Baby Sleep Patterns By Age

On average, babies sleep for approximately 18 to 22 hours a day. Sleep is essential in a baby’s physical and mental development. Thus, it is essential to let your baby sleep for as long as they want to.

Newborns often have longer sleep hours than older babies. As your baby grows, they’ll be able to stay awake for more hours during the day.

Nonetheless, babies are different. So, don’t force them to stay awake or sleep when they prefer otherwise. Understand your baby’s needs and act accordingly.

Sleep pattern for 2 to 3 months babies

When your baby is still a newborn, they spend most of the time sleeping. Experts report that two- to three-month-old babies sleep for about 17 hours a day. Their sleep time often lasts for approximately one hour.

Young babies also experience passive and active sleep. When your baby moves a lot during their sleep, they are actively sleeping. On the flip side, when your baby sleeps deeply with minimal movements, they are quietly sleeping.

Babies around this age sleep more during the day and wake during the night. Always feed them when they wake up in the middle of the night and cuddle them back to sleep.

3-6 months baby sleep patterns

As your baby grows, they tend to sleep for fewer hours. Three- to six-month-old babies usually sleep for approximately 12 to 15 hours per day. The sleep time varies depending on your baby and what they prefer.

Their sleep time increases from one to two hours. At six months, your baby can sleep for six hours consecutively. Thus, they will wake up only once or twice during the night. Nevertheless, you need to be patient with your baby; don’t ignore them if they cry in the middle of the night.

Things to expect from 6-12 months old babies during sleep time

At this stage, expect your baby to sleep longer. In fact, babies this age can sleep for eight hours at night and 14 hours a day. Six-to-twelve-month babies often go to bed between 6 pm to 10 pm, and it takes them approximately 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Some babies don’t fall asleep that easily. Also, your baby’s health condition will determine how fast they fall asleep. If your baby wakes up at night at this age, cuddle them back to sleep.

6-12 months: Physical and mental development is likely to affect sleep time

When your baby is past six months, they get more active. Consequently, they start focusing on activities that make it difficult to sleep longer. For example, if they are in a noisy place, their minds get distracted, and they will find it hard to fall asleep.

At this age, your baby is also trying to keep themselves awake. They start to crawl and stand; thus, sleep is no longer interesting.

Moreover, babies over six months tend to experience separation anxiety. They often don’t want you to leave their sight; hence they tend to wake up at night. Luckily, babies are able to overcome this anxiety as they mature.

Can your baby’s sleeping patterns affect your sleeping pattern?

As a mom, you’ll have to wake up in the middle of the night to feed your baby. Remember, children sleep differently from adults. Adults can sleep for 7 to 8 hours in a row at night. But babies tend to wake up after one to two hours.

As a result, your baby’s sleep patterns will affect your daily routine. Most parents get used to waking up at night with time, while others get negatively affected.

If you are a new mum, it is crucial to look for a support group. This way, you’ll be able to connect with other parents who are on the same page as you. Keep in mind that getting inadequate sleep affects your overall concentration and productivity during the day.

If you are struggling, it would be best to look for help from a professional nanny or family member. Seek professional help if you feel that your baby’s sleep pattern is taking a negative toll on you.

Should babies sleep after every feeding?

Babies need hours of sleep to grow strong and healthy. But is it okay for babies to sleep after every feeding? As mentioned earlier, sleep patterns vary depending on your baby’s age. Newborns sleep for longer hours; thus, they are most likely to sleep after feeding.

As your baby grows, they tend to stay awake during the day. After babies feed, they tend to fall asleep. Although this is perfectly fine, you should try to burp your baby after every feed. Doing this helps your baby to sleep more comfortably and peacefully.

If you don’t burp your baby, their stomach will be full of gas, and they won’t be able to sleep. Nonetheless, note that babies don’t always need burping. This is because some babies don’t swallow air during breastfeeding.

Is it common for young babies to fall asleep while nursing?

At times, your baby may find it hard to stay awake during a nursing session because they are tired. Remember, your baby is still trying to adapt to a new environment; and this makes them sleep a lot. Regardless of the case, always make sure your baby feeds well.

Also, when babies are full, they tend to fall asleep while nursing. Even so, when your baby can barely stay awake in all nursing sessions, seek medical help. This could indicate a problem with their health. Medical conditions like jaundice make your baby sleepier, so get them checked by a medical professional.

Newborn sleep: Common mistakes parents make.

Assuming the newborn stage will last a lifetime.

During the first months, your baby will sleep most of the time. As a parent, don’t assume that this phase will last forever. As your baby grows, they become more active; hence find it difficult to sleep. When your baby gets older, you might have to spend hours luring them to sleep. So, enjoy every parenting season and be patient with your child in each developmental stage.

Sleeping on the couch with a newborn in your arms is really dangerous.

One of the things you need to avoid is sleeping on the couch with your baby in your arms. Although this position may be comfortable for you and your baby, it is dangerous. Your baby can easily fall off your chest or arms if you fall asleep accidentally.

If you plan to sleep with your baby, place some pillows around the bed to prevent them from rolling over. Additionally, be careful not to roll over on them.

Don’t put off sleep training because the baby is teething.

Are you thinking of sleep training your baby? Sleep training your baby is a good idea, especially when done correctly. However, most parents put this thought aside because of so many reasons.

More often than not, parents put off sleep training because their baby is teething or not feeling well. If you really want to sleep train your baby, you really need to pay attention to your gut feeling.

Also, you need to be disciplined and stick to it. After several tantrums, your baby will get used to their new routine, and you’ll be able to get enough hours of sleep.

Summary

Note that a baby’s sleep pattern often depends on their age. So, it is essential to be patient with your baby every step of the way. Typically, newborn babies sleep more while older babies sleep consistently during the night.

Every parent should take time to understand their baby’s sleep patterns. This way, it will be much easier to know the right time to feed them. Furthermore, it will help you come up with a stable and more productive daily routine.