When Do Babies Start Sleeping Longer?
Babies follow a pretty erratic sleeping pattern where they do not sleep for a long period of time at a stretch, but take broken naps for about 15 to 17 hours a day. While it is very natural for a baby to sleep for such long hours, the fact that it only lasts for around 2 to 4 hours at a time causes a lot of inconvenience for the parents. Babies have the habit of waking up in the middle of the night and crying, thus disrupting the whole night’s sleep for the parents. At times like these, the parents can’t help but ask the question: when do babies start sleeping longer?
During the first few, the baby follows a very unpredictable sleeping pattern. They sleep for shorter periods of time and need to be nurtured constantly. Their sleep is mostly REM sleep, which is important for the rapid growth of the brain, and this REM sleep is what makes them such light sleepers. However, luckily for the parents, this unpredictable sleeping habit doesn’t continue for a long time, in fact before long, you will find your baby taking long naps without any interruptions. Of course, for a sleep-deprived parent, those days can never come fast enough.
Know when do babies start sleeping longer
Lengthening sleep patterns
The first few weeks of an infant’s life is dedicated to getting used to the outside world and its air and food, which is why the baby goes through so many different kinds of problems, shorter and erratic naps being one of them. Babies start sleeping longer when they reach the age of around 6 to 8 weeks. During that time, the baby starts to sleep for longer periods of time at night, though during the day, their sleeping habit still remains quite unpredictable. REM sleep also starts lessening as they start getting periods of deep sleep more often.
It is only when babies reach the age of 4 to 6 months that they start developing a normal, healthy sleeping habit. They start sleeping for a period of 8 to 12 hours during the night, finally giving the parent the much-needed sleep that they had been deprived of for months.
Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, as some kids might reach a fully healthy sleeping habit by the age of 6 weeks, while others might take as long as a whole year to reach that milestone. As a parent, you can help and make your babies start sleeping longer by introducing them to a healthy sleeping pattern by following some very simple rules.
Help the baby develop good sleeping habits
When do babies start sleeping longer is when their body gets tired enough, however, one should keep in mind to not overtire them by keeping them awake for longer periods of time, as a baby can remain awake for as long as 2 hours during the first 6 to 8 weeks of his/her life. An overtired baby has trouble falling asleep quickly, and this habit continues well into their toddlerhood. Once a baby reaches the toddler days, it is hardly possible to change their sleep patterns.
Babies also need to understand the difference between night and day. Their entire body clock depends on their recognition of sunrise and sunset, and if their body gets accustomed to the normal rise and fall of the sun, sleep comes easily to them. One way to help them differentiate night from day is to play with them and keep them active during the day. You also don’t have to mind about the surrounding noises during the day, as the child starts to associate all this with staying awake.
At night, do exactly the opposite by interacting with them less and less and keeping the sounds to a minimum. Also dim the lights of their room, and slowly they will start to relate darkness with the time to sleep. You can also devise a bedtime routine for your baby at night, like reading a story, singing a lullaby, changing their clothes, or just a simple goodnight kiss to their head. Once they grow accustomed to these patterns, they will know that it is time to sleep.
When do babies start sleeping longer? When they grow tired, but sometimes despite getting tired they simply don’t want to sleep. At times like these, you can put them to bed and start following the usual bedtime routine so that they can fall asleep easily. You should also give them a chance to fall asleep on their own, because it is paramount for the kids to be able to do that from an early age, otherwise they become dependent on their parents. In fact, by the time they turn 6 to 8 weeks, it is time for them to try and sleep on their own whenever they get tired.
What not to do to make your baby fall asleep
Parents should bear in mind that babies register the small habits and fall into those habits pretty fast. So they should be mindful of their actions around their kids when putting them to bed. Rocking infants to sleep only damages their sleeping pattern even further instead of helping them, so parents should definitely not do that. They should also avoid nursing their infant babies before putting them to sleep. These small habits, which seem harmless, are actually causing more harm to the baby.
Also, do not try to keep your baby awake by force as this destroys their body clock. If they look sleepy, just lay them on the bed and they will fall asleep on their own. Check for signs of tiredness like yawning and half-closed eyelids.
Hope you know now when do babies start sleeping longer!
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