Getting Your Baby to Sleep through the Night

​How can I help my baby become a good sleeper?  What can I do to help my baby fall asleep? What sleep strategies can I try? 

​Getting your baby to sleep can be a challenge and it is often the number one concern of parents. Even though there isn’t any sure way to get your baby to sleep, there are some things you can do to ease your mind and help the process along.   

​First, look for reasons your baby might not be sleeping.  Is he comfortable in his sleepwear?   Is the bedroom too hot or cold?  Is his sleeping environment free from perfumes, hairsprays, and aerosols? Are there any medical reasons that might be affecting the baby’s sleep?  For example, does the baby have an ear infection or does he have any food allergies?  These are things you might want to talk about with your baby’s doctor. 

​Sleep deprivation is like a rite of passage for new moms. If you have a newborn (0 to 3 months), your baby will fall asleep and wake up at all hours of day and night since she doesn’t know the difference between day and night.  Newborns can sleep from 10-18 hours per day, usually spaced throughout 24 hours. Newborns usually wake up because they are hungry or need to be changed.

​After 3 months, babies will sleep 13 to 15 hours a day, some more or less than others. Babies will also need naps from 2 to 4 times a day, so just remember not to let your baby nap too close to bedtime.

​Between 3 to 18 months, the baby learns to soothe himself to sleep.  Place your baby down to sleep when he is drowsy but awake.  Babies need to be able to fall asleep independently so that they can self- soothe when they wake in the middle of the night. Once your baby sleeps through the night, you can put him to sleep in his own room.

​Babies need routines, which is demonstrated by one study that showed infants between 7 and 36 months who follow a nightly bedtime routine stand a better chance of falling asleep and staying asleep.  A baby’s routine can be any combination of regular bedtime activities. Some examples might be to try and breastfeed or bottle feed your baby before bedtime, try a warm bath or soothing massage, sing lullabies, read a book, or tell a story. The main thing is that you want to signal to baby that it’s time to relax.

Just remember, babies don’t naturally take to sleeping through the night.  

Consistency is key.  Sleep is a learned skill and it isn’t learned overnight.

Karen O'Leary is an Assistant Home Manager at New Beginnings. She has her BA in Bible Theology and her Masters of Divinity. She has 8-years of experience as a Social Director at a non-profit organization helping those in crisis with financial assistance, brief supportive counseling, and being a spiritual presence in their time of need. In her free time Karen enjoys reading, cooking and traveling.

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