When Will My Baby Sleep Through The Night?
Whether you’re a first-timer or an old hand at parenting, baby can throw a curve ball at any time when it comes to sleep. So, if you’re awake for the fourth time tonight, googling ‘when will my baby sleep through the night?’ Read on.
The importance of sleep for baby
We often talk of the importance of sleep for adults, but when it comes to babies, getting enough shut eye is even more crucial. Babies are thought to use sleep time to organise and store all the information they have encountered during the previous hours. This is key to their learning and development.
But does that mean you should be aiming for baby to sleep through the night as soon as they arrive? Not necessarily.
What does sleeping through the night actually mean?
It may surprise you to know, when heathcare professionals and sleep experts talk about sleeping through the night they actually mean your baby is getting five hours sleep in one go.
For a tired parent, five hours does not make a good night’s sleep. We’re sure if you’re looking for information about how to get baby to sleep through the night you’re looking for advice on how to get them settled for a solid 8-12 hours.
Right?
The trouble is, sleep is a developmental process, just like walking and talking. And you wouldn’t expect your baby to do those things before he or she was ready. In fact, up to a year and beyond it’s perfectly normal for baby to wake several times during the night.
Baby sleep patterns – what’s normal?
For the first few weeks, babies will sleep around 16 hours per 24-hours, usually in five to six chunks. It’s important your baby wakes every few hours for a feed as their tummy can’t hold enough milk to sustain them for too long. For baby to get the nourishment they need, they should feed regularly and often. From around six weeks you’ll find these sleep times begin to shift slightly towards the night time hours. And gradually the length of time your baby is able to sleep in one go will increase.
As baby gets older their sleep patterns will change. By three-six months they’ll need about 15 hours in total with most of that being at night. And from six months onwards your baby may even be able to sleep for up to eight hours in one go. The important word here is may because all babies are individuals with their own sleep needs.
What might prevent a baby sleeping through the night?
Determining how to get your baby to sleep through the night starts by understanding what may actually keep them awake. Here are a few things you should consider:
Is baby a hungry baby?
Some babies are just hungrier than others and therefore need those extra feeds during nighttime hours. If this is the case, you’ll likely find your baby starts to sleep for longer periods once you begin weaning. Solid food will keep them feeling fuller for longer.
Can baby self-settle?
For baby to sleep through the night they’ll need to be able to settle back to sleep after normal nighttime awakenings. Until they can do this themselves, they’ll call for you to help feed or sooth them.
Is the temperature in the room comfortable?
Young babies are unable to regulate their own temperature, so it’s important you create the right sleep environment for them. If they are too hot or too cold, getting baby to sleep will be a struggle. Wool bedding has been scientifically proven to help babies sleep for longer as it creates an individual microclimate for your baby, keeping them perfectly comfortable. Browse our wool baby bedding for more information.
Is baby going through a developmental phase?
Due to the brain activity associated with various developmental milestones - things like learning to roll or to speak, you may find it a struggle to get baby to sleep through the night during these times. Find out more about sleep regression and discover what you can do to soothe baby to sleep.
Is baby’s digestion causing discomfort?
The digestive system of a young baby is still developing. This means they can be prone to uncomfortable symptoms of reflux disturbing their sleep. This is where milk and stomach acids irritate the food pipe, or even mild intolerances to dairy or wheat. These conditions are often temporary but can cause discomfort and sleeplessness at night when baby is laying flat after a feed.
When will my baby sleep through the night?
When it comes down to it, some babies simply need more sleep than others. That’s why the question of when do babies sleep through the night is dependent on the baby. Try not to compare your baby’s routine to others, as this will only serve to cause you more concern. Instead, try to build on a routine that works for you and baby depending on when they’re most likely to be hungry or want comfort.
From 12 months your baby should be developmentally able to sleep for sustained periods of time but depending on their ability to self-settle and other individual characteristics, they may or may not actually do it for many months to come.
Hold tight though - the good news is every baby sleeps through the night eventually.
For tips on getting baby to sleep better check out our baby sleep advice hub.
