My baby won't sleep at night. What should I do?
Sleepless nights for you and your partner are unfortunately inevitable for at least the first six weeks. In fact, it's normal for babies to wake during the night for many months. Although newborns sleep for up to 18 hours out of every 24 in the first month, it's unlikely to be for more than one to three hours at a time, and this includes night-time sleep.
Although it may seem like this phase is lasting forever, it will pass, and your baby will move into a more regular pattern of sleeping, with longer spells at night. This is likely to happen between three months and six months. All babies are different though, with some sleeping through as early as eight weeks and many more waking during the night throughout the first year.
Encouraging good sleep habits may help your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer. Establishing a comforting and calming bedtime routine at around three months can help your baby to recognise when it's time for sleep, and encourage him to gently drift off.
Try a warm bath, a gentle massage and a soothing lullaby at the same time every night. Keep the routine fairly short – around 20 minutes to 30 minutes is enough time to gently wind down. Being consistent with your bedtime routine will help your baby understand that sleep is on its way. And it can be a wonderful time for you and your partner to relax and bond with your little one too.
If your baby is older than three months, he's capable of falling asleep on his own. That doesn’t mean he will, of course! But you may be able to start showing him how to settle himself to sleep.
Put your baby down while he's sleepy but awake. You may need to pat or shush him gently until he drifts off, or you may be able to leave the room and check on him at intervals. Whatever you decide to do, try to make it consistent, so that your baby knows what to expect.
If your baby is finding it hard to settle back to sleep after a night feed, it may be worth checking your environment when you feed him. Keeping it as dark and quiet as possible, so your baby isn’t stimulated into feeling more alert during a feed, may help him to settle quicker.
Sleepless nights can take a toll on you and your partner. If you feel you’re unable to cope with the lack of sleep, and it's affecting you or your baby's wellbeing, you may want to try sleep training. There are lots of methods to try that don’t involve your baby crying himself to sleep. The key is to find the right approach that works for you and your baby, and being consistent.
Give your approach time to work. Try to plan sleep training for a time when you and your partner are at home, with no late nights out or holidays planned. Agree with each other beforehand what your approach will be, so that you're both consistent with your little one when it comes to settling him back down to sleep.
Don’t start a new sleep routine if your baby is unwell or is teething but do keep it up if you started it before he became ill. This will prove invaluable when he recovers and needs to get used to normal life again.
If your baby still doesn't sleep, in spite of your best efforts, talk to your health visitor. She can give you lots of practical advice and ideas to help your baby sleep, and get some much needed rest yourself.
You can also find lots of advice and support, at any hour of the day or night, in our friendly BabyCentre community.
More baby sleep problems
Although it may seem like this phase is lasting forever, it will pass, and your baby will move into a more regular pattern of sleeping, with longer spells at night. This is likely to happen between three months and six months. All babies are different though, with some sleeping through as early as eight weeks and many more waking during the night throughout the first year.
Encouraging good sleep habits may help your baby to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer. Establishing a comforting and calming bedtime routine at around three months can help your baby to recognise when it's time for sleep, and encourage him to gently drift off.
Try a warm bath, a gentle massage and a soothing lullaby at the same time every night. Keep the routine fairly short – around 20 minutes to 30 minutes is enough time to gently wind down. Being consistent with your bedtime routine will help your baby understand that sleep is on its way. And it can be a wonderful time for you and your partner to relax and bond with your little one too.
If your baby is older than three months, he's capable of falling asleep on his own. That doesn’t mean he will, of course! But you may be able to start showing him how to settle himself to sleep.
Put your baby down while he's sleepy but awake. You may need to pat or shush him gently until he drifts off, or you may be able to leave the room and check on him at intervals. Whatever you decide to do, try to make it consistent, so that your baby knows what to expect.
If your baby is finding it hard to settle back to sleep after a night feed, it may be worth checking your environment when you feed him. Keeping it as dark and quiet as possible, so your baby isn’t stimulated into feeling more alert during a feed, may help him to settle quicker.
Sleepless nights can take a toll on you and your partner. If you feel you’re unable to cope with the lack of sleep, and it's affecting you or your baby's wellbeing, you may want to try sleep training. There are lots of methods to try that don’t involve your baby crying himself to sleep. The key is to find the right approach that works for you and your baby, and being consistent.
Give your approach time to work. Try to plan sleep training for a time when you and your partner are at home, with no late nights out or holidays planned. Agree with each other beforehand what your approach will be, so that you're both consistent with your little one when it comes to settling him back down to sleep.
Don’t start a new sleep routine if your baby is unwell or is teething but do keep it up if you started it before he became ill. This will prove invaluable when he recovers and needs to get used to normal life again.
If your baby still doesn't sleep, in spite of your best efforts, talk to your health visitor. She can give you lots of practical advice and ideas to help your baby sleep, and get some much needed rest yourself.
You can also find lots of advice and support, at any hour of the day or night, in our friendly BabyCentre community.
More baby sleep problems
Track your baby’s development
Join now to receive free weekly newsletters tracking your baby’s development and yours throughout your pregnancy.
