Our baby has been home for a few days now. The nights have been a bit chaotic, with lots of interruptions. However, we're beginning to feel that our little one is starting to have certain habits and a more continuous and longer period of sleep. Is he getting into a routine? That's what we want to know in this post about sleep patterns - part 2.
Going back a little to what we covered in the first part of this topic, sleeping will be one of the main activities your baby will do in the first few weeks. It's very important for their growth and development. However, until they get into a routine, the journey can have some interruptions and can be challenging for parents. But don't be discouraged, it looks like your little one has started to get into some habits that they're comfortable with - that's a sign that you're on the right track.
Today, we're already at the point where one month has passed and our little one has started to get into a routine. What we've discovered is that, at around 3 months of age, our little ones may still have some sleep interruptions for a breastfeeding session. However, the periods of sleep will be more constant and longer, due to a bigger stomach, so they can go longer without eating. The consistency of a routine, according to some scientific studies, is the secret to creating a healthy sleep pattern for your baby. If this isn't established, your little one may sleep less and wake up more often during the night.
It's all about establishing a certain pattern. Yes, but how can we develop a pattern when it comes to our baby's sleep? We found out how.
Between the ages of two and three months, babies may already be able to sleep for a good five hours, which can be considered a night's sleep. However, it's not a case that can happen immediately or in the period we're talking about. But if you think about it, it could be a sign that sleep is starting to gain some structure compared to the first few weeks. The important thing is not to lose hope.
A perfect 8-hour night can be more realistic from the age of 6 months. Until then, we can think of small mechanisms to put into practice. One we were able to gather was: ask yourself what might cause your baby to wake up during their night's sleep. If the answer is waking up to breastfeed and then being able to fall asleep on their own, then we're looking at a sleepy baby.
The idea here is to be aware of what your little one's needs might be, so that you can establish some kind of routine. A good example would be going to bed early or at a fixed time. These kinds of actions will be a great opportunity to build up a potential routine and good habits in the future, when he gets older.
The creation of sleep routines is extremely important and will be carried on by your little one, even when they are older. To this end, we believe that this period is crucial and we should invest now so that our little one acquires good techniques for falling asleep, as this will only be beneficial for their growth and development.
It's a very challenging phase for parents, as both they and their baby will be learning. Knowing and mastering the different needs of children, especially when they are so little, may not be so obvious. However, we believe that you will succeed and in the blink of an eye your baby will already be getting a good night's sleep of eight hours straight, or almost eight.
We've learnt a few more things about baby sleep.
What about you? How is this adaptation and learning phase going? How has your little one been? Many interruptions, few? Were you able to work out straight away what the main reason was for your baby waking up? We want to know your experience. We want to know your opinion.
