Newborn – 3 months
When your baby was born, she requires at least 20 hours of sleep a day. Can you believe it? She is awake for only 4 hours for the whole day, sometimes even less. During those days, she is easy to take care of because she can't even move or roll over by herself. But as time goes by, you will notice that her awake hours are becoming lesser and lesser.
4 months – 6 months
When your baby reaches 4 to 6 months, she will be awake more often. Her needed nap will be down to two naps a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. I recommend that during these months you feed her breakfast when she wakes up and bathe her after. After bathing, babies at this age will need to nap, lay her down and make her fall asleep.
7 months to 10 months
During the days past her 6-month mark or so, you will notice that she will be crankier than usual. Her morning naps will be lesser and lesser until she doesn't take naps in the morning anymore. Don’t worry, during this time, when she is able to sit down on her own already, it is better to make her play in the morning rather than make her take a nap. During this time, it is advisable to let your baby lose one daily nap, and if possible, let her lose the morning one. Letting her take a nap in the afternoon will lessen the probability of having a cranky baby at night.
As of now my baby is 10 months old, so I can’t really tell you what she will be like or what is normal next month. I’ll just try to update this blog next time.
Here are some questions that you may have regarding your baby’s nap:
1. How much sleep does my baby need?
Answer: Newborn = 20 hours
6 – 9 months = 16 hours
9 – 12 months = 13 hours
2. If I keep my baby awake until late at night, will I be able to make her fall asleep easier because she is tired?
Answer: No. Making your baby tired will just elevate her stress levels and thus result in more disrupted sleep, she may wake up more at night.
3. Is it a good idea to “sleep train” my baby?
Answer: Yes. But make sure to wait until she is 6 months old. By then she will be able to grasp routines and schedules and she will be able to adapt to it easily.
4. My baby falls asleep easier when we’re in a moving car. Is it ok to let her sleep in her car seat while I drive her around?
Answer: No. Babies can’t breathe normally when sitting down, this can be a reason for SIDS. If you really have to make her fall asleep in a car, transfer her to your arms when she falls asleep or have a car seat where she can lie down comfortably.
5. When will my baby sleep through the night?
Answer. Around 2-6 months, your baby’s sleep pattern at night will gradually change until she is able to sleep for 5-8 hours straight.
If you have other questions that you want to ask that I haven't answered here. Please feel free to leave me a message. Thanks! :)
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