How to Sleep a Baby That Doesn’t Sleep?

With your baby joining your family, a different period begins in your life. Although the new period of your life is sometimes difficult, the meaning your baby adds to your life with a smile is enough for you to relax. Having many questions in your mind is a very natural process.

Babies’ sleep needs vary according to their growth period. It is important to have a sleep pattern so that the baby can grow and develop adequately.

Parents naturally experience anxiety when their babies are not sleeping. He wonders why his babies have trouble sleeping. Parents have some important responsibilities regarding the sleeping baby.

Every parent’s dream is for their baby to fall asleep quickly and have a certain sleep pattern. By observing your baby’s sleep needs well, you can create the ideal sleep pattern. The baby’s sleep time, which is shorter and irregular in the first months, changes over time and leaves its place to longer nights of sleep. It will be very beneficial for the baby to sleep and wake up at a certain time from birth in order to gain the habit of sleeping.

So, what is the ideal sleep time for babies? Let’s take a closer look at the answer to this question.

How Long Should Babies Sleep Time?

Newborns can sleep up to 20 hours a day. There is no concept of night and day in this period yet. In the first month, babies complete their sleep needs by dividing them into short periods. Generally, babies sleep longer during the daytime than at night. Since it is a tiring situation for the mother, sleeping with the baby during the day ensures that the mother is ready for the night.

With the transition to the second month, the need for sleep of the newborn baby falls between 15-17 hours. However, they still sleep briefly and often.
With the 3rd month, the baby begins to fulfill his sleep need for 10 hours at night and 5 hours during the day. From this month, he usually takes two daytime naps in the morning and afternoon.

From the 6th month, it is expected that the night’s sleep will be at least 5 hours uninterrupted. This means that the mother’s night sleep transitions to a more comfortable period.

From the 9th month, the baby can sleep for a long time at night without interruption. He/she may take two short naps or one long nap during the day.

From the 12th month, the baby, who is now one year old, may begin to resist daytime sleep. But for a healthy development, there should be at least one afternoon nap.

What Can Disrupt Baby’s Sleep Pattern?

Your baby’s sleep pattern can be affected by many factors that may arise in your life. Conditions such as teething and illness are the main reasons that disrupt the sleep pattern of babies.

Your baby, who is restless during the teething period, may have trouble sleeping at night. Making changes in his room, moving to a new house, waking up in an unfamiliar place after falling asleep, mother starting work, a new caregiver are other factors that can negatively affect your baby’s sleep pattern. Talking loudly, lack of communication between parents or a disorderly life can also significantly change the baby’s sleep patterns.

Day and Night Separation in Babies

From the 3rd week, you can start teaching your baby the difference between day and night. For this, we have listed the things you need to do in 8 basic items:

• You can start by determining the day and night hours. You can set the time between 07.00 in the morning and 20.00 in the evening as daytime and between 20.00 in the evening and 07.00 in the morning as night.
• It may be useful to take your baby from the living room to his room at 20:00, which you set as the night, and try to put him to sleep again, even if he wakes up frequently after that time.
• When you wake up at night, you should not talk loudly, illuminate the room, and take it out of the room and into your own environment.

• Operations such as feeding and maintenance at night should be done in a dim light.
• You should never make eye contact with the baby who cannot sleep at night. You can use suggestive words or sing a lullaby.
• The baby can sleep in a small crib in the living room during daylight hours. The important thing is that the room is bright when you wake up.
• By talking to your baby a lot during the day, you can do activities suitable for the month.
• 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep during the day is sufficient.

Causes of Sleep Deprivation in Babies

A baby not sleeping is one of the biggest problems of parents. So, what could be the reasons for babies to be sleep deprived?

Newborn restlessness

During pregnancy, babies live in the mother’s womb in a set of sounds called white noise, which consists of sounds such as the external world sound, organ sounds, and the mother’s heartbeat. Babies who get used to white noise sounds in the womb are deprived of that sound and experience restlessness when they open their eyes to the world. Because of this deprivation, problems such as crying crises, moodiness, and inability to sleep occur in the first 3 months of life.

Colic baby syndrome

Colic baby syndrome is one of the most common causes of insomnia. It can last from the first 3 weeks to 4 months in babies. Babies with colic infant syndrome experience problems such as a swollen abdomen, crying for more than 3 hours a day and sleep disorders.

Teething period

One of the reasons why a baby does not sleep is teething discomfort. High fever is an important reason for the disruption of sleep patterns in babies during the teething period. During the teething period, babies’ fevers are slightly higher than normal.

Baby is hungry

It is the cause of insomnia, especially for new mothers. During the first month, it may not be easy to understand when the baby who wakes up frequently and wants to breastfeed is hungry. At the same time, in cases where breast milk is insufficient, babies may not be able to sleep by starving.

Supporting Products for Babies to Sleep Comfortably

In order to improve your baby’s sleep quality, you should choose the right mattress. You can also choose side sleeping pillows for a safe and comfortable sleep. On the other hand, comfortable and natural clothes will help your baby sleep more comfortably.