What to Do when Baby Won't Sleep Through the Night

One of the most difficult adjustments we make as new parents is learning to deal with less sleep. We want our babies to sleep through the night so that we can get back to our normal sleep habits. Unfortunately, that's not always what the baby has in mind. Here are a few tips on helping improve sleep quality for the whole family.

Make sure she's getting enough daytime naps

Most babies have a hard time sleeping when they're overtired. They may have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep because their little nervous systems are too wired from exhaustion. Make sure your baby gets enough quality naptime during the day, and start getting ready for bed at the first signs of tiredness. Don't wait until she can't hold her eyes open to put her to bed.

Set up a bedtime routine

And stick to it. This can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it's consistent. Many babies' sleep routine involves a bath, song, and rocking, but you can also include things such as baby massage, a bedtime story (short ones for younger babies), or just about anything that soothes and calms your baby and lets her know that it's bedtime.

Avoid giving solid foods too close to bedtime

Sometimes babies have a hard time digesting solid foods. If they eat too close to bedtime, their tummies hurt, interrupting their sleep. Try giving solid foods earlier in the day and then feeding only breastmilk or formula in the evening.

Nurse frequently throughout the day

Studies have shown that babies sometimes consume as much as 25% of their total nutritional intake during nighttime feedings. This may be due in part to distractibility during the day. There are so many interesting things to look at during the day, and sometimes baby can't concentrate on getting as much food as she needs, which then makes it necessary for her to make up for it at night. To combat this, you could try to squeeze in extra feedings during the day. You may also want to try feeding your baby in a quiet room with little stimulation so that she isn't so easily distracted. If she gets what she needs during the day, she may not need to wake as frequently during the night.

Snuggle as much as you can during the day

Babies need physical contact almost as much as they need food. Sometimes, however, we get too busy to stop and snuggle as much as we should. That leaves baby craving contact with you, which can cause her to wake up. Sometimes more snuggles during the day can lead to better sleep at night.

Offer other comforts

Have Daddy go in and rock baby back to sleep every now and then. For an older baby, you might want to offer a stuffed animal to snuggle with. (Do not use pillows or stuffed animals with any baby who can't roll over both ways.) Some babies might do well with soft music or white noise in their room to drown out sudden sounds.

Remember that this is normal

We've been conditioned to think that babies should be sleeping all night by about 6 months, or even earlier. After all, that's what happens on television, right? But it's actually very rare for a baby to sleep all night at that age. Most toddlers can't even sleep all night without waking at least once. Babies are just built to wake up frequently through the night, and it's usually nothing to worry about. Like anything else, all babies do eventually grow out of this. You won't be sleepless forever.