longer stretches. This may involve sleep training techniques like fading or controlled crying to help your little one learn to self-soothe to sleep.
Poor Sleep Environment
A relaxing sleep environment is crucial for quality overnight sleep. An overheated room, excessive noise, bright lights, or discomfort from a wet diaper can all prevent a deep, uninterrupted slumber.
Optimizing your baby’s sleep setting by controlling temperature, light, sound, and other factors can remove environmental obstacles to long sleep stretches. A white noise machine, blackout curtains, and comfortable sleeping attire, and bedding can all promote better rest.
Sleep Training Techniques
Implementing a gentle but consistent sleep training plan can help babies learn the skills to self-soothe and settle themselves back to sleep during night wakings. Here are some of the most popular and effective approaches:
Graduated Extinction/Ferber Method
With this technique you put your baby to bed awake but drowsy and let them try to self-settle before responding to cries at increasing intervals – 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, etc. The goal is for them to learn to self-soothe to sleep. It may involve some crying but is gentle.
Fading/Camping Out
Fading involves sitting in a chair next to your baby’s crib as they fall asleep. Over successive nights you gradually move your chair further away until you’re out of the room completely. This method teaches self-settling skills with your reassuring presence.
Scheduled Awakenings
This involves waking your baby up on a schedule – say every 3-4 hours – for a brief feeding before they spontaneously wake themselves up. For some babies, scheduled feeds can eliminate the need for them to signal when hungry, allowing longer sleep periods.
When considering sleep training, make sure your pediatrician gives the go-ahead based on your baby’s age, weight, and overall health. Most methods can be implemented between 4-6 months, but every child has a different readiness level.
Start early, be extremely consistent, and know there may be some fussing involved as your baby learns this new skill. But with time they will begin sleeping more soundly through the night.
Creating a Soothing Bedtime Routine
Establishing a predictable bedtime routine is key to cueing your baby that it’s time to wind down and sleep. This signals the brain to start producing melatonin to induce drowsiness. Try to follow the same sequence of activities in the same environment each night.
Here are some soothing bedtime routine ideas:
- Warm bath
- Infant massage with calming lotion
- Rocking in a dimly lit room
- Reading books with simple visuals and rhyming text
- Soft music or white noise
- Swaddling and soothing patting rhythms
Keeping bedtime consistent also helps regulate the circadian rhythm which controls sleep/wake cycles. Between 6-8 weeks when melatonin production increases, aim for an early bedtime between 7-8 pm.
FAQs about Newborn Sleep Solutions
Q: When can sleep training start?
A: Most experts recommend waiting until at least 4 months or when your baby shows signs of being ready – dropping night feeds, longer awake windows, and self-soothing attempts. Every baby has a different level of neurologic maturity required.
Q: What if my baby won’t stop crying?
A: Some fussing is normal, but prolonged, intense crying is a sign your baby may not be ready. Pause and try again in a week or two. Make sure there are no underlying issues like illness, teething, or reflux causing discomfort.
Q: How can I get the baby to sleep longer stretches?
A: Focus on daytime feedings and fullness, minimize night stimulation and stick to a schedule, limit sleep associations, and maintain a consistent, calming bedtime routine. Have patience, it takes time!
Q: What if sleep training isn’t working?
A: Make sure you’re being extremely consistent with the method and schedule. Try a different technique like fading instead of graduated extinction. See if there are any environmental factors disrupting sleep. Don’t give up!
Conclusion
While newborn sleep deprivation is tough, have hope that it does not last forever! By understanding the factors impacting your baby’s sleep and using gentle but consistent techniques, you can help them develop the skills to sleep soundly through the night. Be patient with the process, stick to a plan, and those peaceful overnight stretches will come soon enough.