If you're a parent wondering when your little one will finally sleep through the night, you're not alone! Sleeping through the night is an important step in your baby's life.
This article will explore what it means for a baby to sleep through the night, explain the factors that impact babies' sleep, and provide tips to help both your baby and you get more sleep.
In this article:
What is considered "sleeping through the night"?
"Sleeping through the night" can be a misleading phrase—no one truly sleeps all night long! Instead, people of all ages move through different sleep cycles: periods of deep sleep and periods of wakefulness.
For babies, "sleeping through the night" means they sleep for longer stretches of time, generally 6-8 hours, without needing to eat. However, families may define this term differently based on their particular circumstances and preferences.
It is important to remember that a 6 to 8 hour stretch is still not a full night's sleep for most babies. Your baby may sleep for this longer stretch, wake up and need to eat, and then sleep for another few hours. Or they might sleep for the longer stretch after their nighttime feeding.
In practice, nighttime might look something like this for your baby, give or take an hour or two:
Sleep 7:00 pm to 2:00 am (longest stretch), nighttime feeding, sleep 2:30 am to 6:00 am
Sleep 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, nighttime feeding, sleep 11:30 pm to 6:00 am (longest stretch)
When do babies start sleeping through the night?
Sleep by baby's age
During their first year, most infants sleep approximately 11 to 17 hours per day. This is divided into periods of nighttime sleep as well as several naps during the day.
While every baby's sleep habits are unique, the amount of time that a baby can sleep in a single stretch tends to follow a general pattern depending on their age.
0-3 months: Newborns usually sleep in short stretches of 2 to 4 hours, waking frequently for feedings.
4-6 months: By this age, many babies sleep for longer stretches, often 6 to 8 hours at a time. That's generally considered to be sleeping through the night!
6-12 months: Most babies are able to sleep through the night consistently, although some may still wake occasionally.
Your baby will also still need regular daytime naps even after they begin to sleep through the night.
Why isn't my baby sleeping through the night?
Many factors can cause your child to wake more often during the night. Observing your baby's sleep patterns and learning their cues can help you figure out the cause(s) of their wakefulness.
Some factors that might be affecting your baby's sleep include:
1. Day-night confusion
Brand new babies typically do not have a well-developed sense of day and night. Their circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles, are not fully established at birth.
This means they often sleep in short bursts throughout the day and night, rather than following a more predictable pattern.
It usually takes a few months for newborns to start regulating their internal clock through the release of melatonin (the sleep hormone) at night. After this point, they will typically begin to develop more regular sleep patterns and do more of their sleeping at night rather than during the day.
2. Hunger
Newborn babies can only take in small amounts of milk in one feeding because their tummies are so small. This means that they need to eat frequently throughout the day and night to fulfill their caloric needs.
As your baby grows, they will be able to eat more at each feeding and will therefore not need to eat as frequently. This will enable them to sleep for longer stretches at night, as long as they compensate by eating more during the day.
3. Learning to self-soothe
Self-soothing refers to a baby's ability to calm themselves and fall back asleep without external help, such as being rocked, fed, or held by a caregiver.
Everyone wakes up during the night as a natural part of their sleep cycles. Adults and older children are able to fall back to sleep on their own, and may not even be aware of these night wakings. However, when a young baby wakes at the end of a sleep cycle and is unable to self-soothe, they will struggle to fall back to sleep and will likely cry.
Babies typically start to develop self-soothing skills between 4 to 6 months of age. However, this can vary widely among individual babies.
4. Growth and development
Babies may also wake up more frequently when they are working on new developmental milestones. As they learn new skills, their brains are more active, which can disrupt sleep patterns. Physical milestones such as rolling over can also cause physical restlessness, making it harder for babies to stay asleep.
During developmental leaps, babies may also go through growth spurts, which can increase their need for nourishment and cause them to wake up more often.
5. Temporary discomfort
Discomfort from teething or an illness can also cause restlessness and wakefulness. These causes are only temporary, so your baby should return to their regular sleeping patterns when they are feeling better.
Helping your baby sleep through the night
Practical tips to promote better sleep for your baby
1. Set a consistent sleep schedule
Creating a consistent sleep schedule for your baby can help them regulate their internal clock and build healthy sleep habits.
To create a sleep schedule, set a bedtime and try to stick to it every night. To determine the right bedtime for your individual child, you should pay attention to their sleep cues, signs that show that a baby is ready for sleep.
These signs vary by child, but may include the following:
Yawning
Eye rubbing
General fussiness
Decreased activity
Likewise, these same sleep cues can help you determine what times your baby should nap during the day. As much as possible, you should try to also stick to consistent nap times.
Keep in mind that your child's sleep needs will change as they grow older and you may need to adjust their sleep schedule several times.
3. Encourage naps that support nighttime sleep
Sufficient daytime sleep is essential for helping your baby sleep well at night!
Naps help prevent a child from becoming overtired, which can make it harder for them to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. When children are overtired, their bodies produce stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can prevent them from settling down and cause them to have trouble sleeping.
Regular naps also help establish a consistent sleep schedule, which can make it easier for children to fall asleep at night.
However, too much daytime sleep can interfere with nighttime rest. Make sure that your child's naps don't exceed an appropriate length, depending on their age and number of daily naps.
Don't be afraid to wake your baby up from naps after a certain time or even prevent them from napping late in the day, if possible. Your child needs to be awake for a certain amount of time before they will be ready to sleep again, so a late nap can prevent them from falling asleep at their regular bedtime or staying asleep at night.
3. Establish a bedtime routine
Creating a consistent bedtime routine is one of the most important things you can do to help your child fall asleep and sleep through the night.
A consistent routine teaches your child to associate certain activities with sleep, signaling to their brain that it is time to rest. It also makes them feel safe, which helps them doze off more easily.
Begin by starting the routine at the same time every night. Try to keep the hour before bedtime loving and calm. Limit physical activity, turn off screens, and focus on quiet activities and cuddles, such as reading a book together.
When bedtime arrives, carry out the same soothing bedtime ritual every night. This routine doesn't need to be complicated! It should just be calm and consistent.
Elements included in bedtime routines vary by family, but could include:
Taking a warm bath
Changing into pajamas
Brushing teeth
Reading a book
Dimming the lights, turning on a nightlight, and/or starting starting white noise
Singing a soothing song
Goodnight kiss
You can also use a shorter version of this routine before nap times.
4. Create a comfortable sleep environment
Not all sleep environments are created equal! Creating an optimal environment for sleep can help your baby sleep through the night.
This means minimizing the amount of noise and the amount of light. Consider using a white noise machine to drown out disruptive sounds and blackout curtains to ensure a dark room. These may be especially necessary if you sleep in the same room as your baby.
Try to remove distracting items, such as books, electronic devices, and light-up or noise-making toys, and preserve the bedroom as a place for sleep.
Additionally, try to keep the room temperature between 68°F and 72°F. This range helps ensure that the baby is comfortable and reduces the risk of overheating, which is a known risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
5. Encourage self-soothing
Self-soothing is a form of emotion regulation in which your baby is able to calm themself and fall back to sleep throughout the night.
To help your baby develop this skill, put them down in their crib for naps or bedtime when they are drowsy but still awake. This will help them learn the feeling of falling asleep independently so that they don't panic when then awake during the night and are able to self-soothe.
You also need to give your baby the opportunity to practice self-soothing. It can be tempting to rush to comfort them as soon as they begin crying or fussing—resist the urge!
Waiting slightly before going to your baby can help them learn to self-soothe.
It is important to note that you should not expect your baby to self-soothe if they are hungry, sick, or need a diaper change. These are needs that require external help. If your baby is still fussing after a short time, you should check on them.
6. Begin nighttime weaning
Nighttime weaning is the process of gradually reducing and eventually eliminating night feedings, allowing for longer stretches of sleep.
Most babies are developmentally ready for this step around 6 months, although some babies may be ready earlier or later. Always consult with your pediatrician before beginning nighttime weaning to ensure that it is appropriate for your child's specific needs and health.
Common techniques include gradually shortening the duration of each nighttime feeding, increasing the intervals between feedings, or offering comfort in other ways, such as rocking or cuddling, instead of feeding.
To ensure your baby is getting enough food, you can nurse more frequently during the day or offer more formula in your baby's bottle. Eventually, your baby should adjust to receiving most of their nourishment during the day and will wake less often during the night.
Sleep Training
If you have implemented the above tips and your 6+ month baby still does not sleep for more than a few hours at a stretch, it may be time to try sleep training.
However, many parents choose not to sleep train, and that's okay—it's not right for every family. Your little one should eventually learn to sleep throughout the night with or without sleep training.
What is sleep training?
"Sleep training" is not one single method—it simply refers to deliberate efforts by parents and caregivers to help their babies learn to fall asleep independently and sleep through the night. The goal is to establish healthy sleep habits and routines.
Safety guidelines for sleep training
Do not attempt any sleep training method before 6 months—a younger baby is not yet developmentally ready to sleep through the night.
Always ensure the baby's sleep environment is safe, with a firm mattress, no loose bedding, and no hazards near the bed, such as hanging cords or windows. Always put your baby down on their back for sleep.
For more information on safe sleep, visit the Pathfinder Health app or view the AAP’s 2022 safe sleep guidelines.
Methods
If you are considering sleep training, consult with your baby's healthcare provider first for guidance on the best method for your family.
Some of the common sleep training methods include the following:
1. Cry it out
Cry it out (CIO) means letting your baby cry until they fall back asleep. This method can be emotionally taxing for parents because they are not supposed to pick up or soothe their baby after placing them in their crib for the night.
Research on the CIO method has shown mixed results. Some studies suggest that it can be effective without long-term negative effects, while others highlight potential risks to emotional development.
2. Ferber technique
The Ferber technique is a modified version of CIO and is also known as "Graduated Extinction." This method involves letting the baby cry for gradually increasing intervals before offering comfort.
The Ferber technique involves the following steps:
Put the baby in their crib while sleepy but awake, then leave the room.
Allow the baby to cry for a short, predetermined amount of time (e.g., 3 minutes).
If the baby is still crying after the time is up, return to the room briefly to comfort them.
During check-ins, do not pick up the baby. Comfort them with words, but try not to stay too long. This practice aims to show your baby that you are there for them while allowing them to fall asleep independently.
Gradually increase the time between check-ins (e.g., 5 minutes, then 10 minutes).
Continue this process until the baby falls asleep on their own.
3. Bedtime fading
Bedtime fading is a gentle sleep training technique that helps children fall asleep more easily by gradually adjusting their bedtime to align with their natural sleep patterns.
The process begins by identifying the child's current sleep onset time and setting their temporary bedtime to match this time. For example, a baby that cries for the first hour after bedtime every night may have sleep patterns that lean toward a later bedtime. This part can be tricky because it is based entirely on a parents’ observations.
Once the child consistently falls asleep at this new bedtime, the parent gradually adjusts the bedtime by 15-30 minutes every few days until they reach the desired new bedtime.
Bedtime fading can be beneficial because it provides a smooth transition, reduces stress for both the child and parents, and promotes the development of healthy sleep habits through a consistent bedtime.
4. No Tears method
The No Tears method of sleep training is another gentle approach that aims to help babies and young children fall asleep independently without prolonged crying. This method emphasizes gradual changes and consistent comfort, with parents responding promptly to their child's needs.
Common techniques include the Pick Up/Put Down method, where parents pick up the child to soothe them and then place them back in the crib, and the Chair Method, where parents gradually move a chair farther from their baby's crib each night.
The No Tears method reduces stress for both the child and parents, fosters a strong parent-child bond, and can be tailored to the child's individual needs.
The Takeaway
Every baby is different and will sleep through the night in their own time. But by establishing a schedule that is appropriate for your baby and family, maintaining a comforting bedtime routine, and creating a calm sleep environment, you can help your little one on their path to a restful night.
Remember, patience is key—soon enough, you’ll be saying goodbye to sleepless nights.
Sources:
American Academy of Pediatrics. Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics (2022) 150 (1): e2022057990. Available at https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057990/188304/Sleep-Related-Infant-Deaths-Updated-2022?_ga=2.141065906.1277173594.1672936685-498496750.1658756794.
Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: Final report. Sleep Health. (2015). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2015.10.004
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