Infants sleep between 9 and 12 hours during the night and nap between 2 and 5 hours during the day. At 2 months, infants take between two and four naps each day, and at 12 months, they take either one or two naps. Expect factors such as illness or a change in routine to disrupt your baby’s sleep.
Developmental milestones, including pulling to a standing and crawling, may also temporarily disrupt sleep. By 6 months of age, most babies are physiologically capable of sleeping through the night and no longer require nighttime feedings. However, 25%-50% continue to awaken during the night. When it comes to waking during the night, the most important point to understand is that all babies wake briefly between four and six times.
Babies who awaken their parents and need help getting back to sleep may have developed inappropriate sleep patterns. This is often the result of parents developing the habit of helping their baby to fall asleep by rocking, holding, or bringing the child into their own bed. Over time, babies may learn to rely on this kind of help from their parents in order to fall asleep. Although this may not be a problem at bedtime, it may lead to difficulties with your baby falling back to sleep on her own during the night.
Safe Sleep Practices for Infants
Practice the ABC’s of safe sleep: Babies should always sleep Alone, on their Backs, in a Crib.
Place your baby on his or her back for every sleep time. Do not put your baby to sleep on his side or tummy.
Create a “smoke-free-zone” around your baby
Remove all hanging crib toys by about 5 months old, when your baby begins to pull up in the crib.
How to Help Your Infant Sleep Well
Learn your baby’s signs of being sleepy.
Some babies rub their eyes or cry when they are tired.
Decide on where your baby is going to sleep in a long run
Try to decide where your baby is going to sleep for the long run by 3 months of age
Develop a daily sleep schedule.
Encourage use of a security object.
Once your baby is old enough (by 12 months), introduce a transitional/love object, such as a stuffed animal, a blanket, or a t-shirt that was worn by you.
Develop a bedtime routine.
Establish a consistent bedtime routine that includes calm and enjoyable activities that you can stick with as your baby gets older. Examples include a bath and bedtime stories.
Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake.
This way, she will be able to fall back to sleep on her own when she naturally awakens during the night.
Sleep when your baby sleeps.
Contact your doctor if you are concerned.
Adapted from: Mindell JA & Owens JA (2003). A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep: Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Problems. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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