How To Improve Your Baby's Sleep Cycles at Night - A Beginner’s Guide
As a new parent, it can be exhausting to deal with your baby’s erratic sleep patterns. But rest assured, it’s completely normal! Between 3 and 12 months of age, it's common for babies to wake up multiple times at night, needing a little help to settle back down. Unlike adults, newborns don’t naturally connect their sleep cycles, which is why they often wake up. If you’re feeling frustrated and wondering how to help your baby sleep longer stretches at night, you’re not alone. Keep reading—we’ve got some helpful tips to guide you through this stage!
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Understanding Your Baby’s Sleep Cycles
What to Expect in the First Year
- Short Sleep Cycles: Newborns typically sleep in short bursts, with each cycle lasting around 40-60 minutes. After each cycle, they often wake up and need some comfort before they can fall back asleep. These shorter sleep cycles are normal and part of their development.
- Evolving Sleep Patterns: Until your baby is around 12 months old, their sleep patterns will continuously change. Over time, they will gradually develop a sleep rhythm that looks more like an adult's.
The Early Months (0-3 Months)
- Longer Sleep Periods: In the first few months, your baby might seem to have consistent sleep patterns or even sleep for long stretches. This is because of their high need for sleep and the energy they use up with all their growing and learning.
- Sleep Regressions: At some point, often around 4 months, you might notice your baby waking up more frequently during the night. This is known as a sleep regression and is a normal part of their development.
Sleep Development from 3 to 12 Months
- 3-6 Months: During this period, your baby might start sleeping for longer stretches at night, often 4-6 hours at a time. They will also begin to establish a more predictable nap schedule, with regular morning and afternoon naps. This is when babies start learning the difference between day and night, helping them develop a more consistent sleep routine.
- 6-9 Months: Around this age, many babies are capable of sleeping through the night for about 8-10 hours. They still may wake up occasionally but are more likely to resettle themselves back to sleep. Consistency in bedtime routines and sleep environments becomes crucial during this time to help reinforce these longer sleep periods.
- 9-12 Months: By now, most babies have a more defined sleep schedule, with 1-2 naps during the day and longer sleep periods at night. They might still experience occasional disruptions due to teething, growth spurts, or other developmental milestones, but they are better equipped to connect their sleep cycles and self-soothe.
Remember, every baby is different, and it’s normal for sleep patterns to vary. Being patient and consistent will help your baby navigate these changes and develop healthy sleep habits!
Teaching Your Baby to Self-Soothe
As a new parent, you might find that teaching your baby to self-soothe can make a world of difference for both of you. As your baby grows, they will naturally start learning to soothe themselves back to sleep when they wake up at night. At first, they may cry out for your help, but with gentle guidance and practice, they can learn to self-settle. This skill is key to helping your baby (and you) get better sleep over time.
What is Self-Soothing/Settling?
Self-soothing is when your baby learns to calm themselves and fall back asleep without needing you to intervene immediately. This ability to connect sleep cycles is essential for longer, more restful sleep periods. While it's natural to want to comfort your baby every time they wake up, constantly rushing in can make them too dependent on you, which isn't ideal for their development or your sleep!
How to Promote Self-Soothing
To help your baby connect their sleep cycles and develop sleep independence, you can use a few strategies to encourage self-soothing:
- Delay Your Response: When your baby wakes up at night, try waiting a few minutes before going in. This gives them a chance to resettle on their own. Sometimes, those few minutes are all they need to drift back to sleep.
- Gradually Reduce Soothing Methods: Start slowly reducing the use of feeding, rocking, or shooshing when your baby wakes at night. Instead of jumping right to these methods, give them a chance to settle first. Over time, you can lessen these soothing techniques as your baby learns to comfort themselves.
- Establish a Consistent Sleep Environment: Consistency is crucial for helping your baby feel secure. Make sure their sleep environment is calm and familiar, with a predictable bedtime routine each night. This helps signal to your baby that it’s time to sleep and can make it easier for them to self-soothe.
How to Help Your Baby Connect Sleep Cycles at Night
A gap in your baby’s sleep can sometimes trigger distress and crying. They may wake up at the end of a sleep cycle and feel scared and insecure. However, by providing your child with everything they need to be comfortable at night and holding back on the comfort you give to them when they’ve just woken up, you can nudge them into becoming better at self-settling.
1. Start Small with Sleep Cycle Training
First, try and connect just two sleep cycles together so you're not intervening every 40-60 minutes. Once achieved, this is a good foundation to build on. Expecting that your baby will sleep for several hours at a time when you’ve only just started sleep training them is unrealistic.
2. Phase Out Soothing Techniques Gradually
Babies will develop a reliance on various soothing techniques for comfort and security when they are trying to sleep. For instance, you may rock or “shoosh” your baby to sleep when they have woken up and are distressed during the night. While this is necessary when your baby is young, being too generous with this kind of comfort can slow down your baby’s progress when it comes to becoming a strong independent sleeper.
Phasing out soothing techniques is a great way to encourage your baby to be self-reliant. When they know help isn’t coming, they may be more likely to settle themselves to sleep.
3. Remove Distractions for Better Sleep
The right environment can really help your baby to develop a consistent sleep pattern. Consistent activities, as well as the right room atmosphere, can give your little one the support they need to resettle by themselves when they wake up at night. To ensure your baby’s room is a peaceful haven for sleep, consider these tips:
- Turn off electronic devices: Keep phones, tablets, and TVs out of the baby’s room to eliminate the stimulating glow and noise.
- Minimize outside noise: Close windows to reduce sounds from outside, like traffic or barking dogs.
- Avoid interruptions: Put a notice on the front door to stop people from ringing the bell or knocking during nap and nighttime hours.
- Set expectations at home: Make sure everyone in the house is aware that your baby is sleeping, so they know to keep noise to a minimum.
- Establish quiet times: Encourage family members to keep their voices low and avoid loud activities during the baby’s sleep times.
- Use blackout curtains: Block out light to create a dark, soothing environment that signals it's time to sleep.
What you do each evening doesn’t have to be complicated, but consistency is key. Sticking to the same soothing techniques, starting bedtime at the same time, following the same steps, and considering your child’s preferences can make a big difference.
Ideas to Include in Your Baby’s Bedtime Routine:
- Give them a bath
- Change into comfortable pajamas
- Play white noise
- Read a bedtime story
- Enjoy some cuddles
- Sing a lullaby
Consistent activities as well as the right room atmosphere can give your little one the support they need to resettle by themselves when they wake up at night and sleep for longer periods of time.
4. Be Strategic with Naps
Keep in mind that newborns sleep for 18 or so hours a day, but often for only 2-3 hours at a time. Controlling your baby’s overall levels of sleepiness is important when you’re learning how to connect your baby’s sleep cycles at night.
If they are too tired, or not tired enough, they won’t be in a good state when it comes to giving them the opportunity to self-soothe and connect their separate sleep cycles at night.
The right amount of sleepiness (created through a strategic nap schedule during the day) is the best starting point when training your little one to sleep better at night.
Final Thoughts on Improving Your Baby's Sleep Cycles
Navigating your baby's erratic sleep patterns can be exhausting, but remember, it's completely normal for newborns to wake up throughout the night. Babies between 3 and 12 months of age often wake up needing a little help to settle back down, as they don't naturally connect their sleep cycles like adults do. Until they are over 12 months, and sometimes even beyond that, you may experience these random sleep patterns. But don’t worry—if you're following general best practices for bedtime routines, your baby will eventually develop a strong circadian rhythm and start sleeping longer stretches. Hang in there, you're doing great!