The sleeping habits of your new infant may worry you as a new mother. I had suffered in this area, but I eventually conquered it—though occasionally, my twins’ irregular sleeping schedules disrupted my peace of mind .

The baby’s sleep patterns are unpredictable throughout the first three to four months  and the sleep routine may not work effectively. However, some consistent efforts made by the parents can help the baby understand their sleep pattern.

A newborn typically sleeps for 14–18 hours per 24 hours. Their naps last from thirty minutes to four hours. Depending on how much milk the infant demands, they may sleep through the night with feeding intervals every two to three hours. Babies fed formula typically wake up later.

Newborns have erratic sleeping patterns, as I indicated. Certain newborns, particularly colicky babies who tend to sleep less, might not adhere to the aforementioned sleep hours.

Here are some typical baby sleeping hours-

0-3 month old infant  : 14-18 hours per day

3-6 months old baby : 15-16 hours per day

6-9 months old baby : 14 to 15 hours daily. At this age, a baby typically sleeps two to three times during the day, with additional sleep hours occurring at night.

9-12 months old baby : 3 to 14 hours daily. Typically, these hours consist of two to three hours during the day and the remaining portion at night.

1-2 years old baby : 12-13 hours per day. These hours consist of two to three hours during the day and the remaining hours at night.

Until they are six months old, a baby sleeps 14–16 hours a day, with the majority of those sleeps potentially interrupted. Their sleeping habits could be unpredictable because they take nap for greater periods of time during the day. It is also natural for a newborn to sleep less at night 

The significance of sleep

Proper and sufficient sleep is very important for a baby’s brain development. It helps increase brain tissue. Growth hormone is released when a baby sleeps. Thus, a child’s growth and development require enough sleep. Research indicates that getting enough sleep improves memory, learning capacity, and human intelligence. Human weariness and mental health issues are caused by sleep deprivation. Some babies don’t sleep as much. But ensure  quality sleep by establishing a sleep routine.

Is it normal for a baby’s head to sweat while sleeping?

Yes, it’s absolutely natural. During sleep, the body releases a large amount of growth hormones, which promote brain development. As a result, blood circulation increases, and the baby’s head starts sweating.

How to get a baby to sleep on a schedule

Although there is a lot of information available on baby sleep, I’ll discuss some typical habits here that may help your baby develop a healthy sleep schedule.

Create a good sleeping environment

Proper sleep is very important for a baby’s development, and it is important to build a good sleeping habit at the first stage of a baby’s life. There are methods for forming sound sleeping practices. When it comes to getting the baby to sleep, try to feed them at the same time every day, keep the door closed, turn off the lights (dim light is best), make sure the bed is ready, and keep the baby close to you. There ought to be silence. Avoid using a cell phone in close proximity to the infant. A newborn needs some time to get used to this, but eventually their mind recognizes that it is sleep time.

Separate night time from daytime

Gradually, make the baby understand their long sleeping hours. It brings usefulness for the parents. I suffered with my newborn twins for about 3 months from their sleeping pattern. I was in for a disastrous night when they stayed up late. Then I altered my babies’ bedtime schedule. Whenever your baby is awake at night, do not engage with them talking or any other activities. This will help the baby learn that it’s not playtime.  I often observed that once  I got engaged in such activities, they became more energetic and eventually their sleep went out of the window. Therefore, all you have to do when your baby wakes up at midnight is feed them, change their diaper if necessary, and prepare them for sleep again. Any stimulating conversations or activities disrupt the infant’s nighttime slumber.

Focus on baby’s food and sleeping hours

Newborns typically eat every two to three hours and sleep for the most of the day. During the first several weeks following their birth, my babies woke up every two hours for feeding and fell asleep afterward. Sometimes, it happened oppositely. Make sure a baby has a satisfying meal when they are started on solids. After eight months, feed your baby a hearty, nutritious dinner before bed to ensure they are well-fed and won’t wake you up too much at night. Sleeping hours are also very important to notice. When your baby wakes up in the morning and when they get tired and need to go to sleep again, how long and how often your baby sleeps during the daytime, everything needs to be considered to establish a good routine. Try not to put an 8-month-old baby to bed after evening, and for younger babies, avoid putting them to bed after 8 P.M. Ensure they are awake most of the daytime. Proper meals ensure a baby’s good sleep as well.

Keep the baby awake while breastfeeding

newborn babies typically fall asleep while being breastfed. This is a result of the infant finding solace in the warmth and embrace of his or her mother. When this happens, the infant sleeps without receiving enough nourishment. Thus, after a few minutes, the infant awakens. At such time, babies sleep less. This happens to newborn babies, typically around 0-4 months old. This also happened to my newborn twins. I didn’t know a lot of stuff at the time. I could usually get them to sleep as soon as I fed them breast milk. The baby used to wake up quickly after I placed them to sleep. One thing here is, when they woke up, they peed and cried. Since they slept without being fed properly and most of what they fed was foremilk, they would fall asleep before reaching hindmilk. That’s why my babies woke up very soon.Some common techniques you can use to awaken your baby while breastfeeding include talking to them by holding their hand and gently shaking their hand, softly tickling behind their ears with your fingers, and gently shaking their body.

Don’t try to make a habit of feeding a baby while sleeping

 Many mothers tend to do this to their babies while sleeping. Stop doing this. If your baby is in good health and if your baby sleeps tight at night ,don’t wake your baby up in the middle of the night to feed them. Some babies have a tendency to put the nipple in their mouth the whole night, and as soon as you try to separate feeding, they start crying. This is very upsetting to a mom. So, you should implement separate feeding from sleeping.

Understand the time when a baby needs to sleep

Babies show some actions or give some signals when they want to sleep. By understanding the baby’s sleeping pattern, you can manage their sleep better. There are some signs when a baby gets tired and needs to sleep:

• Rubbing his/her eyes
• Yawning
• Fussing
• Looking upward
• Crying with no apparent reason
• Sometimes, showing obstinacy
• Putting their finger, especially the thumb, into the mouth

All of the listed symptoms were present with my babies. When they were younger, they used to rub their eyes, but that is no longer the case. These days, my babies do any of the aforementioned actions while also placing their thumb in their mouth .A baby may occasionally deviate from the regular sleep schedule. The reason for this is that the infant may be unwell and they feel tired more when they are sick. At that time, the infant either feels uncomfortable and stays awake longer, or wants to go to sleep right away after having another nap.

Teach your baby to fall asleep on their own without swaddling

 Over time, you should teach your baby to fall asleep on their own without the use of any stimulating activities. It’s challenging at first but try this and wait a few minutes. When a baby is very tired and wants to sleep very badly, implement this technique so that the baby could easily fall asleep without being breastfed or swaddling. This is not easy to implement, but you should practice it a few minutes every day at every sleeping time.

Make sure your baby engages in physical activity

 Playing, running, and other forms of physical activity throughout the day promotes restful sleep at night. Two months ago, I recall, the four of us went for an afternoon stroll and left our infants in the large open space. They had never seen a barrier so large before. They ran nonstop for perhaps forty-five minutes. My babies slept through the entire night that night. Like them, I slept soundly. So, engage your baby more in physical activity.

If a baby doesn’t sleeps well, some things you need to notice–

• If the baby is being properly fed or the baby is hungry?
• Baby feels uneasy, maybe because of belly gas, any ache, feeling so cold or hot. Maybe they need to pee or poop. Maybe the diaper is filled with urine, so the baby feels uncomfortable.
• Maybe the baby wants you, your warmth.

My experience with my twins’ sleeping pattern

As I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t understand how to pacify them or how to improve our situation, because most of the time I managed them alone.When they were initially born, they would wake up every two hours. After I fed them, they fell asleep on their own without swaddling. When they were two months old, their sleeping habits altered. They were sleeping for roughly six hours straight during the day at that time and they were awake for the most of the night. In response to these issues, I progressively instituted certain sleep habits for them. When they first began eating solid food, I strictly followed the routine of their sleep and feeding time every day at the same time.

Now that they are twenty months old, I make the bed and join them in bed. I stay in the center of them. I’ve been using this strategy lately, placing them on my chest or in my two arms. They go to sleep ten to fifteen minutes after I finish singing a song.Sleeping can take longer than usual at times.Nowadays, they sleep twice a day.They sleep for  about 1-2 hours at midday.

While I am aware that some people do not prefer to co-sleep with their infants, I find happiness in doing so. I understand that these moments won’t return once they grow older. Since my kids enjoy spending time with me, I want to cherish every second of this phase.

One thing parents should be aware of is that their baby’s sleep schedule could fluctuate  every two months. Because a baby’s sleep is unpredictable, then you may need to come up with an alternate sleeping strategy for them during such times. They eventually get used to their sleep routine and don’t need to alter it and of course, sleep will get better as the baby grows up. Actually, raising a child is not that easy; it takes a huge effort, attention, and involves so many mood swings. Nevertheless, parents should do their best to introduce their baby to a healthy lifestyle.