When you have a new baby, you soon discover that to get your baby sleep through the night can be an overwhelming task. As it always happens when overwhelming tasks are involved, the solution is based upon simple actions that will make a slight difference until you have a marked change in what is happening: these are known as baby sleep patterns.
This sleep pattern lessens as the baby grows so by the time he is 3 months old, he is only sleeping twelve to fifteen hours every day. Your child at this age has also dropped most of his night feedings. This may be the time to try to start to establish regular sleep patterns. You should begin by starting a nightly routine, such as giving your baby a warm bath, reading him a story, and then putting him to bed.
Sleep patterns differ. This is a great challenge already to every parent since baby sleep patterns requires a lot of tiring and a very irregular routine especially during night time. Newborns sleep a lot. Of course, a baby's sleep cycles are far shorter than the adults. Being able to respond to the newborn's cues or signals can really become the most demanding part of parenting.
Many experts seem to think that babies are able to soothe themselves to sleep. While this may be true to some extent, it is very unhealthy for the child. It teaches them that their parents cannot be trusted to solve their problems and could cause self-esteem issues later in life if they being to feel abandoned.
One of the most helpful things you can do right from the outset is to set a routine early. How we sleep, largely depends on habits and signals that our bodies interpret as signs that it is time for sleep. For example, always putting your baby in the crib at sleep time will help the infant realize that this is the time and place for slumber. Remember, however, that it could take some time for your baby to pick up on the differences between night and day.
Baby Sleep Routine
The key to baby sleeping patterns lies in preparing your newborn with a routine. This is much like watching a film you've seen many times before - you've seen the sequence of events so often that your mind will automatically expect what's coming next. Similarly, if anything different were to happen, you'd feel slightly disorientated.
Sleeping can be difficult for children just as it is for adults. If it?s too hot in your room, sometimes you can?t sleep. This is a problem for babies too. Make sure the temperature in the baby?s room is good. If it?s cool, make sure they have enough blankets. If the room gets too dry, keep a humidifier in the room for added comfort.
You will notice that sleep turns into one solid period of time by the age of three months, because the neurological system is maturing and the cycles are combining. Unfortunately, this cycle does not always coincide with night time. The pattern of more activity during the day and more sleep at night does not fall into place until the baby is closer to four months of age.
Read about Baby Care and also read about Baby Sleeping and Baby Sleep Training