Establishing a sleeping routine from the outset will help you and your child as they grow. The routine may change over the months but here we outline how to get back on track.
6 to 9 months
Although babies are all different, in general their body clocks have adjusted so they will start to sleep through the night by the time they are 6 months.
- At six months, most babies are sleeping from 12 to 15 hours in 24.
- Babies at this age often sleep for longer at any one, usually for about seven hours overnight, or longer if they have learnt to settle themselves back to sleep when they wake.
- Babies at this age still have at least one 1-2 hour nap taken during the day
How to establish good sleep habits
- Introduce some daytime activities – babies like to socialise and activities such as baby massage, yoga or parent and baby groups will not only help your baby develop but it will also help him to sleep at night.
- Stay healthy – fresh air, exercise and a healthy diet will get your baby ready to sleep at the end of the day · Be consistent – stick to regular bedtimes, and be consistent with bedtime routines. Debbie says, ”A good bedtime routine follows a pattern – it tells your baby that play time has finished and you expect him to sleep.”
- Encourage self-settling – make sure your baby has plenty of opportunity to settle him self back to sleep. Like any other milestone the more he practices, the better he will become at it. Put him to bed while he’s still awake, and don’t rush to him at every whimper.
Tackling sleep problems
This is the age when separation anxiety begins to develop and your baby may become upset at night when he wakes and discovers you’re not there. It’s also a time when babies are developing physically, making them more prone to disturbed nights.
Teething - Some babies breeze through teething without a whimper while for others it can be uncomfortable enough to disturb their sleep. Some teething gel or baby painkillers such as Calpol or infant Nurofen should help.
Milestones - rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and sometimes walking. Your baby will be reaching all these milestones around now and will probably want to practice them all. Sometimes you may need to check in on your baby, especially if they haven’t learnt how to lie back down, or roll back over and they become upset.
Separation - A normal phase in your baby’s development starts around now, when he becomes anxious when you leave or if he can’t see you. Even babies who are good sleepers could become anxious about going to bed because they just don’t know if you’ll be coming back.
Debbie says, “The way to deal with this is to understand that he’s anxious and to reassure him when you leave, but to leave firmly and decisively. You will probably find that he quickly settles when you have gone anyway. Don’t hang around showing him your anxieties or he will feel that there really is something wrong.”
Sleep starts to occur in fewer and longer episodes as your baby grows.
- By the end of the first year, your baby will be sleeping about 12 hours in 24.
- He will probably be napping for about an hour every day
How to establish good sleep habits
- Nightlights – providing a dim light either with a nightlight or by leaving the door open helps older babies feel more secure without disturbing their sleep.
- Teddies – a familiar toy will comfort your baby at night
- Monitors – a recent study showed that constantly monitoring your baby with hi-tech devices such as two-way baby alarms and breathing sensors can actually disturb your sleep, which in turn can disturb your baby if you’re checking on him every time he makes a noise. Debbie says, “If you use a baby listening device, I would suggest that you turn it off. You do not need to listen to your baby during the night.”
Tackling sleep problems
By a year old some babies still suffer separation anxiety, and some will try anything just to get you to come and pay them attention.
Wanting a drink - many babies will have a drink of milk before bed, but since six months old will not have needed a milk drink in the night. Debbie says, “If you are feeding him through the night, you are rewarding him for waking up.
If he wakes during the night, either try to put him back down to sleep or, if you’re desperate, offer him water to drink. He will soon realise that it is not worth waking.”
Standing in his cot at bedtime - this is another tactic babies will try in an attempt to stop you leaving them to sleep. The best way to tackle this one is not to react to it, as this will cause bigger problems. Debbie says, “If he insists on standing in his cot, leave him to it. He
will soon lie down when he falls asleep. He can’t hurt himself and at least he is learning to go to sleep without your help.
I suggest you simply put him in his cot awake and leave him to settle. You can always go and check on him and lay him down comfortably when he is asleep.”
Playing in the night - surprisingly many babies will wake in the night and play for a while. Debbie says, “This may be your baby’s way of getting back off to sleep. I would suggest that you leave him to it. You do not need to go into him as this is more likely to cause a problem.”
Loading ...
