Having a baby is exhausting for both mom and baby. The first few weeks after birth mama and baby are both recovering and this time should be used to bond with one another. Although, after about two weeks, when you and your little one are all rested up, you should think about getting your little bug on a sleep schedule. The sooner you do this, the better! Every situation is different, so once you decide what sleep schedule works best for you and your family start it asap.
The most important thing to remember about starting a sleep schedule is to stay consistent. Come up with a calm nightly ritual. Such as, reading a short bedtime story in a dimly lit room and just before she start to close her little eyes put her in her crib. This routine will help give your little one the heads up that it’s time to put her head down. When you put her down before she start to close her eyes it helps her fall asleep on her own a little easier. The entire routine is also a great bonding experience that only gets stronger overtime.
Just like little Vieene, every babies sleep and eating schedule is going to vary. She might wake up early and eat right away, or she might wake up a little later and not be hungry until after playtime. As Vieene gets a little older her mom will start to become more familiar with her sleep and hunger cues which will help in coming up with a good sleep schedule for her.
No matter what your little ones sleep schedule looks like, as a general rule, babies between 3 to 12 months should get at least two to three hours of sleep during the day. If you include nights your baby should be getting a total of 14 to 15 hours total each day. Once your infant reaches 4 months she is less likely to need to wake up during the night to eat, so she should be getting even more sleep after that. If you find that she is still waking up in the middle of the night to eat after 4 months try feeding her right before she falls asleep. This will help her last a little longer and hopefully break that habit so you and her can get in a little more shuteye.
How do you even start getting your little one on a sleep schedule? First, try to pay attention to when she sleeps the longest and start focusing on putting her to bed around that time. Second, introduce your bedtime routine slowly. Next, put her down while she is drowsy but not asleep yet. Doing this will help her learn to fall asleep on her own which will make for a healthy future sleeping routine. She might not like it at first, but keep trying and she will eventually adjust to it. Then you can implement your nightly routine during her nap time too (a shorter modified version of your routine). Lastly, be consistent about where she sleeps.
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