Parenting Blog

The little one inside you is now taking rest besides you. Isn’t this feeling the most magical of all the experiences during pregnancy? Looking at the little angel taking rest has now become your favorite task. But as a mother you must be well aware of the sleeping habits of your little baby.

Most of the babies sleep for at least 14 hours in a day. This includes daytime naps. The babies by this age will develop a predictable pattern of sleeping and waking up. You might be relaxed, as you won’t have to feed your baby in the night any more. But you cannot expect our little baby to follow a strict, regular sleep program. Try some sleep training for your child if you want his sleep time to be more regular and should fit in your family lifestyle.

Observe how your baby responds to a regular sleeping pattern. You might have to make some adjustments in your sleep time according to what is suitable for our baby.

Most of he babies develop habit of sleeping for longer stretches in the night. Though not 8 hours, still they can sleep for around five to six hours in the night. You cannot hope for a long eight to nine hours of sleep for yourself if you are a parent of a 3 month old. But that does not mean you will feel deprived of rest. This will allow you to get through few sleep cycles which will make you feel more relaxed when you get up in the morning. This is an important stage for not only your baby but also for you.

Don’t be depressed if your baby is still waking up in the night for night feeding even if he is 3-6 months old. A lot of babies in this age keep their mothers waking in the night. By the time your baby gets 6 months old, if given proper training will definitely start sleeping for more hours in the night and stop troubling you.

You might have started to enjoy after your baby learns to sleep for long periods at night but to your shock a lot of babies may start to wake up in the night again. You might have to break your sleep after every few hours. This is natural, so don’t get upset. It might annoy you and make you wonder, what happened suddenly. The baby is now learning new skills like sitting and rolling. His body might try some rolling in the sleep and the little twitches made by him will wake him up. Some babies might feel insecure during night and might wake up crying just to find themselves in the arms of their mother

Your baby needs to sleep well and should develop a pattern of sleeping and waking up. It is necessary for his good health as well as important for the parents. Some tips to develop good sleeping habits are mentioned below:

1. Fixed Bedtime

You should set a fixed bedtime and regular nap times for your baby during the day. When you had a newborn baby you knew the bedtime of the baby by noticing the drowsy eyes of your baby. As she grows a little older you will have to create a better timetable which should consist of a set bedtime and daytime naps, as well as their durations so that her sleep patterns and cycles can be regulated.

Your routine and the lifestyle of your family will play a major role in influencing her sleep schedule. Now you will have to choose a practical bedtime which suits you and your family and stick to it. If your baby shows energetic behavior at night, don’t be surprised. It is a sign showing that your child is tired.

2. Plan Daytime Naps

Start planning for daytime naps too. Keep in mind that sleeping is very crucial for your bay at this age. Choose specific time or you can choose definite hours for which your baby can stay awake between two naps.

3. Comfortable Clothing

Try to keep your baby calm, and make sure that whatever you make your baby wear should be comfortable and skin friendly. Uncomfortable clothes or diapers can sometimes be a cause of your baby’s irritability, if you find it difficult to make your baby sleep for longer time. Sing lullabies to your baby to make her doze off. Babies are very fond of soft music and rhythmic beats.

4. Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine should be developed. You can include a warm bath, a bed time story or a lullaby before you kiss your baby goodnight. This will help the baby get a cozy feeling and the affection you offer will be enough to make everything comfortable for the baby.

You can choose any activity which suits you but make sure to repeat it every night and at around the same time. Consistency is the key to keeping a baby calm.

5. Wake your Baby after Adequate Sleep

Do not hesitate to wake your baby up in the morning if she sleeps more than usual. This will help her to adjust to a routine which she will have to follow later on. It is necessary to develop regular sleep-wake patterns. Your baby can make up for this in the daytime where you can allow her to take naps in frequent intervals.

Inculcating such healthy sleeping and waking habits in your will make her sleep schedule more predictable and you will find it more convenient to regulate it and plan things accordingly.