Sleeping through the night

Do you have anything next to him or a stuffie? Maybe a blanket? Does the dark scare him? Put some sleep music

What does sleep in 24 hours look like from morning wake up, nap time and length and bedtime?

Could be that he’s sleeping too much during the day.

My 16 month old doesn't sleep through the night either. I don't have any personal experience as we still breastfed at night, but there are some great Facebook groups for this: Biologically Normal Infant & Toddler Sleep and Attachment -Focused Sleep & Parents Community with Taylor Kulik. Of note, sleeping all the way through the night without waking up isn't biologically normal for several years.

First off, don’t be hard on yourself as every baby will be different. Different things work for different babies. My 3 month old sleeps 10 hours throughout the night without any wake ups. I can share what I do/what works for us in hopes that you can find some relief too. First off, routine to help build sleep associations. Nighttime looks like a warm bathe or a wipe down with a warm clothe and calming instrumentals on low volume while this is happening. We then change into pj’s and get a warm bottle of milk and bedtime story (I am just starting to incorporate the bedtime stories). I have a red night light as I’ve read that red lighting dimmed helps produce melatonin. I make sure the room is between 68-72 degrees and the pj’s and sleep sack are comfortable. An uncomfortable room environment (too hot/too cold/too much light shining through the window) can wake baby. After he is fed I make sure he is properly burped and massage his belly to help him let out gas because..(continued 1/2)

If there is any discomfort he will wake up. When I put him down I make sure he is awake but drowsy. At this point, he is no longer being swaddled but is in either his Merlin sleep suit or dreamland weighted sleep sack. Their reflexes can be a cause of waking up if they aren’t swaddled or in a sleep sack. I feed him every 2 hours 4 ounces during the day. This helps ensure his belly is full throughout the day for longer night sleep. He doesn’t sleep as much during the day. 3-4 naps max which can vary from 40 mins to 2 hours. During the day I try to make sure it’s wake, play (tummy time/engagement), eat and sleep. 120 min wake windows. If your baby is overtired sleep may also be difficult I’ve found. I have black out curtains and black out blinds so the room is pitch black. I have my sound machine too. My baby prefers cricket sounds. (2/2). I hope this helps and wishing you and baby better sleep soon. ❤️

Mine doesn’t sleep through the night either, we are consulting a sleeping specialist

@Neha normally 2-3 hours worth of sleep during the day. Bedtime around 8-9pm

@B yes usually a blanky. Thank you for the suggestion I will try the music!

@Jess not really. I also try to keep him awake at lest 3-4 hours before bedtime.

@Ashley first you’re an incredible mom! Thank you for this!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Some children need more time to learn to self soothe. It can happen anywhere between 12-36 months. It’s so normal for your child to wake. It’s our job as parents to comfort them and connect their sleep cycles. We are pack animals and biologically have the need to be with our loved ones. We feel safest at night with others at night. When split nights happen, it’s okay to take a break for 5 minutes. Sometimes I’ll sit baby down in his crib and sit in the chair next to him if he’s feeling froggy and I need some space. Make sure his wake windows are appropriate for his age. That’s HUGE. Rough and tumble play, climbing, dancing a few hours before bed is important too. They need to get some energy out. A solid bedtime routine will help make them more relaxed as well. We have a night light because I would be scared of the dark if I was a lil baby too. Sometimes I give baby a sip of water and diaper change. They are little people and just like us have needs in the night occasionally.

We’ve been capping day sleep at 2 hours since 9 months, BUT every baby is obviously different. We found night sleep was better once we limited day sleep. Now he’s on one nap, he tends to do around an hour and a half nap on a good day. How much sleep does he get overnight? What time is wake up? It is totally normal for babies to wake in the night, same as we do. How do you put baby to sleep? Are they supported to sleep? This can SOMETIMES have an impact on now easily they go back to sleep too. Are you happy with wake windows? Trying not to make blanket statements as what works for my LO may not work for yours, but just thought I would share what’s worked for us.