Newborns sleep a lot, usually 16 to 17 hours a day. But most babies don’t sleep for long periods of time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life.
As a result, your baby’s sleep disorder becomes difficult and tiring for you. As a new parent, you’ll probably get up several times during the night to change her diaper, feed her, or relax her.
Why are newborns’ sleep patterns unpredictable?
Infants have shorter sleep cycles than adults and spend more time in REM sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the unusual development that occurs in the brain.
All this unpredictability is a necessary phase for your baby and doesn’t last long. Although it may seem like an eternity to you when you are sleep deprived, it will of course end and your baby will gain sleep habits.
How does your baby start to sleep longer?
During the 6-8 week period, most babies begin to sleep shorter during the day and longer during the night, but many continue to wake up during the night. They may also enter a period when the duration of REM sleep is shorter and deeper.
Experts say that most babies between the ages of 4-6 months can sleep between 8 and 12 hours during the night. Some babies sleep at night for up to 6 weeks, but most do not reach this milestone until they are 5 or 6 months old and continue to wake up in day or night sleep. You can help your baby get to this stage earlier. But to begin with, it is necessary to teach him good sleeping habits.
How to create sleep habits for babies?
Here are some tips to help your baby fall asleep:
Give your baby a chance to sleep often. For the first six to eight weeks, most babies can’t stay asleep for more than two hours at a time. If you wait longer than this or put pressure on your baby to sleep more, he or she may become overly emotional and have trouble falling asleep.
Teach your baby the difference between day and night. Some babies are night owls, so they like to stay awake at night. You can even understand this from their behavior during pregnancy. At first, it is difficult to explain the concepts of night and day to your baby and to set sleep times, but when your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can start teaching him to distinguish night from day.
Interact with her when she’s awake during the day and keep playing with her as much as you can. Keep the home and room bright and shiny. Be careful to minimize regular daytime noises such as phones, music, or dishwashers. Wake him up if he also tends to sleep during feeding.
Don’t play with it when it wakes up at night. Keep the light and sound level low and don’t spend too much time talking to him. After a while, your baby should start to understand that the night is for sleeping.
Look for signs that your baby is tired. For example, is he rubbing his eyes, pulling his ears, or is he more fussy than usual? If you notice these or any other signs of being sleepy, try to put it to sleep. You’ll soon develop a sixth sense about your baby’s daily rhythms and patterns, and you’ll know instinctively when he’s ready to nap.
Think about a bedtime routine for your baby. It’s never too early to start following your routine before bed. These routines can include putting your baby to bed, lullaby or singing, or kissing them goodnight.
Allow your baby to fall asleep on his/her own when he/she is 6-8 weeks old and habits are starting to be formed. And don’t push too hard to keep her awake when she’s asleep, even if it’s not at bedtime.
Doctors say that you should also avoid breastfeeding before sleep at an early age. Parents feel that what their baby does early on has no effect on later life or their habits. But babies learn and form habits at any age.