Most parents, at some time or another, will have difficulty with getting their babies to sleep. While there are some sleep issues to worry about--sleep apnea, for instance--others are more of a nuisance. Sleep problems for your baby can disrupt the sleep of the other children in the house as well as the adults, so it is important to get them under control and get everyone the sleep they need--including baby.
Misconceptions
One major misconception is that babies are born to sleep through the night. Typically, it will take up to 6 months for your baby to sleep through the night on a regular basis. Before that, their awakenings are often stimulated by the need to get up and eat. The National Sleep Foundation states that 70 to 80 percent of 9-month-old babies will sleep through the night and that the others are likely to reach that milestone around a year of age. It is exhausting, but it is normal for baby to awaken to be fed, changed and cuddled.
Considerations
Most sleep issues are not cause for worry or concern other than the fatigue you feel as a parent. However, sleep apnea is a dangerous condition that should be monitored by your baby's health care provider. Babies with sleep apnea are repeatedly interrupted during sleep. There are different kinds of sleep apnea but the most common is central sleep apnea, where the brain is failing to tell the body to breathe. It is more common in premature babies. Babies with sleep apnea will stop breathing while asleep. Remember that all babies have irregular and erratic breathing patterns--preemies especially. Ask your doctor immediately if you're concerned about your babies breathing while he sleeps.
Time Frame
Babies who are 3 to 6 months in age may be ready to begin decreasing nighttime feedings. This change in their caloric needs can often help them begin to sleep in longer chunks of time. A baby this age may be ready to sleep for 5 to 6 hours, but is likely not going to be able to sleep 8 or 9 hours.
Potential
Babies are ever changing individuals. Their calorie and sleep needs change drastically and quickly as they grow. You may find that your infant is sleeping soundly for 7 to 8 hours for several months, only to be awakened again in the middle of the night. Stress does affect infants and that stress--learning new physical tasks and language for instance--can affect their sleep patterns. Your baby may go through several phases of sleeping and not sleeping before they settle on a pattern that's good for them.
Prevention/Solution
Different sleep problems will require different solutions, but the following tips may help you and your baby in your quest for more sleep no matter what the problem. Babies need regular daytime and nighttime schedules. Their bedtime routines should be predictable and pleasant for baby--read a story, sing a song or rock in the rocking chair. Putting a baby to sleep while she is still drowsy instead of when she is already asleep will help her become a self-soother. If you lay your baby down when he's already asleep, he won't know help himself nod off if he awakens in the night--he'll fully awaken to "ask" for help.
Tags: sleep apnea, your baby, sleep through, sleep through night, through night, already asleep