Sleep Through The Night, When Will My Child Do That?
You don’t get happier than with your baby in your arms. But a new question arises. When will my baby sleep through the night?
This is often the key question for parents with a first child. They experience the first few months of their baby’s life as a period in which your sleep is interrupted several times a night.
Stay calm! It is quite normal for children to wake up several times every night for the first six months of their lives. After six months, many babies will begin to sleep through the night. But it is different for every child and depends on his development.
How Babies Sleep
To find out when your baby will sleep through the night, there are a few things you need to know. From birth, babies sleep in two stages. This means that they often wake up. When both phases are over, your baby will wake up to eat and spend time with you. This makes them feel safe.
After about six months, babies’ sleep begins to change. They will develop five-stage sleep just like adults. When this happens, your baby may sleep through the night. Although babies will sleep longer, they can still wake up during the night. Now, however, they will be able to fall asleep again on their own.
Few babies can sleep six to eight hours straight for the first three months. Sometimes it even takes 12 months for this to happen. But around the age of nine months , about 70% of babies sleep through the morning without a nighttime feed.
Some children need time to learn how to sleep through the night. Experience shows that one in five children of two years old still wakes up at night and has to cry. This shows that every child is different and that the personality of the children can influence this.
Your baby will sleep through the night, but watch out for myths
When you talk to others about your nighttime struggles and discuss when your baby will sleep through the night, you may hear that older children and those on solid foods fall asleep more easily. Do not follow this advice. The most important factor is age, not how big they are or what they eat.
You may even hear that feeding your baby cereal at night will help them sleep better. However, this is not true. In fact, this can even be dangerous. Giving your baby solid foods when they are not old enough can cause digestive problems.
A newborn baby’s digestive system is not yet ready to digest food other than breast or formula. Especially during the first six months of their lives. This is why specialists recommend breastfeeding for the first six months.
What can I do to get through the night?
When you have to get up a few times every night, it is logical that you do not feel as fit during the day. During the first weeks, it can be ideal to take a nap with your baby during the day. Don’t just use your baby’s naps to update the household.
Breastfeeding while lying down offers you the opportunity to rest a bit. Another smart move is to ask for help from those around you. You can ask friends and family to run errands. They may also be able to help with the household or they are fine with tidying up.
Many mothers prefer to have their baby close to them at night. They sleep better when their baby is around. They therefore feel less tired. Sleeping together with your baby is a good option. When the baby is in the room with you, you can meet your baby’s needs with fewer sleep interruptions.
Other specialists believe that as a parent you should teach your child to sleep alone. You will also have to try to get them to fall asleep alone again, without any intervention from yourself. Some even say that you should let your baby cry for a while before responding. However, most parents follow their instincts and comfort their baby.
Apparently there is no method that can guarantee a good night’s sleep. Do what’s best for you and your baby. Be patient, as time goes by, your baby will sleep through the night on its own. The sleepless nights will then be nothing more than a memory of the period when you did everything for the child you love with all your heart.
