Things I Did That Helped All 4 of My Babies Sleep Through the Night By 12 Weeks
I’m not saying this to brag because I know every baby is going to be different, but all 4 of my babies were sleeping through the night between 8 & 12 weeks old. I don’t have the secrets, but I followed roughly the same system with all of them and something worked and we didn’t have to let them cry it out or do any formal sleep training!
*For reference, my babies sleep almost exclusively in their own bassinet next to my bed. I have done some co-sleeping here and there with 2 of my babies when necessary for my sleep quality & sanity(please learn how to do it safely). But this system worked for me to get them sleeping on their own. There’s been regressions and hiccups in their solid sleep quality along the way, but overall they’ve been great sleepers.
Daytime Calories
Babies require a certain amount of calories a day. If they aren’t getting enough during the day, then they’re going to wake up at night to eat and get more! I try to stick to a pretty strict, every 2 hour feeding schedule during the day to try and give them their fill so they don’t “have” to wake up to eat during the night.
Establish Day vs. Night
When they’re newborns and will usually sleep anywhere and everywhere, I let them take daytime naps with the lights on or the blinds open. Then at night, it’s dark with blackout blinds. I think the darkness helps cue their bodies to know that it’s time for a longer stretch of sleep than a typical nap.
Limit Daytime Sleep
It’s soooo hard to wake a sleeping baby, but limiting daytime sleep has actually helped a ton. I never(or almost never) let them nap for a stretch longer than 2 hours at a time. I want them to learn to do those longer stretches at night!
Wake Windows
This is something I followed super strictly with my first 2 babies, now I’m on #4 and I think I googled the appropriate wake windows for his age once and haven’t really worried about it since. I just watch for sleepy cues; rubbing eyes, red eyebrows, heavy eyes, etc. and offer a nap then. My youngest is now 5 1/2 months old and is just barely getting on an actual schedule. I think it’s helpful to watch for sleepy cues & possibly know the wake windows, but don’t worry about getting on a super strict schedule right away.
Nightime Routine
Just like I talked about above with the daylight vs. dark, I think a good routine helps cue them that it’s time for bed. We do a super simple routine: light’s down, change diaper, put on PJs, put on Owlet, put in swaddle or sleep sack, feed, then lay down. That’s it and it has worked well with all of our babies. I don’t worry too much about putting them to bed “awake but drowsy”. A lot of times they fall asleep while nursing and as long as I feel like they got a decent feed, I just lay them down asleep.
Dream Feeds
Some of my babies needed these for short periods of time and others didn’t. But basically it’s offering a feed after baby has been asleep for a little while, right before you go to bed. Baby is usually asleep and feeds as a reflex. The hope with this is that feeding with help them go longer before getting hungry, giving you a longer stretch of sleep. I’ve never had to do this for a long time, but sometimes it helped when I was noticing a pattern of them waking up not long after I went to bed.
Set the Room
I think this can make a difference. And we keep it pretty simple, just blackout blinds and a sound machine. I have this one on my nightstand that doubles as a clock, and these ones in both of my kids’ rooms.
Sleep Consultant
If you are having a hard time getting your baby to sleep well at night & feel like you’ve done all that you know how to do, I would recommend a sleep consultant if you can swing it! They know all the little tips & tricks to help you out. I consulted with the one I just linked when my 3rd was going through a rough sleep regression & she helped me a ton! Please don’t let yourself be sleep deprived if you don’t have to! She offers free 20 minute calls as well and maybe that’s all you’ll need!
But Please Know
I also think some of it just comes down to luck & temperament! Some babies just really don’t want to be good sleepers for whatever reason. You didn’t do anything wrong & they will sleep through the night one day(hopefully soon).
You’re doing great mom!