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When you become a new parent, it can seem as though your newborn is the one calling the shots for the first few months especially when it comes to his sleep schedule. Ask any sleep-deprived parent and they will tell you that in any given 24 hours, the days and nights can feel almost interchangeable. It might appear as though your baby is the one running the show for the first weeks and you are just along for the ride to satisfy his needs at random hours of the day and night. As new parents, this can become frustrating and disconcerting. After a few sleepless nights you may find yourself wondering if you will ever have a solid 8 hours of sleep again. I promise you will! By establishing a sleep schedule for your little one you won’t have to wait until your child is 18 to catch some shuteye.
Pediatricians suggest that the best time to start developing a sleep schedule is when your baby is just a few days old. As young as your baby is, he still has the ability to learn and follow a regular schedule. While respecting your newborn’s rhythms, you actually have the ability to gently help him establish regular sleep patterns. If you have an extended stay in the hospital after delivery, ask to keep the baby in the room with you to ease into the new sleep schedule. Some babies can become over stimulated in the hospital nursery which can disrupt any type of natural sleep cycle and thwart your immediate efforts.
The truth is, your baby did have a sleeping pattern in the uterus. Before he was born he had a routine that followed fairly closely to your own. He ate when you ate and slept when you slept. However, labor, delivery and adjusting to life outside the womb can take a lot of getting used to for a newborn.
Immediately after birth, babies are alert for about an hour then they settle into a state of grogginess for 12 to 24 hours with hunger waking them about every hour. By day five with your newborn baby, you should be able to see a pattern of his typical behavior. Just as you want him to develop a sleep schedule, he wants one too! Things are certainly easier and calmer for a little baby when they are predictable.
From birth to 3 months, babies are driven by internal factors such as hunger and fatigue. By keeping a rhythm of feeding and napping, you can create an initial schedule for the baby. Then, as the baby matures and become more influenced by environmental factors such as noises, older siblings and other disruptions, he will already have developed a temperament for a schedule. Babies with erratic and unsettled sleep patterns tend to have bad temperaments as they become toddlers. Not only is establishing strong sleep patterns important to your baby’s health but it is important to establishing his behavior as well.
Getting into a regular schedule for sleep early on can make life much easier for everyone. By keeping a regular bedtime routine, a daytime routine will also fall into place. Whether your child is a baby, toddler, or in grade school, establishing a routine they can depend on night after night will encourage healthy physical and emotional development.
RELATED QUESTIONS
For anyone with a four month old, what’s their typical sleep schedule?
Can any moms of 1 year olds share their lo’s sleep schedule? Thanks 🙂
