You may have tried various methods to put your baby to sleep, but you may still find yourself waking up in the middle of the night when your baby cries. As a new mother, your sleep time is often reduced due to the needs of your baby. You may have to wake up to change the diapers, breastfeed, or soothe your fussy baby, which can disturb your much-needed rest. This can be challenging and exhausting, but it's a normal part of caring for a newborn.
Table of Contents:
I. How Many Hours do Babies Need to Sleep Based on Their Age?
II. Various Methods for Sleep Training Babies
III. What is The Best Time to Start a Baby Sleep Training Program?
IV. Tips to Maximize Your Baby's Sleep Training Program
Sleep is important for babies because it provides energy, strengthens the immune system, and helps their brain development.
Babies have not yet developed the ability to distinguish between day and night. As a result, they may frequently wake up in the middle of the night, which can be unsettling for both the baby and the parents. However, there are ways to help your baby sleep more soundly at night.
But before we talk more about it, it's important to understand first, how many hours are required to fulfill your baby's sleep needs.
I. How Many Hours do Babies Need to Sleep Based on Their Age?
The stanfordchildrens.org provides information on the amount of sleep babies need based on their age as follows:
- Newborns need about 16 hours of sleep, with 8 hours at night and 8 hours during the day.
- One-month-olds need about 15.5 hours of sleep, with 8-9 hours at night and 7 hours during the day.
- Three-month-olds need about 15 hours of sleep, with 9-10 hours at night and 4-5 hours during the day.
- Six-month-olds need about 14 hours of sleep, with 10 hours at night and 4 hours during the day.
- Nine-month-olds need around 14 hours of sleep, with 11 hours at night and 3 hours during the day.
- One-year-olds need about 14 hours of sleep, with 11 hours at night and 3 hours during the day.
Babies will eventually develop a sleeping pattern, but it's common for them to wake up at night due to hunger, separation anxiety, or being overstimulated or overtired. Sleep disorders may also occur, and symptoms may include crying at night, crying when left alone, or refusing to sleep without a parent present. If a baby shows any symptoms of a sleep disorder, it's important to consult a doctor.
It's essential to teach babies about sleeping patterns, and sleep training can be beneficial for both the baby and the parents. The goal of sleep training is to help babies learn to fall asleep and soothe themselves, so they can go back to sleep on their own if they wake up at night. This self-learning process can improve sleep quality for both the baby and the parents.
II. Various Methods for Sleep Training Babies
The whattoexpect.com describes different methods for sleep training babies. These include:
1. Cry-it-out (CIO) Method
This method involves letting the baby sleep alone without the mother's help, even if the baby cries. The mother can go to her room for breastfeeding purposes only. This method teaches the baby to sleep without being held or breastfed first. However, it may be difficult for the mother to implement this method because she may not want to see her baby cry.
2. Ferber Method
Also known as "graduated extinction," this method is similar to the cry-it-out method, but it is more gradual. The core of this method is "check and console," where the mother checks or approaches the baby if he/she cries and soothes the baby by patting or rubbing, but not holding. The interval between checks is lengthened slowly.
Also Read:
Fading Sleep Training: The Gradual Approach to Better Sleep for Your Baby
The Secret to a Well-Rested Baby: The Ferber Sleep Training Method - Does it Really Work?
3. Chair Method
This method involves the mother sitting on a stool next to the child's bed until the child falls asleep without holding them. The mother gradually moves further away from the crib until the baby falls asleep. The baby is calmed from afar, and the method is more comfortable and friendly.
4. Bedtime Fading Method
This method is more suitable for older children, but it can also be used for younger children. The goal is to find the child's bedtime schedule so that the child goes to sleep easily with minimal help from the mother. The method can be combined with other methods.
5. Pick-up Put-down Method
This method involves providing direct physical comfort to the child when they are sleepy. It is usually combined with the Ferber method.
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The pick-up put-down method of sleep training involves putting the baby in the crib while they are awake. If the baby becomes fussy, the parent can pick them up for a short period of time and then put them back down once they have calmed down. This process is repeated as necessary until the baby is calm and falls asleep. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the baby is calm and falls asleep. This method helps the baby learn to soothe themselves without feeling abandoned.
Keep in mind that all sleep training methods require patience and practice. It can be challenging for both parents and babies, as the baby may cry a lot and become overstimulated due to repeated interactions, which can make it difficult for them to calm down and sleep.
III. What is The Best Time to Start a Baby Sleep Training Program?
You can start sleep training when your baby is around 4 to 6 months old, that is when the baby's sleep duration is longer than before (8 hours approximately) without having to wake up to feed. Follow these tips to maximize sleep training.
IV. Tips to Maximize Your Baby's Sleep Training Program
1. Establish a bedtime routine that includes the same activities every day, such as a warm bath, breastfeeding, and reading a book.
2. Put your baby down when they start to feel sleepy, not after they have fallen asleep, to help them learn to fall asleep on their own.
3. Allow your baby to learn to self-soothe, but if they are difficult to calm down, you can lift and calm them until they feel comfortable and then leave the room after.
4. Before starting the sleep training program, make sure your baby's bed is safe, the baby does not take too long naps (or lack of), and the baby is not too tired and not overstimulated. Also, make sure the diaper is clean and the baby is full.
V. Conclusion
Caring for a newborn can be tiring and exhausting, with parents having to wake up in the middle of the night to attend to their needs. However, it is crucial to ensure that the baby gets enough sleep, which strengthens the immune system, provides energy, and aids brain development. Babies will eventually develop a sleeping pattern, but it is common for them to wake up at night. Different methods of sleep training can be used to help babies learn to fall asleep and soothe themselves, so they can go back to sleep on their own if they wake up at night. Sleep training should begin when the baby is around four to six months old, and parents can maximize sleep training by establishing a bedtime routine that includes the same activities every day, putting the baby down when they feel sleepy, and allowing the baby to learn to self-soothe.