How Much Should a Baby Sleep?

It's normal for new parents to be concerned about their infant's sleep habits. Unlike adults, babies normally do not sleep through the night until they are several months old. However, they spend a good part of the day sleeping, combined with short periods of wakefulness that lengthen, as they get older.

Significance

• Newborns sleep an average of 16 to 20 hours a day during the first three months of their lives. A typical baby this age sleeps from 1 to 4 hours at a time and stays awake for up to 2 hours. By the time a baby reaches 4 months of age, he will sleep a total of 15 hours a day and, gradually, his nighttime sleep periods will last between 3 and 5 hours. His waking periods will lengthen to between 1 and 5 hours. At six months old, your baby may sleep as long as 6 hours at a time during the night as he begins to learn that night sleeping should be longer than daytime naps of 1 to 2 hours.

Time Frame

• Almost 70% of all babies sleep up to 6 hours at a time during the night at nine months of age but frequent nighttime waking reoccurs between the ages of 1 and 3 years old when your baby may develop night-related anxiety or fears.

Considerations

• Low birth weight contributes to frequent waking periods in newborns and preemies who waken every couple of hours to eat. Infants who are breastfed wake more often than formula-fed infants. Around three weeks of age, up to 65% of all babies develop colic. Colic is defined as unexplained episodes of inconsolable crying that last between 2 and 5 hours. Colic usually occurs during the late afternoon and evening hours and disappears on its own around three months of age. Consult your pediatrician if you have any questions about your baby's crying.

Effects

• Ask parents of a newborn and they will tell you that sound sleep is a thing of the past. Lack of sleep may affect a parent's concentration and create a stressful home situation. Since babies take frequent naps during the day, a new parent should nap at the same time. Breastfeeding mothers often find it easier to bring their baby to bed with them when they wake at night but this might create dependent sleeping habits as the child gets older. Ask your pediatrician about co-sleeping.

Theories/Speculation

• Your baby will sleep through the night when he can do so without getting hungry. You may assist the process by encouraging your infant to stay awake for a couple of hours before his bedtime and feeding him just before he retires. If your infant is colicky, make sure you burp him thoroughly after every feeding and don't introduce anything but breast milk or formula during this time.

Prevention/Solution

• Babies, like adults, are creatures of habit and if you fail to set a schedule, your baby will fail to see the importance in sleeping through the night. Create a soothing routine before bedtime that includes gentle play, a comforting bath and a feeding before bedtime. When your baby wakes at night, feed him, burp him and change his diaper before laying him back down. Speak softly during nighttime waking periods and resist playing.

Expert Insight

• Consult your doctor if your baby's sleep patterns vary significantly from the standard. Many infants exhibit longer or shorter sleeping periods and are very healthy but your doctor will want to make sure your baby is developing correctly. In addition, ask the nurse to explain the correct way to position your infant during his sleep periods if you have any doubts. Most pediatricians suggest placing an infant on his back to sleep.