Getting a good night's sleep

Baby Sleep Patterns and You.

Baby Sleep Patterns can be erratic. On this page you can find information on the evolving sleep patterns of your baby. Help your baby sleep better.

Babies love to sleep, at least most babies.

An average baby sleep pattern is for about 14-16 hours a day and most of this sleep will not occur at night. The human body has an internal clock called the circadian rhythm, this clock tells the brain when to induce sleep and it is influenced by the day/night cycle. This is the pattern in adults. But babies are not born with this; rather they grow in to it. By four to six weeks your baby’s body begins to adapt and develops a more distinct circadian rhythm.

Now your baby will sleep less often but when she does it will be for a large chunk of time. By the time your baby is 1, her sleep hours will fall from 16 to 12 hours and will sleep long at night and take a few naps during the day. Here is a basic outline of baby sleep patterns by age. Please note that there is no strict rule and that average baby chooses exacty the way she wants to sleep, depending on a number of unique factors.

Newborns. New Born babies sleep for an average of 14 to 16 hours a day and usually take short naps of 2-4 hours at intervals.

Six weeks to Six months. At this stage your baby’s body begins to adhere to stricter sleep cycles and your baby will sleep more at night. Your baby’s sleep hours will drop to 14 hours.

Six Months. Your baby at this point will sleep much more at night. Your baby’s sleep hours will vary between 12-14 hours.

Advice on babies sleep patterns By the time your baby is 4 months you should be ready to move her to a cot. Babies sleep better when they are loved, fed, warm and dry. Between 7-12 weeks, most babies now have a regular sleep pattern. Most doze off at 11pm and sleep through until the next feed at 4am. To ensure you baby sleeps well always make the environment is conducive. Not too hot or too cold.

Some mothers think a baby should always be wrapped in blanket regardless of the heat. This is wrong. If the central heating is on in the house make sure your baby’s room is not too hot. If your baby is red in the face or her hair is damp, just remove the blanket or turn of the radiator. It is essential that your baby feels comfy so as to aid sleep.

Recent research also has shown that if you feed your baby 11 times during a 24 hour period she is less likely to sleep well. Researchers from the University of London made this discovery when they studied 600 babies of 1 to 12 weeks of age to see what would influence them to sleep through the night. During the test parent were encouraged to put the babies in a cot and not to feed or cuddle the child at night. At the end of the test it was discovered that 82% of babies which had been most frequently fed at one week old, so-called “at risk” babies, on the behavioral programme slept through the night compared with 61% of “at risk” babies not on the programme, and this is regardless of whether they were fed by breast or feeding bottles.

Sleep in Children can be monitored and understood overtime. Since each child is unique general rules cannot be applied to every child.

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