Nothing compares to late-night snuggles with your little one. But when you’re denied a good night’s sleep over and over again, you start to feel the effects. You may begin desperately wondering how to get your baby to sleep through the night!
Maybe you’re dreaming about the day when your baby sleeps all night long so you can actually sleep all night long. But how exactly do you accomplish this gargantuan task?
In this article, our experts at Newton Baby offer a few tips for parents to help this dream become a reality!
Table of contents
- When will your baby sleep through the night?
- Is your baby ready to sleep through the night?
- Why your baby wakes up at night
- How to get your baby to sleep through the night
When will your baby sleep through the night?
As a newborn, your baby will wake up several times throughout the night, as they should. Their little bellies just aren’t big enough to keep them full all night long. So, first, set realistic expectations of when your baby will sleep a full eight hours or more.
Fortunately, your little one will start dropping nighttime feedings and sleeping for longer stretches as they get older. This is great news!
However, every baby is different, and you’ll need to pay attention to whether or not your baby is ready — or even able — to sleep all night.
Is your baby ready to sleep through the night?
Your baby must be ready and able to sleep through the night. Consider the factors below to determine if it’s time to help your little one sleep train.
1) Is your baby bottle-fed or breastfed?
Some breastfed babies take a little longer to sleep through the night. Breastmilk passes through your baby’s body more quickly than formula, so formula-fed babies tend to stay full longer than breastfed babies.
However, as we mentioned earlier, every baby is different and this is not always the case.
2) Was your baby born prematurely?
If your baby was born prematurely, they may need a little more time than a full-term baby before they’re ready and able to sleep through the night.
In most cases, premature babies sleep in shorter increments, have lighter sleep patterns, and wake up more frequently.
As a result, they’re likely to have a harder time staying asleep once they’re down and may not be able to achieve a full night’s rest until they are 6-8 months old (or even later).
3) How old is your baby?
Remember to be realistic. The majority of babies are around four to six months old before they begin sleeping for several hours at night without waking.
So, don’t expect your four-week-old newborn to sleep through the night right away. If they do, that’s awesome and, we have to admit, we envy you just a little bit.
But, if they don’t and you somehow think they should because a friend of a friend of a friend said their newborn did, you’ll just be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Why your baby wakes up at night
Hunger
One of the main reasons that your baby wakes up at night is because they’re hungry. Newborn babies need to eat often throughout the day and night to take in the calories, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need to continue growing.
Eventually, they will start to sleep for longer intervals (usually around 6 months old) but, until then, they’re going to get hungry several times during the night, wake up, and want to be fed.
This is a natural process, so resist the urge to try to find some way to overcome it. For example, one common misconception holds that if you feed your baby more during the day, they’ll sleep longer at night. This is false.
Most babies will still wake up during the night and start to cry, even if they don’t need to feed.
When they do wake up for a meal, keep the environment as unstimulating as possible (e.g., quiet, dark, and cool) and then put your little one back to bed when they’re full.
Flinching
All babies are born with an involuntary reflex (called the Moro (startle) reflex) that can cause them to flinch and wake up if something startles them — even the sound of their own crying.
The purpose of this reflex is mainly to protect their head until they have enough coordination and strength to support and control things on their own.
Until that happens, your newborn may jerk awake at night and try to protect themselves the only way they know how: crying out for mom or dad. Once they’re awake, they may realize that they’re hungry and refuse to go back to sleep until they’re fed.
This involuntary reflex usually lasts until around four months or so and then goes away on its own. There’s very little you can do about it except roll with it and do your best to limit the triggers that set it off (mentioned below).
Noise
As we’ve mentioned, newborns are relatively light sleepers, so even regular household noise — closing a cabinet, walking on creaky floorboards, flushing the toilet — can interrupt your little one’s slumber.
In some cases, excess noise can trigger the Moro reflex mentioned above and disturb what might have been a solid few hours of sleep.
Do your best to limit the noise near your newborn’s sleep area, and check out the section Create a calm and soothing atmosphere later on in this article for more tips on masking sound in your baby’s environment.
Discomfort
Your baby may wake up at any time during the night — or have a hard time falling asleep — because they’re uncomfortable in some way.
Common causes of discomfort include:
- Dirty diaper
- Upset stomach
- Being too hot
- Being too cold
- Diaper rash
- Light
- Noise
- Scratchy fabrics
- Hard sleeping surface
If your baby wakes up during the night, run through a quick checklist to see if something might be keeping them awake.
- Check their diaper
- Check their environment (i.e., light, noise, temperature)
- Consider changing their sleep clothes
- Try feeding them
Usually, one (or several) of these things will help your little one fall back asleep.
If you’ve offered your newborn a meal and/or changed something that might be causing discomfort and they still don’t want to go back to sleep, consider letting them cry for a little bit so they learn how to self-soothe.
If they wake up and refuse to feed and their sleeplessness persists, talk to your pediatrician for advice on what to do next.
Teething
Teething usually starts around 6 months of age but may sometimes hold off until 8 months. Once it does start, it can last for upwards of 10 months.
Regardless of when it starts or how long it lasts, teething is a very uncomfortable process and can cause your baby to wake up more often during the night.
If you suspect teething to be the cause of your little one’s restlessness, ask your pediatrician for tips to soothe sore gums.
Now that you have some ideas about why your baby might wake up and when they can sleep through the night, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty — how to make that happen.
How to get your baby to sleep through the night
1) Purchase a solid crib.
To get a good night’s sleep, your baby needs a crib that’s solid and sturdy. After all, this bed is what your little one will sleep in every day of their life!
For more guidance on how to choose the right crib, check out our article Crib Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Safest Crib For Your Baby.
2) Choose a breathable mattress.
The crib mattress is the foundation of your baby’s sleep. More specifically, a breathable mattress helps your little one sleep more soundly and safely.
This is because a breathable mattress, like Newton Baby’s Crib Mattress, not only helps regulate your baby's body temperature — which means your little one won’t wake up with a sweaty back — but it also reduces the risk of suffocation!
And to top it off, our crib mattress is 100 percent breathable and 100 percent washable!
Now, having a washable mattress won’t help your baby sleep better, but it will definitely help you sleep better knowing that when accidents happen, a quick wash will do the trick!
And because our mattresses are washable, you can say goodbye to mold, bacteria, and allergens! Now your baby can sleep safely!
But your baby’s crib mattress not only needs to be washable and breathable, but it also needs to be comfortable. Your little one will sleep soundly on our Crib Mattress because it is much more comfortable than traditional mattresses wrapped in plastic.
When a mattress is wrapped in plastic, it’s noisy. So, when your little one is rolling around in their sleep, the noise from the mattress wakes them up. You don’t have to worry about that with Newton Baby’s mattress!
Our mattresses are made with a Wovenaire core, which is 90 percent air and 10 percent food-grade polymer. As a result, it’s free of foam, latex, and springs. Additionally, we left out the plastic covering for a more comfortable sleep surface and used our 3D Space Cover instead.
When you buy a Newton Baby crib mattress, it comes with the cover, but you also have the option of purchasing Extra Crib Mattress Covers so you’re prepared when accidents happen — one in the wash and one on your little one’s bed!
As you can see, the quality of your baby’s mattress impacts the quality of your baby’s sleep. Invest in a crib mattress that’s going to set your baby up for a full, uninterrupted night of sleep!
3) Consider your baby’s sleep position.
For your baby to sleep soundly through the night, they need to be comfortable and safe. The best way for that to happen is by helping them start the night on their back.
What’s more, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends always placing your baby on their back when putting them to sleep, whether at nighttime or nap time.
Once your baby begins rolling over and is comfortable with rolling both ways — tummy to back and back to tummy — there’s no need to turn them onto their back, especially when they’re sleeping on a breathable mattress!
4) Spend time outdoors during the day.
Many babies get their days and nights mixed up. They often wake up throughout the night because they're confused and think it’s time to play or cuddle!
Before your little one can start sleeping for several hours at a time, they will need to overcome day and night confusion.
One easy way to make this happen is by spending time outdoors during the day. Open your curtains up first thing in the morning to introduce your baby to the natural sunlight. As soon as it’s time to wind down from the day, close the curtains.
Exposing your baby to sunlight helps their internal clock adjust so they become more aware of the difference in days and nights. This eliminates any confusion and helps them sleep through the night!
5) Create a consistent bedtime routine.
Sticking to a routine helps your baby sleep better and longer throughout the night.
Whatever bedtime routine you plan for your little one, be consistent. Night after night, your baby will come to expect the same routine and know when it’s time to go to sleep.
Toward the end of the day, keep your baby’s activities calm and peaceful. A good way to get your baby to calm down and relax in the evening is to give them a bath. Then do something your baby really enjoys right before bedtime, like reading a book or singing songs.
Make sure these activities take place in their nursery so your baby will relate their nursery with things they like to do, which includes sleeping all night!
6) Keep the nursery cool.
Believe it or not, the temperature in your baby’s room can alter the amount and quality of their sleep. If your little one gets too hot, they’ll wake up because they either have a sweaty back or they’re uncomfortable.
Setting the room to a cooler temperature (as well as using a breathable mattress!) keeps your baby’s back free from sweat and helps them stay comfortable throughout the night.
Now your baby can enjoy several hours of uninterrupted nighttime sleep!
7) Create a calm and soothing atmosphere.
The AAP recommends parents share the same room with their baby for at least the first six months of their baby’s life. Your little one may still sleep in your room for several months after that.
Whether your baby is sleeping in your room or their nursery, create a calm and soothing atmosphere to set them up for a good night’s sleep.
We already mentioned room temperature, but lighting is another way to create a relaxing, sleep-inducing atmosphere. Make sure the room is dark enough, and consider using a noise machine to drown out any other noises inside the house.
A cozy room or nursery is just what your baby needs to sleep through the night!
8) Try swaddling.
Swaddling can be a very effective way to give newborns the feeling of cozy, womb-like security they need to stay asleep longer. In fact, swaddling is one of the best ways to prevent the Moro reflex from startling them awake.
You can also make your newborn more comfortable — and prevent separation anxiety — by putting your scent on the swaddle. Keep the fabric close to your clothes and your body before you put it on your baby. This makes the swaddle even more comforting to your little one.
If you choose to swaddle your newborn at night, keep in mind that swaddling is no longer recommended once your baby is two months old. At that age, they may start learning how to roll over and the swaddle could prevent that important development.
9) Offer a pacifier.
Sucking on a pacifier can reduce your baby’s heart rate, lower their blood pressure, and give them a sense of security. All of these things can help them stay asleep longer.
A pacifier is also good for soothing teething pain, which can keep your child from falling back asleep when they wake up during the night.
If your baby wakes and starts to fuss, try offering a pacifier to help them go back to sleep. To make them feel more comfortable, touch them with one hand while holding the pacifier in their mouth with the other so they know you haven’t left.
You may hear your baby start to fuss during the night and discover that the pacifier is still in the mouth. When this happens, give it a tiny tug to encourage them to start sucking on it again and restart the soothing process.
On other occasions, your newborn may wake up during the night, feed, and still refuse to go back to sleep. This is the perfect time to try offering a pacifier to help soothe them back into dreamland.
10) Keep them active before bed.
For you, the evening hours are a time when you start to wind down for bed. But, for your newborn, they’ve been napping off and on all day and may not feel tired.
You can help encourage the sleep response by playing with your child an hour or so before their bedtime. Show them toys. Move their arms and legs. Play music. Go for a walk (weather permitting).
All of these things (and others) can stimulate your baby’s senses and tire them out before bed.
Combined with a consistent bedtime routine, activity can have a beneficial effect on your little one and encourage them to sleep longer at night.
11) Touch-soothe your baby.
Sometimes, your baby may wake up for no reason at all — they’re not hungry and they’re not uncomfortable in any way.
Before you pick them up and try to rock them back to sleep, try stroking their little face, hands, arms, or back. This type of simple touch-soothing can provide your baby with enough comfort to fall back asleep in the middle of the night.
12) Be patient.
Your baby’s sleep needs can change, like when they go through a growth spurt. Or maybe your little one was sleeping well and all of a sudden they started waking up in the middle of the night.
Don’t worry! Both situations are completely normal. Getting your baby to sleep for long stretches is a marathon, not a sprint. Just give your little one some time and, before you know it, they’ll snooze right through the night!
Sleeping Well
It will most likely take some time for your baby to learn to sleep through the night. Keep in mind that when your baby is ready and able, it’ll happen!
So, above all, when implementing the tips in this article, remember the last point: Be patient with your baby (and yourself). Give them lots of love and attention and make them as comfortable as possible when it’s time for bed.
That said, one way to help your baby sleep comfortably all night long is by choosing a breathable mattress, like Newton Baby’s Crib Mattress.
Our mattresses have breathe-thru technology, which allows for air circulation and reduces the chances of suffocation. It also helps regulate your baby’s body temperature and reduces dust mites and allergens.
Pair it with our Organic Crib Sheets for the safest and most comfortable sleep surface.
With our safe, comfy mattress and the tips we’ve mentioned here, you can give your baby the best sleep possible!
