Can’t Get No Sleep!
It’s just as important for mums and dads to ensure they get enough sleep as it is for a baby to have the sufficient amount. Establishing a good pattern for your baby means you will sleep well, vital to being able to function properly! While mums and dads don’t have time for regular napping, babies need to nap, to fall into a good routine, to grow and to re-charge their batteries plus it has been proven that brain development takes place whilst babies sleep.
Up to 4 Months
During the early weeks, I would suggest that when baby sleeps, mum, dad or carer tries to take a well-deserved rest at the same time. If you don’t want to sleep, then why not just flick through a favourite magazine, listen to some music or simply put your feet up? You may want to use nap time to do some chores, as a suggestion, get yourself into the habit of allowing half the time for you and half the time for household bits & pieces.
So what’s the best for your baby? It does depend on age, a basic guideline would be for a newborn to initially sleep when they need to but after a few weeks, it is wise to start a routine otherwise you could struggle over the next few years in getting them to sleep at night if they aren’t used to it. As a general rule, very young babies will get tetchy every couple of hours; this is a sign of tiredness.
From around 4 weeks onward, try and get yourself into the habit of waking your baby at 7.00am. Even if they stirred at 5.00am, wake them again. This is important because you need to establish a regular sleep pattern. The aim would be to wake them at 7.00am, feed, wash and change and put them back to sleep around 9 to 9.15am for 45 minutes. Up again at 10.00am for an hour before their next feed and then back to sleep around 11.45 for a long lunchtime nap – remember this is a guidelin
Wake your baby at around 2pm and feed again at 3pm. Your baby will need another nap before the end of the day so around 4.00pm will work for this. Make sure your little one is up by 5pm so they are tired enough to go to sleep at 7 – 7.30pm.
In an ideal world, your baby will feed at just before 7.00pm and be sleepy enough to go to bed. A baby who has not dropped their night feeds should start to do so from around 7 weeks (or thereabouts) and sleep for 4 hours until 11pm and then another 4 hours until 3.00am. Normally, at around 9 weeks + they will drop the 11pm feed and sleep through to 2 or 3am (if you are lucky!)
Personally, I would not wake them for the middle of the night feed. Let them wake naturally, be it 2am or 3am or 4am. This will “push out” as they grow and take more food so that eventually they go through 12 hours (around 12 weeks but not a rule). Again, if your baby wakes at 5am don’t forget to start the routine again at 7.00am – after a few days, it should fall into place.
4 Months Plus
When your baby gets a little older and starts weaning, you will find that generally they stay up for longer in the morning and sleep longer at night. It is still good for them to have a short, half hour nap in the morning; this nap will be dropped at around the age of 1. Lunch should then be at around 11.30 and then your baby should be tired enough for a good 2 or 2 and a half hour sleep. Some babies still need a top up later on in the afternoon but I would make sure they are up by 4pm to be tired for 7.00pm.
Age 1 +
The next nap that is dropped is the late afternoon nap so that at about the age of a year, your baby should be sleeping once or twice a day for 2 to 3 hours at lunchtime (and maybe a half hour nap mid- morning which will be dropped by approximately 18 months, if not sooner).
This long lunch nap is very important and some children still nap at the age of 3, even 4. Children are busy people and get tired out. It’s good for them to sleep but it’s good for them to be in a routine.
If you find your child gets so tired that they don’t eat well at lunch, then bring lunch earlier to 11.00am and give half of it at this time, the rest when they wake up. You could also give a little bit of milk before they go to sleep at lunchtime as this soothes and induces sleep.
Other Sleep Tips:
1) If you can, nap your baby in the same place every day (cot is best, pram if this is not possible). This way he or she know that it’s “sleepy time”
2) Establish a good bedtime routine, bath, feed, story and bed so your child quickly understands what’s happening
3) Use a grobag when they sleep (even during daytime naps), this is another tool which lets baby know that it is time for sleep
4) Tell your baby it is night-time so it is sleeping time, it’s always good to explain what you are doing and when, babies love being spoken to and communicated with and it helps with their processing information.
5) Have comforters handy!
6) Keep the bedroom cool (19 degrees if you can) and dress them according to the temperature. You can find guidelines on the “grobag” website here
7) Be firm. If they won’t go to sleep, comfort them but do not pick them up or rock them to sleep. They will then expect this.
8) You can put on soft, classical music which is very calming and relaxing, babies like this sound
Dealing with an Unsettled Baby
Of course, all of this sounds perfect but many people have babies who won’t settle easily. As long as your baby feeds well then he or she should be able to get to sleep. Ask yourself if your baby has had enough to eat, check their nappy is not dirty, the temperature is comfortable and importantly if he or she is struggling with wind. Sometimes, baby is just over tired or possibly unwell so keep a thermometer handy.
If your baby still doesn’t settle after a few weeks, it may be wise to seek advice from your GP or a sleep consultant. I am also available to advise, for more information, please contact me on 07956948274.