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It is very important for both parents and the baby to establish a routine, to give sleep training to babies and to establish regular sleep habits. So, how and when should sleep training be given to babies? What should sleep training mothers pay attention to? Let’s see the details of the job!
When does sleep training start in babies?
You’ve heard from many parents that their babies have trouble sleeping, are constantly waking up, and are restless. There can be many reasons for babies’ sleep problems, but the majority of them are caused by the lack of sleep patterns and education. That’s why sleep training at the right time is important.
In fact, there is no exact age for sleep training. The only thing we need to be clear about is that the older the baby is, the closer you are to habits and routines. If the right sleep habits can be gained at the right time, the baby’s sleep problems can be minimized in the future.
It can be a little difficult to try to give newborn sleep training in the 0-3 months period, because in these months, the baby can only adapt to life. However, babies start to sleep more regularly and longer with the 4th month. Now, newborn problems have decreased even more and new conditions such as teething, separation anxiety, physical activity that will affect sleep have not emerged. Therefore, “When does sleep training begin?” We can give the correct answer to the question of the end of the baby’s 4th month, the beginning of the 5th month.
With 4-month-old baby sleep training, you don’t need to spend extra time to put your baby to sleep and your baby can fall asleep peacefully without getting cranky. Those who sleep training their babies can experience a better quality parenting process.
How to create a 4-5 month old baby sleep pattern?
Organize your sleeping hours!
In order for babies aged 0-5 to fully benefit from melatonin and other growth hormones, it is appropriate that the time to go to sleep is between 20.00-21:00 at the latest, and the waking time is 08:00 at the latest. Keeping these hours constant, ensuring that he goes to sleep and wakes up at the same time creates a routine. If you shift this order, if you put your baby to sleep at 22:00 one day and 20:00 one day, his whole routine will be disrupted, his daytime naps will shift, so he will go to sleep later or earlier and become complex again. For this reason, it is necessary for the baby to be asleep and to wake up at the times mentioned above.
Don’t miss your daytime naps!
It is important that you know your baby’s waking times and regulate their daytime sleep accordingly. Because the baby between the ages of 0-5 cannot spend the whole day awake, especially when new physical activities are added to his life and he is tired in this rush! Come, let’s find out how long the baby can stay awake at what times.
| Age | wake time | daytime sleep time | night sleep time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-6 weeks | 40-60 minutes | 4-5 times, total 8-9 hours | 8-9 seconds |
| 6 weeks-3 months | 1, 1.5 seconds | 3-4 times, 5-6 hours | 9-10 seconds |
| 3-6 is | 1.5-2.5 seconds | 3 times, 4-5 hours | 10-11 sec |
| 6-9 is | 2-3 seconds | 2 times, 3-4 hours | 10-11 sec |
| 9-12 is | 2.5-3.5 seconds | 2 times, 2-3 hours | 11-12 sec |
We recommend that you know these times and not miss your baby’s daytime naps.
Create your routines!
Routine may seem boring to you, but babies love it! When your baby knows the next move after one move, he feels peaceful and safe. You can spread these routines throughout the day or apply them only before bedtime. The sleep and wake times mentioned above are also included in this routine.
From the time he wakes up, if you can, you can build a routine like this;
- If the weather is right, you can take your baby outside so they can take full advantage of the sunlight and oxygen. Best to do this before noon!
- If you’re breastfeeding, cut stimulants out of your life for a while. Foods such as coffee and chocolate are not good options for your baby’s sleep pattern.
- Help her poop during the day. Activities such as massaging the abdomen and mini-leg exercises can trigger pooping. So the baby does not have to interrupt his sleep to poop at night.
- Catch the rhythm. Doesn’t it sound very calming to take a stroll with your baby in the sling, to keep him entertained with tiny rhythms, to swing him on the swing?
- Reduce movement towards bedtime. When approaching to sleep, doing calmer activities, reducing the sound, dimming the baby show that it is time to sleep.
For pre-sleep, you can follow these steps;
- Lamps that turn on as it gets dark and the sounds that multiply increase the curiosity of the baby and cause him to get excited. That’s why it’s important to calm down when it’s time to sleep.
- Enjoying a little bath before sleep helps your baby relax. Don’t be afraid to bathe your baby every day, once you set the right temperature, there won’t be any problems.
- A baby massage with gentle touches after the bath will not only relax your baby, but also relieve her stress and make her feel loved and safe. It also helps with gas problem. Therefore, we recommend that you do not miss your massage.
- It may be a good option to make use of white noise at these stages. These sounds, which remind babies of the mother’s womb, make it easier for them to relax and fall asleep.
- Pre-bedtime breastfeeding also facilitates the transition to sleep. A pacifier can be used if more is needed.
- Fragrances such as lavender have soothing properties. That’s why you can put lavender sachets in your baby’s room or drip a few drops of herbal lavender oil into his bed to help your baby go to sleep.
- You can get him to get a sleep buddy. A soft sleeping companion to hug and hold as needed at night helps her feel safe.
- When you put your baby to bed, you can read to him in a calm voice. Of course, the baby will not understand words, but the rhythmic tone of his voice will make it easier for him to fall asleep.
Organize your diet!
When the baby switches to additional food, if his weight and development are good, he can now sleep without interruption at night. However, babies before 6 months may need frequent night feedings. In order to reduce these intervals, you should make sure that your baby is sufficiently fed at each breastfeeding stage, especially during the daytime hours. In this way, the baby does not get hungry untimely and does not have to wake up with a rumbling tummy.
Make your room sleep-friendly!
- The temperature of the room where your baby sleeps can be around 20-21 degrees. Having a very hot room also causes excessive sweating, thus interrupting sleep.
- Materials such as quilts up to 6 months can be dangerous for babies. So you can use swaddle or sleeping bag.
- It is important that the room where you sleep is dark for the secretion of melatonin.
- There should be no sound other than white noise in the room.
Intervene early so he doesn’t wake up!
If your baby’s sleep is interrupted for some reason, it’s not a good idea to immediately take him to bed and wake him up with stimuli. You should give him some time to get him back to sleep before his senses fully open. Listening to white noise again, gently shaking, and blocking stimuli can help your baby fall asleep again.
What are the sleep training methods in babies?
- Tracy Hogg sleep training: Lay-Lift method.
- Ferber sleep training: The crying method.
- Harvey Karp sleep training: 5S method. Here are the details: A Sound Sleep Guide for Babies 3-12 Months Old
- Kim West sleep training: Sleep training without crying. Tansu Okay told: How to give sleep training without crying?
- William Sears sleep training
