Sleep is one of the most vital facets that we know define the growth and development of an infant. In the first year, the baby undergoes a lot of development hence their sleeping patterns will be irregular throughout the year. Such rhythms and gaining control over sleep are essential to know and set in order to let your baby have the necessary amount of rest more effectively. 

Here are some facts about infant sleeping and ways in which you can help to establish a suitable sleep routine for your baby.

Understanding Infant Sleep Patterns

Babies have a different sleeping rhythm with that of grown up people. Their sleeping pattern is in small cycles at one time, they spend most of their time in REM sleep which is very important in the developmental process of the brain.

Infants (3-6 months)

When your baby grows, mainly at the stage of infancy, a certain schedule becomes distinguished: the baby sleeps more at night and takes naps during the day. At 3 months infant’s achieve more consolidated sleep during night time. Some of them sleep throughout the night for about 5-6 hours. Total sleep time is usually reduced to a range of 12 to 15 hours or a little less.

Older Infants (6-12 months)

After about 6 months the babies are able to sleep at night, this is called night sleeping at 6-8 hours. They say that in the first four months of life, babies are not very regular with their sleeping practices and they begin to set their context with regards to daytime napping.

Establishing a Sleep Schedule

While it is relatively harder to maintain a regular sleep pattern for your baby, both you and your baby will be better off with one. It assists in establishing the sleep and wake pattern and makes an infant have an easy time when having their bedtime.

Bedtime Routine

The first process that you should follow in order to put your baby to bed is to apply bedtime rituals which are the ones that are meant to soothe the child. This may include things like taking a warm bath, reading a book or singing a lullaby to make the baby fall asleep. The routine should be rather regular and the total number of minutes for the routine should be roughly between 20-30.

Consistent Bedtime

When possible, it is important to feed your baby at the same time that you are putting him or her to bed. It synchronises their biological processes. Thus, your baby will be able to find it easy to go to bed and wake up on the set times.

Daytime Naps

Having a nap is an inevitable segment in a child's day-waking period. At 6-12 months most babies take two naps they spent on, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. It’s also important to have naps at a correct time to ensure the baby is well disciplined to adhere to his or her nap timings.

Sleep Environment

Always see to it that your baby’s sleeping place will be comfortable enough to allow good sleep. This environment should have minimal exposure to light, should maintain low temperatures, and little noise. The mattress should be firm and no soft blankets, toys, or pillows should be in the crib to lower the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Adapting to Changes in Sleep Patterns

Your child will switch their sleeping schedule as they grow older and you might have to readjust them.

Growth Spurts

During the developmental phases the baby suffers from sleep disturbances, or wakes up frequently at night or naps for longer periods in the daytime. This is normal and normally takes up to 5 days to subside but must not be taken for more than 5 days.

Teething

Teething is a process that can make the baby uncomfortable therefore leading to sleepless nights. If your baby is teething it’s also advisable to give them a teething ring or you can also gently rub their gums before putting them to bed.

Sleep Regressions

It is very common for babies to have sleep regressions at four months, eight months and twelve months of their age. These are just occasional changes in one’s sleep-wake cycle and they do not last more than a few weeks. When your baby gets fussy, just try to maintain your daily routine, and you’ll notice that your baby will be back to its normal schedule.

Tips for Better Sleep

Watch for Sleep Cues: Sometimes, you also need to learn how to identify when your baby wants to sleep such as when they start rubbing their eyes, yawning or getting cranky. Make sure you put your baby to bed as soon as they exhibit such signs to avoid over tiredness which makes it difficult to put the child to bed. Ideally after about 4-6 months you should try to teach a baby to self-soothe by putting him / her to bed while he / she is still awake but very tired. it assists them to find ways of falling asleep without being helped and it may decrease the night time waking. It is advisable that movements done before going to sleep are very relaxed and calm. Keep him or her away from toys that make new sounds or turn on tv because this will make it even harder for the baby to go to sleep.

It is a lengthy and tricky task to figure out and set sleep patterns and routines for an infant. This article discusses how to set a sleep schedule and adjust it frequently in order to ensure that your baby receives enough rest needed for his/her growth. However, remember that each child has its own needs and it is essential to try out the different timings and come up with something better that suits the family.