But this is the time to set the stage for future restful nights for the whole family. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. How Should Babies Sleep?
Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one: Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. Once babies consistently roll over from front to back and back to front, it's fine for them to remain in the sleep position they choose.
Use a firm sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly. Make sure your crib, bassinet, or play yard meets current safety standards.
Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby's sleep area. Avoid overheating. Dress your baby for the room temperature, and don't overbundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
Keep your baby away from smokers. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS. Sleep crying is common. Exposing a baby to natural daylight and establishing a routine may help regulate their sleep patterns. For most babies of this age, however, a regular sleep schedule or long periods of sleep at night are unlikely. Newborns aged 1—3 months are still adjusting to life outside the womb.
Some begin to develop a regular sleep schedule, though sleeping through the night is unlikely. At this age, babies often cry out in their sleep or wake up crying if they are hungry. Sleep sessions typically last 3. Between 3 and 7 months, some babies begin sleeping longer stretches or sleeping through the night. There is still considerable variation between babies.
Later in this period, many babies develop a sleep schedule of two daily naps and a longer period of sleep at night. Establishing a daily routine and a nighttime sleep routine can help. Most babies will sleep through the night by the time they are 9 months old. At around a year old, some babies drop down to just one nap per day. Others may need two naps per day well into their second year of life. Toddlers need 12—14 hours of sleep per day, divided between their nap and nighttime sleep.
Most drop down to a single daily nap by 18 months of age. Toddlers may experience occasional shifts in their sleep habits when something disrupts their routine, they are sick, or they go through a major developmental shift. This may include more crying than usual. A child who routinely sleeps through the night, for example, may wake at 3 a.
Sleep can be challenging, especially in the early months and years. Every baby is unique and has their own set of needs and tendencies. Chemical Imbalance: Yet another theory is that colic stems from an imbalance of the brain chemicals melatonin and serotonin.
Colicky babies might have more serotonin, which makes the intestinal muscles contract, says Marc Weissbluth, M. One reason colicky babies can fuss more at night, he explains, is that serotonin levels peak in the evening. This imbalance, the theory goes, naturally resolves when babies start making melatonin, which relaxes intestinal muscles. Babies get ample melatonin from Mom in utero, but levels drop after birth until the baby starts producing it on her own at 3 to 4 months—interestingly, around the same time that colic typically disappears.
Weissbluth says. Your baby might have an underlying medical condition such as constipation, allergies, reflux, a hernia, or a urinary tract infection that remains to be diagnosed—a strong possibility if he's still crying inconsolably after 4 months.
Constipation: Your baby may be fussy because he is straining to eliminate hard stools, says Bryan Vartabedian, M. Don't worry too much about how many hours or days have passed since his last dirty diaper; constipation is defined more by effort than by time, he explains.
It tends to peak two to four weeks after a child is born. Babies who suffer from it typically have mucus or red streaks of blood in their stool and cry a lot.
They also may develop a dry, scaly rash anywhere on their face or body, says Dr. Gastroesophageal Reflux. Reflux, or excessive spitting up, may play a role in some inconsolable crying. Reflux is fairly common in babies—a study from Italy found that a whopping 12 percent of all Italian babies met the official criteria.
Unless the reflux is severe, Dr. Vartabedian suggests conservative measures like keeping your baby upright for 30 minutes after he eats or asking your doctor about a prescription acid-reduction medication.
If your baby's crying is incessant, no doubt you've already had several powwows with your pediatrician. Apart from fussiness, additional red flags that could indicate a more serious medical condition include frequent vomiting, fever, loose or bloody stools, poor weight gain and feeding, eczema, and lethargy.
How to Sleep Train Your Baby. The 6-Month Sleep Regression in Babies. The 8-Month Sleep Regression in Babies. View Sources. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: a narrative review , May April First Year.
First Year Groups. Go to Your Baby's Age.
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