Among all the questions that many parents ask once their newborn has come home and has settled down is: when do newborns start sleeping through the night? For sleep deprived and exhausted parents it’s natural to want their little one to sleep through the night to also catch up on your own rest. But reality could be more complex.
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Babies have varying biological needs especially in the early months of their lives. These needs often prevent them from resting for longer hours, but do not lose hope. With gentle strategies you can guide your little ones toward a longer and better quality of rest. Many parents learn to adapt, sometimes they nap during the day, share responsibilities at night and even use tools like a front facing baby carrier during waking hours. Finding your rhythm day-to-day makes this journey enjoyable and manageable at best.
The Simple Truth About “Sleeping Through the Night”
Sorry to burst your bubble, but before getting too excited about your baby “sleeping through the night” it’s important to understand what experts mean when they say a baby is “sleeping through the night”. In contrast to what most people believe, a newborn sleeping through the night doesn’t really mean sleeping through 8 – 10 hours. At most, for newborns, “sleeping through the night” often means only about 5 – 6 hours of sleep without waking. But reaching this milestone can vary, some babies may begin by 3 – 4 months while others may take longer and start at around 6 – 9 months some others, longer.
The Biological Reasons Newborns Can’t Sleep for Long Stretches
You may be wondering if there are any reasons why babies don’t just sleep at night and when do newborns start sleeping through the night? But first we must reach an understanding of the reasons why babies seem to not like sleeping that much at all.
Well you see, newborns need frequent feedings like every 2 – 3 hours through the night because their tiny stomachs can only hold small amounts of milk.
A newborn’s sleep cycles are shorter than adults. Going about 50 – 60 minutes without a developed circadian rhythm, most babies transition more often between light and deep sleep which is prone to waking. A newborn’s circadian rhythm only starts to mature by around 2 – 3 months of age, making them sleep longer and better.
Key Milestones That Signal Readiness for Longer Sleep
Although, every child is unique there are some common developmental milestones that can be a basis for a child’s readiness for longer nighttime sleep:
- Developing circadian rhythms: The exposure to sunlight in the daytime and darkness at night helps them regulate their internal clock and know when the time for play and sleep is.
- Stomach capacity: By around 3 – 4 months, stomachs of most babies have grown that it allows them to go longer between feeds.
- Growth and weight gain: Your paediatrician may allow longer sleep at night once the baby grows and reaches a healthy weight.
- Learning self-soothing skills: By about 4 – 6 months, some babies learn to fall back asleep on their own when they suddenly wake up at night.
How to Encourage Your Baby to Sleep for Longer
Getting a child to sleep is a challenge in itself, and you can’t really force your child to sleep if they aren’t sleepy at all, it’s like mixing water with oil. This is why it’s important to encourage and guide them towards a healthy sleeping habit that will support a longer period of rest:
- Expose your child to daylight during the day to help their circadian rhythm.
- Keep the nighttime interactions at a minimum, this helps them associate nighttime with sleep and not play.
- Offer fuller feeds before going to bed, make sure that they are comfortable and satisfied.
- Create a sleep space that encourages rest, a dark, quiet and safe room is ideal.
The Power of a Consistent Bedtime Routine
A lifesaver for many parents is the established calming bedtime routine; creating one would help them understand that these signals means that bedtime is coming. As simple as a 4-step routine can make it easier for your child to settle. With time this can also help lengthen their nighttime sleep.
- Gentle massage
- A warm bath
- Feeding in a dimly lit room
- Reading or singing a song.
Navigating Night Feeds and Responding to Cries
Night feedings can be challenging, especially if you’re already running on little to no sleep at all. Sometimes, you can’t help but ask, when do newborns start sleeping through the night? But remember, night feeds are normal for your newborn. As mentioned earlier, they have tiny stomachs, they get hungry after only about 2 – 3 hours meaning frequent feedings.
To make things easier during nighttime feedings, keep things with minimum stimulation, avoid bright lights, minimize talking, and gently soothe your baby back to sleep after feeding. Learning the difference between their cries is also a game-changer, there could be times when the baby whimpers in their sleep but doesn’t need a feed, with experience you’ll recognise their hunger cries and when they just need soothing.
Common Sleep Disruptors and How to Cope
Sleep disruptions can happen anytime, even with a stable and consistent nighttime routine. There are common causes of these sleep disruptions, and we’ll give you an overview as a little help:
- Sleep regressions – developmental changes can be a temporary cause of sleep disruption.
- Growth spurts – during this phase the baby may need frequent feedings that mess up their sleep patterns
- Teething – can cause frequent wakings, discomfort and restlessness.
- Illness or congestion – when the baby is sick and congested, it could be difficult to breathe and stay asleep.
Your comfort and presence go a long way during these challenging times for your child. Despite all this, make sure to still stick to your routines, and remind yourself that these setbacks are necessary and temporary.
Patience and Realistic Expectations: A Final Word
So, when do newborns start sleeping through the night? The answer will depend on your baby. Every child is different, some may start earlier than the others, while some others may be a little later.
But the best approach to this is to focus on creating healthy sleep habits, being there and providing your child’s needs and adjusting your expectations. Parenthood is a season of constant change, and sleep is just one part of it. Tools like consistent routines, safe sleep environments, and even practical aids such as a front facing baby carrier during the day can help make the journey smoother.
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