A newborn baby does not yet have a day or night rhythm. They need to be fed every 3 to 4 hours, which is the maximum number of hours your baby will sleep in a row. Biologically speaking, a newborn baby cannot sleep through the night yet. From 6 weeks onwards, he will sleep a little longer at night. How quickly a baby's sleep pattern changes varies.
9 steps to get your baby to sleep through
When your baby starts sleeping through, you have no control. It mainly depends on your child. You can, however, create the ideal conditions to achieve this. The following tips will help you with this.
Recognize signs of fatigue. Try to recognise signs such as yawning, rubbing your eyes and staring. This way you can put your baby to bed before he gets overexcited or overtired.
Day & Night distinguished. During the day you can keep the room where your baby sleeps light. At night, you should limit the noise and light (even when feeding) so that the associations with sleeping in the dark can be created.
Don't keep your baby awake during the day. There is no point in keeping your baby awake during the day against his will. Keeping him awake will only cause him to become overtired and find it harder to fall asleep.
Keep the evenings quiet. This makes the transition to the bedtime ritual smoother. A massage or bath will help your baby relax. This will make it easier for him to fall asleep. This also increases the chance of continued sleep.
Create a low-stimulus sleep environment. Provide a quiet, safe environment with a firm mattress, quiet colors and soft lighting.
Routines. A fixed bedtime ritual makes your baby's life predictable. A fixed routine gives a secure feeling and creates regularity in the internal clock. Falling asleep then becomes easier. For an adult, a new routine takes 30-90 days. For a baby, it can take many times longer. Patience and consistency are required.
Sleeping in a sleeping bag. A sleeping bag can help your baby to sleep peacefully. A sleeping bag can be very useful, especially for a mobile baby.
React quickly and limit crying. Your baby can't calm itself properly yet and needs you to do so. React quickly and don't let your baby cry for too long. This will prevent him from getting upset and will help him to calm down quickly.
Take care of yourself. The first few months are tough for you. Especially if your baby does not want to sleep through the night. If necessary, take some time off during the day. This will make you more capable of calming your baby down at night.
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