A Guide to Your Baby’s Sleeping Patterns

The first 12 months of your baby’s life will see their sleeping patterns change dramatically. Initially, your baby will likely sleep between two to four hours before waking up for a feed. After about three months, this time becomes around three to six hours, a welcome change. Understanding why these changes occur will allow you to better manage yourself, and your baby, during this initial period. 

In this guide, we will explain why many of these changes happed, and give you some useful tips for the wellbeing of you and your baby. 

Sleep time 

How long your baby sleeps will be affected by a number of things. As their stomach grows, they will get hungry less often, while their brain development will mean they are more easily stimulated and attached to you. We’ll break down what you can generally expect over the first 12 months below: 

Newborns

Your newborn baby can sleep anywhere from eight hours a day to eighteen hours a day. Usually this will happen just after a feed, but they will wake up any time they are hungry again, day or night.

Three to six months

Around this time, you will see your baby’s total sleep time come to around 15 hours a day. They will start to develop a proper sleep schedule around this time too, with longer sleeps at night and shorter sleeps during the day.

Six to twelve months

Most sleep will now occur at night for older babies, with the total time coming down to around 12 hours a day. However, your baby will likely start teething around this time, which can cause some discomfort and make settling a little more difficult.

Object Permanence and Co–Sleeping 

At around six months old, your baby will start to gain an understanding of a concept called object permanence. This means that they’ll begin to realise that things and people exist even when they can’t see or hear them. They may start waking themselves up and crying out for you, whether it’s for a feed or just attention. They may also begin to have difficulty settling when they do not want you to leave, or anticipate you not being there. 

One way to deal with this is co sleeping, a practice many doctors recommend for the first six to twelve months. Co-sleeping involves you and the baby sleeping in the same room, but not the same bed. This way, you can deal with any separation anxiety much easier, and allows you to keep a closer watch on your baby even during the night.  

Remember to look after yourself 

For newborn babies, feeding can occur up to 12 times a day. With their much shorter cycle of sleep, feed and repeat, it is not uncommon for adults to become fatigued. It is important to look after yourself as well, continuing to exercise, eating healthy and trying to ensure some good quality sleep. Sharing the feeding duties with a partner, family member or friend can also be a great way to take the stress off yourself. 

In Conclusion 

So, there is our guide on the sleeping patterns of your baby. Now that you know what changes will occur, you can better manage this initial period. Trying to establish a routine for your baby can be beneficial, allowing them to know when it’s time to go to sleep. Remember that it gets easier over time, and hopefully our guide made navigating the first 12 months a bit more manageable.

If you found this blog helpful, check out this one on introducing your baby to solid foods.