How to Get My Baby to Sleep Through the Night?

For babies, the routines can be fairly simple and shouldn't take too long. If it takes too long, the baby can sometimes get a second wind and be harder to get to sleep. A bath is a nice start to the evening. There are even soothing baby baths that are nice to use. Then you can snuggle them into some comfy pajamas.

After that, sitting together in a rocking chair is a nice way to spend some time together before the baby nods off to sleep. Singing or playing some lullabies while you rock can help relax the baby to sleep. You have to be careful not to move too soon to put the baby in the crib, or you may find yourself starting over. Watch for steady breathing, and relaxed arms and legs.

Another wonderful addition to any bedtime routine is reading bedtime stories. This is one that will continue as the baby gets older. Children love bedtime stories, and it also encourages them to become readers themselves.
Consistency is the key, once you've established a routine that works. It may be hard to keep up with at times, but babies need that steady habit. Once they are used to it, bedtime won't be a struggle, but an enjoyable time for both of you.

The most important aspect of getting a baby to sleep through the night is having your baby learn to soothe herself to sleep. So put your baby down to sleep when she's drowsy but awake. Babies need to be able to fall asleep independently, since all babies wake naturally throughout the night. If your baby can soothe herself to sleep at bedtime, she'll be able to do the same when she wakes for a moment in the middle of the night. Don't let habits, such as rocking to sleep or nursing to sleep, develop now that you may not want to be doing six months from now, or two years from now! Keep the sequence of events basically consistent even with caregivers or when away from home. It can also be helpful to take turns with your partner when putting your baby to bed.

Enjoy your baby's bedtime routine. When you include massage and a bath, it becomes a wonderful time to unwind together and to bond. When your baby sleeps better, your whole family sleeps better, so start now to establish good sleep habits for the rest of her life.

1. When can my baby start sleeping through the night?

When babies are able to sleep through the night and when they actually do are often very different things. Some infants as young as 3 months old can snooze for six to eight hours at a stretch. Others won't sleep this long until they're 12 months. But most babies (70 percent) do sleep through the night by the time they hit 9 months, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

2. Is it okay to use a nightlight in my baby's room?

If you'd like to use a nightlight or if you feel that your baby is more comfortable with one on then by all means do.

Don't assume that your baby is afraid of the dark, though. Young babies, especially, are pretty accustomed to a dark environment (the womb), and it's unlikely that a baby younger than 6 months will be frightened if the light is off when she wakes up. (A baby 6 months old or older won't be afraid of boogie monsters, but she may become upset that you're not with her when she wakes up.)

If your baby seems calmer with low lighting, or it's easier for you to respond to or check on your baby at night with a nightlight on, then there's no harm in using one. It won't hurt your baby's eyes or her ability to get a good night's sleep.

3. Is it true that baby girls are better sleepers than baby boys?

No. While parents will swear that their baby girl slept better than their baby boy (or vice versa), no studies have shown that either sex sleeps longer or more soundly than the other.

4. How much should my newborn be sleeping?

The average newborn sleeps about 16 hours a day, but some need much less sleep and some much more.
Also, it's not uncommon for a newborn's sleep pattern to change from day to day; he may sleep substantially less than usual one day and then "catch up" by sleeping more the following day. Let your newborn sleep as much as he likes as long as he wakes up to feed, and is eating adequately and wetting at least eight diapers a day. And let him sleep as little as he wants as long as he is not becoming overtired. But you'll probably find that he sleeps for a large part of the day, waking primarily to feed and then falling back to sleep soon after. This pattern will change over his first few months as he gradually spends more time awake and alert.

5. When can my baby go through the night without a feeding?

"Ninety percent of babies who are born full-term and are healthy can go through the night without a feeding by 6 months," says Susan E.C. Sorensen, a pediatrician in Reno, Nevada. By the time they're this age, she explains, most babies can sleep comfortably for at least six hours without waking up to eat.

Even if you don't mind getting up at night to feed your baby, it's a good idea to wean him off nighttime feedings around the 6-month marker. In fact, says Sorensen, there's no harm in starting to work on letting your baby learn to put himself to sleep - by putting him down when he's sleepy, but awake - around age 2 months. At this age he'll still need to be fed during the night, though.

The goal is to separate eating from going to sleep, so that if your baby does wake up at night, he won't need your breast or a bottle to return to slumber. Signs that your child's ready to give up his midnight snacks include not nursing for as long, not finishing the bottle, and falling asleep during feedings.

Be sure to discuss your baby's feeding schedule with his doctor before making changes, though, especially if your baby was premature or has other health considerations such as digestive problems or failure to gain weight.