Maternity Network

It can take several weeks for them to develop on a 24-hour clock mechanism, with a long period of sleep at night. By four to six weeks, babies start to develop a more distinct rhythm.

By six months, most babies are sleeping from 12 to 14 hours a night, mostly in one long block at night with at least one nap taken during the day. This is the stage where most new parents at least try to claw back some of the several hundred lost hours of sleep (and that’s just in the first year, I jest not), where sleep was a foreign word, thanks to the junior ‘impostor’. Tired? Moi?

Diet, hunger, over-tiredness, discomfort and anxiety may all be contributory factors in your baby (and you) being deprived of sleep.

Suggestions from The Maternity Network:

• Avoid certain foods and drinks which may affect the sleep of young babies and toddlers. Breastfeeding mothers should avoid alcohol, artificial sweeteners, excess caffeine and highly spiced foods. Ensure your baby is receiving a balanced diet during the day so he doesn’t need to wake up for feeds at night.
• Many babies and young children don’t settle to sleep easily in the evening and wake up several times a night because they are overtired.
• Keep things slightly quieter at night and make sure you have some ‘wind down’ time, so your baby isn’t suddenly expected to switch from lively play to sleep.
• By the age of 6 months, babies begin to realise they’re separate from their mothers and may show signs of separation anxiety or stranger anxiety. Some babies are happier if they can hear household noises and know you’re nearby.
• Ensuring the room temperature is neither too hot nor too cold and they are dressed comfortably makes all the difference to their sleeping.
• The Baby Whisperer and Gina Ford have some suggestions.
• Check your baby is not windy as this can prevent them from sleeping soundly.

Suggestions from experienced mums: