How to improve your Babys Sleep – Your Ultimate Guide to Falling Asleep and Sleeping Through the Night
Baby Sleep in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year of Life
There is so much conflicting information about baby sleep, and if I can give you one piece of advice, it’s this: Follow a path that works for you and trust the advice of an expert on this topic. Everything else only creates confusion and won’t lead to good sleep results. Enjoy and good luck with my guide to improving baby sleep!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Introduction: The Three Pillars of How to Improve your Babys Sleep
How can I help my baby sleep better?
If you follow my tips, your baby will soon sleep through the night like a little sleep star. That’s why I’ve developed the three pillars of baby sleep. Now you know the secret how to improve your Babys sleep:
- The right setting
- The right timing
- Independent falling and staying asleep
The right Setting for you baby
Age-Appropriate Routines
Age-appropriate routines, meaning recurring activities, help your baby prepare for bedtime. When they know what will happen next, they can adjust to it, which aids in letting go and relaxing, necessary for independent falling asleep. Short routines should also take place before naps during the day, especially if your baby sleeps in a bed during the day. You can find out what an age-appropriate routine might look like in the next blog.
Where should my baby sleep? Where can my baby sleep safely?
The most restful place for your baby to sleep is the crib. Recommendations from the DGKJ, BZgA, and AAP are very clear that your baby should sleep on a firm mattress in their own enclosed bed in the parents‘ bedroom. The AAP also points out that cradles pose an increased risk of SIDS, as breathing can be impaired due to the rounded back, leading to a risk of suffocation.
What should my baby wear to sleep?
I recommend letting your baby sleep in a sleep sack for as long as possible, even until they are 2 or 3 years old. The first reason for this is that children often kick off blankets even at 4 years old because babies and young children move a lot during sleep. The second reason is that if your child switches to an open bed early, the sleep sack at least somewhat prevents them from getting out of bed.
The right Timing for you baby
How long do babies sleep? How much sleep do babies need?
Babies sleep a lot in the first months of life, but their sleep needs change significantly during the first year. Daytime sleep decreases as wake periods extend, while nighttime sleep remains relatively constant at 11-12 hours. There are charts outlining total sleep needs and corresponding wake times based on age. You can find those here.
When should I put my baby to bed?
In the first months, I recommend focusing on wake periods. By around the 9th or 10th month, set bedtimes can help your baby sleep better. However, this is always individual and depends greatly on your baby’s sleep abilities.
The ideal bedtime is between 7:00 and 8:00 PM, as melatonin production starts around 6:00 PM. During transitional phases, such as when your baby is switching from multiple naps to fewer, bedtime might even be as early as 6:00 PM.
In general: Pay attention to signs of tiredness in your baby (while considering age-appropriate wake times).
Independence
Information about Baby Sleep
When do babies sleep through the night?
There are statistics here about sleeping through the night.
This study on self-regulated sleep in babies shows that babies as young as 2 months can sleep for 5 hours straight (approximately between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM). Babies aged 3-5 months can even sleep for 8 hours at night (between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM).
It might seem hard to imagine, but if all your baby’s needs are met during the day, and your baby falls asleep in a self-regulated and independent manner, even very young babies can sleep peacefully through the night. And we are here to help support you in achieving this.
Good sleep for your baby and the whole family
Sleep is health. Physical and mental health. Anyone who doesn’t sleep well for an extended period—mother and child—is not healthy. Metabolic processes, the immune system, the brain, and the organs all recover while we sleep, and this recovery requires uninterrupted sleep. When sleep is continually disrupted because
a) the baby thinks it needs x, y, z to continue sleeping
b) the mother is pulled out of her deep sleep phases to give the baby x, y, z
then neither our body nor our mind remains healthy. We often don’t feel the effects until later.
Sleep, and having healthy and happy parents and children, is a matter close to my heart because I myself suffered from sleep deprivation for many years. It is important to improve baby sleep when babies or parents are not sleeping well. We at Sleepystar are happy to help you with any challenge.
