Sleep

Sleep — or lack of it — is probably the most-discussed aspect of baby care. As new parents quickly discover, the quality and quantity of their baby’s sleep affects the well-being of everyone in the household. And sleep struggles rarely end when child moves from a crib to a bed. Instead of cries, it’s pleas or refusals; instead of a 3 a.m. feeding, it’s a nightmare or request for water.

So how do you get kids to bed through the cries, screams, and avoidance tactics? How should you respond when you’re awakened in the middle of the night? And how much sleep is enough for your kids?

How Much Is Enough?

Sleep quantity needs vary based on age. But common “rules” about how many hours of sleep an infant or a 2-year-old need might not be helpful when it comes to your own child. These numbers are simply averages reported for large groups of kids of particular ages.

There’s no magical number of hours all kids need in a certain age group. Two-year-old Lilly might sleep for 12 hours, while 2-year-old Marcus is just as alert the next day after sleeping for only 9 hours.

Still, sleep is very important to kids’ well-being. The link between a lack of sleep and a child’s behavior isn’t always obvious. When adults are tired, they can be grumpy or lack energy, but kids can become hyper, disagreeable, and have extreme changes in behavior.

Here are some approximate numbers based on age, with age-appropriate tips to help you get your child to sleep.

Babies (Up to 6 Months)

Newborns’ internal clocks aren’t fully developed. They sleep up to 18 hours a day, divided about equally between night and day. Newborns should be wakened every 3 to 4 hours until they have good weight gain, usually within the first few weeks. After that, it’s OK if a baby sleeps for longer periods.

After those first weeks, infants may sleep for as long as 4 or 5 hours at a time — this is about how long their small bellies can go between feedings. If babies do sleep a good stretch at night, they may want to nurse or get the bottle more often during the day.

Just when parents feel that sleeping through the night is a far-off dream, their baby usually begins to sleep longer stretches at night. At 3 months, a baby averages about 14 hours of sleep total, with 8 to 9 hours at night (usually with an interruption or two) and two or three daytime naps.

It’s important to know that babies can cry and make all sorts of other noises during light sleep. Even if they do wake up in the night, they may only be awake for a few minutes before falling asleep again on their own.

But if a baby under 6 months old continues to cry, it’s time to respond. Your baby may be truly uncomfortable: hungry, wet, cold, or even sick. But routine nighttime awakenings for changing and feeding should be as quick and quiet as possible. Don’t provide any unnecessary stimulation, such as talking, playing, turning on the lights, or using a bright mobile device while waiting for your child to sleep. Encourage the idea that nighttime is for sleeping. You have to teach this because your baby doesn’t care what time it is as long as his or her needs are met.

Ideally, place your baby in the crib before he or she falls asleep. It’s not too early to establish a simple bedtime routine. Any soothing activities (bathing, reading, singing) done consistently and in the same order each night can be part of the routine. Your baby will associate them with sleeping and they’ll help him or her wind down.

The goal is for babies to fall asleep by themselves and learn to soothe themselves and go back to sleep if they should wake up in the middle of the night.

6 to 12 Months

At 6 months, babies still need an average of 14 hours of sleep a day, with 2 to 3 daytime naps, lasting anywhere from 2 hours to 30 minutes each. Some babies, particularly those who are breastfed, may still wake at night. But most no longer need a middle-of-the-night feeding.

If your baby wakes in the middle of the night, but you don’t think it’s due to hunger, wait a few minutes before going to your baby. Sometimes, babies just need a few minutes to settle down on their down. Those who don’t settle should be comforted without being picked up (talk softly to your baby, rub the back), then left to settle down again  — unless they are sick. Sick babies need to be picked up and cared for. If your baby doesn’t seem sick and continues to cry, you can wait a little longer, then repeat the short crib-side visit.

Between 6 and 12 months, separation anxiety, a normal part of development, comes into play. But the rules at night are the same through a baby’s first birthday: Try not to pick up your baby, turn on the lights, sing, talk, play, or feed your child. All of these activities do not allow your baby to learn to fall asleep on his or her own and encourage more awakenings.

Toddlers

From ages 1 to 3, most toddlers sleep about 12 to 14 hours over a 24-hour period. Separation anxiety, or just wanting to be up with mom and dad (and not miss anything), can motivate a child to stay awake. So can the simple toddler style of always saying “No!”

It’s important to set regular bedtimes and naptimes, and to stick to them. Parents sometimes make the mistake of thinking that keeping kids up will make them sleepier at bedtime. But the truth is that kids can have a harder time sleeping if they’re overtired. Though most toddlers take 1- to 3-hour naps during the day, you don’t have to force your child to nap. But it’s important to schedule some quiet time, even if your toddler chooses not to sleep.

Establish a bedtime routine to help kids relax and get ready for sleep. For a toddler, the routine might be 5-30 minutes long and include calming activities such as reading a story, bathing, and listening to soft music.

Whatever the nightly ritual is, your toddler will probably insist that it be the same every night. Just don’t allow rituals to become too long or complicated. Whenever possible, let your toddler make bedtime choices within the routine: which pajamas to wear, which stuffed animal to take to bed, what music to play. This gives your little one a sense of control.

Even the best sleepers give parents an occasional wake-up call. Teething can awaken a toddler and so can dreams. Active dreaming begins at this age, and for very young children dreams can be pretty alarming. Nightmares are particularly frightening to a toddler, who can’t distinguish imagination from reality. (So carefully select what TV programs, if any, your toddler sees before bedtime.)

Comfort and hold your child at these times. Let your toddler talk about the dream if he or she wants to, and stay until your child is calm. Then encourage your child to go back to sleep as soon as possible.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers sleep about 11 to 12 hours per night. Those who get enough rest at night may no longer need a daytime nap. Instead, they may benefit from some quiet time in the afternoon.

Most nursery schools and kindergartens have quiet periods when the kids lie on mats or just rest. As kids give up their naps, they may go to bed at night earlier than they did as toddlers.

School-Age Kids and Preteens

School-age kids need 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night. Bedtime problems can start at this age for a variety of reasons. Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices, and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need.

Sleep-deprived kids can become hyper or irritable, and may have a hard time paying attention in school.

It’s still important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights. Leave enough technology-free time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights-out. A good rule of thumb is switching off the electronics at least an hour before bed and keeping TVs, computers, and mobile devices out of kids’ bedrooms.

Teens

Teens need about 9 hours of sleep per night, but many don’t get it. Early school start times on top of schedules packed with school, homework, friends, and activities mean that many are chronically sleep deprived.

Sleep deprivation adds up over time, so an hour less per night is like a full night without sleep by the end of the week. Among other things, a lack of sleep can lead to:

• being less attentive
• inconsistent performance
• short-term memory loss
• delayed response time

This can lead to anger problems, trouble in school (academically and with teachers and peers), the use of stimulants like caffeine or energy drinks to feel more awake, and car crashes due to delayed response times or falling asleep at the wheel.

Teens also undergo a change in their sleep patterns — their bodies want to stay up late and wake up later, which often leads to them trying to catch up on sleep during the weekend. But this irregularity can make getting to sleep at a reasonable hour during the week even harder.

Ideally, a teen should try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, allowing for at least 9 hours of sleep.

Bedtime Routines

No matter what your child’s age, establish a bedtime routine that encourages good sleep habits. These tips can help kids ease into a good night’s sleep:

• Stick to a bedtime, and give your kids a heads-up 30 minutes and then 10 minutes beforehand.
• Include a winding-down period in the routine.
• Encourage older kids and teens to set and maintain a bedtime that allows for the full hours of sleep needed at their age.

Babies are born with soft heads to allow for the amazing brain growth that occurs in the first year of life. As a result, their heads are easily “molded.”

Passage through the birth canal during childbirth can cause a newborn’s head to look pointy or too long. So it’s normal for a baby’s skull, which is made up of several bones that eventually fuse together, to be a bit oddly shaped during the few days or weeks after birth.

But if a baby develops a lasting flat spot, either on one side or the back of the head, it could be flat head syndrome, also called positional plagiocephaly (pu-ZI-shu-nul play-jee-oh-SEF-uh-lee). Flat head syndrome usually happens when a baby sleeps in the same position most of the time or because of problems with the neck muscles.

This problem does not harm brain development or cause any lasting appearance problems. And, fortunately, it does not require surgery. Simple practices like changing a baby’s sleep position, holding your baby, and providing lots of “tummy time” can help.

Causes

The most common cause of a flattened head is a baby’s sleep position. Because infants sleep for so many hours on their backs, the head sometimes flattens in one spot. Placing babies in devices where they lie down often during the day (infant car seats, carriers, strollers, swings, and bouncy seats) also adds to this problem.

Premature babies are more likely to have a flattened head. Their skulls are softer than those of full-term babies. They also spend a lot of time on their backs without being moved or picked up because of their medical needs and extreme fragility after birth, which usually requires a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

A baby might even start to develop flat head syndrome before birth, if pressure is placed on the baby’s skull by the mother’s pelvis or a twin. In fact, many babies from multiple births are born with heads that have some flat spots.

Being cramped in the womb can also cause torticollis, which can lead to a flattened head. Babies with torticollis have a hard time turning their heads because of tight neck muscles on one side of the neck. Since it’s hard to turn the head, they tend to keep their heads in the same position when lying down. This can cause flattening.

Likewise, many babies who started out with flat head syndrome develop torticollis. Because it takes a lot of energy for them to turn their heads, babies with severe flattening on one side tend to stay on that side, so their necks become stiff from lack of use.

Signs and Symptoms

Flattened head syndrome is usually easy for parents to notice. Typically, the back of the child’s head, called the occiput (AHK-suh-puht), is flattened on one side. There is usually less hair on that part of the baby’s head. If a person is looking down at the baby’s head, the ear on the flattened side may be pushed forward.

In severe cases, the head might bulge on the side opposite from the flattening, and the forehead may be uneven. If torticollis is the cause, the neck, jaw, and face may be uneven as well.

Diagnosis

Doctors usually diagnose flat head syndrome simply by looking a child’s head. To check for torticollis, the doctor may watch how a baby moves the head and neck. Lab tests, X-rays, and computed tomography (CT scans) usually are not needed.

The doctor may monitor a child over a few visits to see how the shape of the head changes. If repositioning the child’s head during sleep helps to improve the skull over time, the problem is likely due to flat head syndrome. If it doesn’t, the cause could be due to another condition, such as craniosynostosis (kray-nee-oh-sin-os-TOE-sis).

Craniosynostosis happens when a child’s skull bones fuse together before they’re supposed to (normally, around age 4). This fusion restricts brain growth and causes skull deformities. Children with craniosynostosis need treatment to correct the problem.

If the doctor suspects craniosynostosis or another condition, the child will be referred to a pediatric neurosurgeon or a craniofacial plastic surgeon who may order other tests, like X-rays or a CT scan.

Treatment

If your child has flat head syndrome that’s caused by a sleeping or lying position, there is a lot you can do at home to help treat it:

• Change the head position while your baby sleeps. Reposition your baby’s head (from left to right, right to left) when your baby is sleeping on the back. Even though your baby will probably move around throughout the night, it’s still a good idea to place your child with the rounded side of the head touching the mattress and the flattened side facing up. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend using any wedge pillows or other devices to keep your baby in one position.
• Alternate positions in the crib. Consider how you lay your baby down in the crib. Most right-handed parents carry small infants cradled in their left arms and lay them down with the heads to their left. In this position, the infant must turn to the right to look out into the room — and, indeed, torticollis to the right with flattening of the right side of the head is far more common than the left. Whichever side of your infant’s head is flattened, you will want to position your baby in the crib to encourage active turning of the head to the other side.
• Hold your baby more often. Reduce the amount of time your child spends lying on the back or often being in a position where the head is resting against a flat surface (such as in car seats, strollers, swings, bouncy seats, and play yards). For instance, if your baby has fallen asleep in a car seat during travel, take your baby out of the seat when you get home rather than leaving your little one snoozing in the seat. Pick up and hold your baby often, which will take pressure off the head overall.
• Practice tummy time. Provide plenty of supervised time for your baby to lie on the stomach while awake during the day. Not only does “tummy time” promote normal shaping of the back the head, it also helps in other ways. Looking around from a new perspective encourages your baby’s learning and discovery of the world. Plus, it helps babies strengthen their neck muscles and learn to push up on their arms, which helps develop the muscles needed for crawling and sitting up.

As most infants with plagiocephaly have some degree of torticollis, physical therapy and a home exercise program will usually be part of the recommended treatment. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to do with your baby involving stretching techniques that are gradual and progressive. Most moves will involve stretching your child’s neck to the side opposite the tilt. In time, the neck muscles will get longer and the neck will straighten itself out. Although they’re very simple, the exercises must be done correctly.

For kids with severe flat head syndrome in which repositioning for 2-3 months doesn’t help, doctors may prescribe a custom-molded helmet or head band. While helmets might not work for all children, some kids with severe torticollis can benefit from them.

The helmets work best if used between the ages of 4 and 12 months, when a child grows the fastest and the bones are most moldable. They work by applying gentle but constant pressure on a baby’s growing skull in an effort to redirect the growth.

Never purchase or use any devices like these without first having your child seen by a doctor. Only a small percentage of babies wear helmets. The decision to use helmet therapy is made on a case-by-case basis (for example, if the condition is so severe that a baby’s face is becoming misshapen).

Outlook

The outlook for babies with flat head syndrome is excellent. As babies grow, they begin to reposition themselves naturally during sleep much more often than they did as newborns, which allows their heads to be in different positions throughout the night.

After babies are able to roll over, the AAP still recommends that parents put them to sleep on their backs, but then allow them to move into the position that most suits them without repositioning them onto their backs.

As a general rule, once an infant can sit independently, a flat spot will not get any worse. Then, over months and years, as the skull grows, even in severe cases the flattening will improve. The head may never be perfectly symmetrical, but for a variety of reasons the asymmetry becomes less apparent as well. For example, in later childhood the face becomes more prominent in relation to the skull, hair thickens, and children are always on the go. Experience and clinical research have shown that by school age, a flattened head is no longer a social or cosmetic problem.

It’s important to remember that having a flattened head does not affect a child’s brain growth or cause developmental delays or brain damage.

Prevention

Babies should be put down to sleep on their backs to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), despite the possibility of developing an area of flattening on the back of the head.

However, alternating their head position every night when you put them down to sleep and providing lots of tummy time and stimulation during the day while they’re awake can reduce the risk of flat head syndrome.

The Importance of Naps

Nap. It’s a small word, but for most parents a hugely important one. Why? Sleep is a major requirement for good health, and for young kids to get enough of it, some daytime sleep is usually needed. Crucial physical and mental development occurs in early childhood, and naps provide much-needed downtime for growth and rejuvenation.

Naps also help keep kids from becoming overtired, which not only takes a toll on their moods but may also make it harder for them to fall asleep at night. And naptime gives parents a brief oasis during the day and time to tackle household chores or just unwind.

Sleep Needs by Age

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer regarding how much daytime sleep kids need. It all depends on the age, the child, and the sleep total during a 24-hour period. For example, one toddler may sleep 13 hours at night with only some daytime catnapping, while another gets 9 hours at night but takes a solid 2-hour nap each afternoon.

Though sleep needs are highly individual, these age-by-age guidelines give an idea of average daily sleep requirements:

Birth to 6 months: Infants require about 14 to 18 total hours of sleep per day. Younger infants tend to sleep on and off around the clock, waking every 1 to 3 hours to eat. As they approach 4 months of age, sleep rhythms become more established. Most babies sleep 9 to 12 hours at night, usually with an interruption for feeding, and have 2 to 3 daytime naps lasting about 30 minutes to 2 hours each.

6 to 12 months: Babies this age usually sleep about 14 hours total for the day. This usually includes two naps a day, which may last 20 minutes for some babies, for others a few hours. At this age, infants may not need to wake at night to feed, but may begin to experience separation anxiety, which can contribute to sleep disturbances.

Toddlers (1 to 3 years): Toddlers generally require 12 to 14 hours of sleep, including an afternoon nap of 1 to 3 hours. Young toddlers might still be taking two naps, but naps should not occur too close to bedtime, as they may make it harder for toddlers to fall asleep at night.

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): Preschoolers average about 11 to 12 hours at night, plus an afternoon nap. Most give up this nap by 5 years of age.

School-age (5 to 12 years): School-age kids need about 10 to 11 hours at night. Some 5-year-olds might still need a nap, and if a regular nap isn’t possible, they might need an earlier bedtime.

Signs of Insufficient Sleep

Most parents underestimate the amount of sleep kids need, so be sure to watch your child’s behavior for signs of sleep deprivation, which can range from the obvious — like fatigue — to more subtle problems with behavior and schoolwork.

Ask yourself:

• Does my child act sleepy during the day?
• Does my child get cranky and irritable in the late afternoon?
• Is it a battle to get my child out of bed in the morning?
• Is my child inattentive, impatient, hyperactive, or aggressive?
• Does my child have trouble focusing on schoolwork and other tasks?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider adjusting your child’s sleep or nap schedule. It may take several weeks to find a routine that works. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your child’s sleep.

Naptime Routines and Other Concerns

The key to good napping can be as simple as setting up a good nap routine early on and sticking to it. With infants, watch for cues like fussing and rubbing eyes, then put your baby to bed while sleepy but not yet asleep. This teaches kids how to fall asleep themselves — a skill that only becomes more important as they get older. Soft music, dim lights, or a quiet story or rhyme at bedtime can help ease the transition to sleep and become a source of comfort for your child.

For toddlers and preschoolers, sticking to a naptime schedule can be more challenging. Though many do still love their nap, others don’t want to miss out on a minute of the action and will fight sleep even as their eyes are closing. In this case, don’t let naptime become a battle — you can’t force your child to sleep, but you can insist on some quiet time. Let your child read books or play quietly in his or her room. Parents are often surprised by how quickly quiet time can lead to sleep time — but even if it doesn’t, at least your child is getting some much-needed rest. If your child has given up daytime naps, consider adjusting to an earlier bedtime.

Many parents worry that naptime will interfere with kids’ bedtime, especially on days when a child takes a late-afternoon nap. But before you end naps entirely in an effort to wear out your child by bedtime, consider this: Well-rested kids are quicker to settle down at night than overtired ones. Overtired kids are often “wired” and restless, unable to self-soothe at bedtime, and more likely to wake through the night.

If you feel your child’s late naptime is the cause of bedtime problems, try making the nap a little bit earlier, which may mean waking your child a little earlier in the morning so the nap can begin sooner.

You might also try waking your child from a nap earlier than usual so he or she has a longer active period before bedtime. In other words, try to make some adjustments before abandoning the nap — both you and your child will feel much better if there is one!

What Are Night Terrors?

Most parents have comforted their child after the occasional nightmare. But if your child has ever experienced what’s known as a night terror (or sleep terror), his or her fear was likely inconsolable, no matter what you tried.

A night terror is a sleep disruption that seems similar to a nightmare, but with a far more dramatic presentation. Though night terrors can be alarming for parents who witness them, they’re not usually cause for concern or a sign of a deeper medical issue.

During a typical night, sleep occurs in several stages. Each is associated with particular brain activity, and it’s during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage that most dreaming occurs.

Night terrors happen during deep non-REM sleep. Unlike nightmares (which occur during REM sleep), a night terror is not technically a dream, but more like a sudden reaction of fear that happens during the transition from one sleep phase to another.

Night terrors usually occur about 2 or 3 hours after a child falls asleep, when sleep transitions from the deepest stage of non-REM sleep to lighter REM sleep, a stage where dreams occur. Usually this transition is a smooth one. But rarely, a child becomes agitated and frightened — and that fear reaction is a night terror.

During a night terror, a child might suddenly sit upright in bed and shout out or scream in distress. The child’s breathing and heartbeat might be faster, he or she might sweat, thrash around, and act upset and scared. After a few minutes, or sometimes longer, a child simply calms down and returns to sleep.

Unlike nightmares, which kids often remember, kids won’t have any memory of a night terror the next day because they were in deep sleep when it happened — and there are no mental images to recall.

What Causes Night Terrors?

Night terrors are caused by over-arousal of the central nervous system (CNS) during sleep. This may happen because the CNS (which regulates sleep and waking brain activity) is still maturing. Some kids may inherit a tendency for this over-arousal — about 80% who have night terrors have a family member who also experienced them or sleepwalking (a similar type of sleep disturbance).

Night terrors have been noted in kids who are:

• overtired or ill, stressed, or fatigued
• taking a new medication
• sleeping in a new environment or away from home

Night terrors are relatively rare — they happen in only 3–6% of kids, while almost every child will have a nightmare occasionally. Night terrors usually occur between the ages of 4 and 12, but have been reported in kids as young as 18 months. They seem to be a little more common among boys.

A child might have a single night terror or several before they cease altogether. Most of the time, night terrors simply disappear on their own as the nervous system matures.

Coping With Night Terrors

Night terrors can be very upsetting for parents, who might feel helpless at not being able to comfort or soothe their child. The best way to handle a night terror is to wait it out patiently and make sure the child doesn’t get hurt by thrashing around. Kids usually will settle down and return to sleep on their own in a few minutes.

It’s best not to try to wake kids during a night terror. Attempts usually don’t work, and kids who do wake are likely to be disoriented and confused, and may take longer to settle down and go back to sleep.

There’s no treatment for night terrors, but you can help prevent them. Try to:

• reduce your child’s stress
• establish and stick to a bedtime routine that’s simple and relaxing
• make sure your child gets enough rest
• prevent your child from becoming overtired by staying up too late

Understanding night terrors can reduce your worry — and help you get a good night’s sleep yourself. But if night terrors happen repeatedly, talk to your doctor about whether a referral to a sleep specialist is needed.

It’s not clear at what age kids begin to dream, but even toddlers may speak about having dreams — pleasant ones and scary ones. While almost every child has an occasional frightening or upsetting dream, nightmares seem to peak during the preschool years when fear of the dark is common. But older kids (and even adults) have occasional nightmares, too.

Nightmares aren’t completely preventable, but parents can set the stage for a peaceful night’s rest. That way, when nightmares do creep in, a little reassurance and comfort from you can quickly restore your child’s peace of mind.

Helping kids conquer this common childhood fear also equips them to overcome other scary things that might arise down the road.

When Do Nightmares Happen?

Nightmares — like most dreams — occur during the stage of sleep when the brain is very active and sorting through experiences and new information for learning and memory. The vivid images the brain is processing can seem as real as the emotions they might trigger.

This part of sleep is known as the rapid eye movement or REM stage because the eyes are rapidly moving beneath closed eyelids. Nightmares tend to happen during the second half of a night’s sleep, when REM intervals are longer.

When kids awaken from a nightmare, its images are still fresh and can seem real. So it’s natural for them to feel afraid and upset and to call out to a parent for comfort.

By about preschool age, kids begin to understand that a nightmare is only a dream — and that what’s happening isn’t real and can’t hurt them. But knowing that doesn’t prevent them from feeling scared. Even older kids feel frightened when they awaken from a nightmare and may need your reassurance and comfort.

What Causes Nightmares?

No one knows exactly what causes nightmares. Dreams — and nightmares — seem to be one way kids process thoughts and feelings about situations they face, and to work through worries and concerns.

Most times nightmares occur for no apparent reason. Other times they happen when a child is experiencing stress or change. Events or situations that might feel unsettling — such as moving, attending a new school, the birth of a sibling, or family tensions — might also be reflected in unsettling dreams.

Sometimes nightmares occur as part of a child’s reaction to trauma — such as a natural disaster, accident, or injury. For some kids, especially those with a good imagination, reading scary books or watching scary movies or TV shows just before bedtime can inspire nightmares.

Themes of a nightmare tend to reflect whatever the child is going through at that age, whether it’s struggles with aggressive feelings, independence, or fears of separation. The cast of characters might include monsters, bad guys, animals, imaginary creatures, or familiar people, places, and events combined in unusual ways.

Young kids might have nightmares of being gobbled up, lost, chased, or punished. Sometimes a nightmare contains recognizable bits and pieces of the day’s events and experiences, but with a scary twist. A child might not remember every detail, but can usually recall some of the images, characters, or situations, and the scary parts.

Encouraging Sweet Dreams

Parents can’t prevent nightmares, but can help kids get a good night’s sleep — and that encourages sweet dreams.

To help them relax when it’s time to sleep and associate bedtime with safety and comfort, be sure that kids:

• have a regular bedtime and wake-up time
• have a sleep routine that helps them slow down, and feel safe and secure as they drift off to sleep. This might include a bath, a snuggle from you, reading, or some quiet talk about the pleasant events of the day.
• have a bed that’s a cozy, peaceful place to quiet down. A favorite toy, stuffed animal, night-light, or dream catcher can help.
• avoid scary movies, TV shows, and stories before bed — especially if they’ve triggered nightmares before
• know that nightmares aren’t real, that they’re just dreams and can’t hurt them

After a Nightmare

Here’s how to help your child cope after a nightmare:

Reassure your child that you’re there. Your calm presence helps your child feel safe and protected after waking up feeling afraid. Knowing you’ll be there helps strengthen your child’s sense of security.

Label what’s happened. Let your child know that it was a nightmare and now it’s over. You might say something like, “You had a bad dream, but now you’re awake and everything is OK.” Reassure your child that the scary stuff in the nightmare didn’t happen in the real world.

Offer comfort. Show that you understand that your child feels afraid and it’s OK. Remind your child that everyone dreams and sometimes the dreams are scary, upsetting, and can seem very real, so it’s natural to feel scared by them.

Do your magic. With preschoolers and young school-age kids who have vivid imaginations, the magical powers of your love and protection can work wonders. You might be able to make the pretend monsters disappear with a dose of pretend monster spray. Go ahead and check the closet and under the bed, reassuring your child that all’s clear.

Mood lighting. A nightlight or a hall light can help kids feel safe in a darkened room as they get ready to go back to sleep. A bedside flashlight can be a good nightmare-chaser.

Help your child go back to sleep. Offering something comforting might help change the mood. Try any of these to aid the transition back to sleep: a favorite stuffed animal to hold, a blanket, pillow, nightlight, dreamcatcher, or soft music. Or discuss some pleasant dreams your child would like to have. And maybe seal it by giving your child a kiss to hold — in the palm of his or her hand — as you tiptoe out of the room.

Be a good listener. No need to talk more than briefly about the nightmare in the wee hours — just help your child feel calm, safe, and protected, and ready to go back to sleep. But in the morning, your child may want to tell you all about last night’s scary dream. By talking about it — maybe even drawing the dream or writing about it — in the daylight, many scary images lose their power. Your child might enjoy thinking up a new (more satisfying) ending to the scary dream.

For most kids, nightmares happen only now and then, are not cause for concern, and simply require a parent’s comfort and reassurance. Talk to your doctor if nightmares often prevent your child from getting enough sleep or if they occur along with other emotional or behavioral troubles.

Most teens don’t get enough sleep, usually because their schedules are overloaded or they spend too much time texting or chatting with friends until the wee hours of the morning. Other teens try to go to sleep early, but instead of getting much-needed rest, they lie awake for hours.

Over time, nights of missed sleep (whether they’re caused by a sleep disorder or simply not scheduling enough time for the necessary ZZZs) can build into a sleep deficit (or sleep debt). Teens with a sleep deficit can’t concentrate, study, or work effectively. They also can have emotional problems, like depression.

What Happens During Sleep?

As we sleep, our brains pass through five stages of sleep. Together, stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep make up a sleep cycle. One complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 to 100 minutes. So during an average night’s sleep, a person will experience about four or five cycles of sleep.

Stages 1 and 2 are periods of light sleep from which a person can wake up easily:

• During these stages, eye movements slow down and eventually stop, heart and breathing rates slow down, and body temperature decreases.

Stages 3 and 4 are deep sleep stages:

• It’s harder to wake someone up during these stages, and when awakened, a person often will feel groggy and confused for a few minutes.
• Stages 3 and 4 are the most refreshing of the sleep stages — this is the type of sleep we crave when we’re very tired. They’re also the sleep stages during which the body releases hormones that contribute to growth and development.

The final stage of the sleep cycle is called REM sleep because of the rapid eye movements that occur:

• During REM sleep, other physical changes take place — breathing is rapid, the heart beats faster, and the limb muscles don’t move. This is the stage of sleep when we have our most vivid dreams.

What Prevents an Early Bedtime?

Research shows that teens need about 9 hours of sleep a night. So, a teen who needs to wake up for school at 6 a.m. would have to go to bed at 9 p.m. to reach the 9-hour mark. Studies have found that many teens have trouble falling asleep that early, though. It’s not because they don’t want to sleep. It’s because their brains naturally work on later schedules and aren’t ready for bed.

During adolescence, the body’s circadian rhythm (an internal biological clock) is reset, telling a teen to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. This change in the circadian rhythm seems to be due to the fact that the brain hormone melatonin is produced later at night in teens than it is for kids and adults. So, teenagers have a harder time falling asleep.

Sometimes this delay in the sleep–wake cycle is so severe that it affects a teen’s daily activities. In those cases it’s called delayed sleep phase syndrome, also known as “night owl” syndrome. And if your sleep-deprived teen brings mobile devices into bed, surfing or texting late into the night, the light exposure could also disrupt circadian rhythm and make it harder to sleep.

Changes in the body clock aren’t the only reason teens lose sleep, though. Read on to learn about some of the biggest causes of sleep deprivation.

Insomnia

Lots of us have insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep). The most common cause of insomnia is stress. But all sorts of things can lead to insomnia, including physical discomfort (the stuffy nose of a cold or the pain of a headache, for example), emotional troubles (like family problems or relationship difficulties), and even an uncomfortable sleeping environment (a room that’s too hot, cold, bright, or noisy).

It’s common for teenagers to have insomnia from time to time. But if insomnia lasts for a month or longer with no relief, doctors call it chronic. Chronic insomnia can be caused by a number of different problems, including medical conditions, mental-health problems, medication side effects, or substance abuse. Many teens with chronic insomnia can be helped by a doctor, therapist, or other counselor.

For some teens, worrying about the insomnia can make it worse. A brief period of insomnia can build into something longer lasting when a teen becomes anxious about not sleeping or worried about feeling tired the next day. Doctors call this psychophysiologic insomnia.

PLMD and RLS

Teens with periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) or restless legs syndrome (RLS) find their sleep is disrupted by leg (or, less commonly, arm) movements, leaving them tired or irritable from lack of sleep.

In the case of PLMD, these movements are involuntary twitches or jerks: They’re called involuntary because the person isn’t consciously controlling them and is often unaware of the movement.

Teens with RLS actually feel physical sensations in their limbs, such as tingling, itching, cramping, or burning. The only way they can relieve these feelings is by moving their legs or arms to get rid of the discomfort.

Doctors can treat PLMD and RLS. For some teens, treating an iron deficiency can make the problem go away; others might need to take other types of medication.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This sleep disorder causes a person to stop breathing temporarily during sleep. One common cause of obstructive sleep apnea is enlarged tonsils or adenoids (tissues located in the passage that connects the nose and throat). Being overweight or obese also can put someone at risk for it.

Teens with obstructive sleep apnea might snore, have difficulty breathing, and even sweat heavily during sleep. Because it disrupts sleep, they may feel extremely sleepy or irritable during the day.

Treatment can help teens with sleep apnea, so any who have symptoms (such as loud snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness) should be checked by a doctor.

Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is another common cause of sleep loss. With GERD, stomach acids move backward up into the esophagus, producing the uncomfortable, burning sensation known as heartburn.

GERD symptoms can be worse when a person is lying down. Even if someone doesn’t notice the feelings of heartburn during sleep, the discomfort it causes can still interfere with the sleep cycle. Some people find they are better able to sleep by elevating their head on a few pillows or by taking medications.

If your teen suffers from GERD, it could be interfering with his or her sleep. Talk to a doctor about treatment options or lifestyle changes, such as changes in diet.

Nightmares

Most teens have nightmares on occasion. But frequent nightmares can disrupt sleep patterns by waking someone during the night.

The most common triggers for more frequent nightmares are emotional, such as stress or anxiety. Other things that can trigger them include certain medicines, and consuming drugs or alcohol. Sleep deprivation (getting too little sleep) also can lead to nightmares.

If nightmares are interfering with your teen’s sleep, consider having him or her talk to a doctor, therapist, or other counselor.

Narcolepsy

Teens with narcolepsy are often very sleepy during the day and have sleep “attacks” that may make them suddenly fall asleep, lose muscle control, or see vivid dreamlike images while dozing off or waking up. Nighttime sleep may be disrupted, with frequent awakenings throughout the night.

Narcolepsy can be disturbing because teens fall asleep without warning, making it hazardous to do things like ride a bike or drive. A teens’s school, work, or social life can be affected by the unusual sleep patterns.

Narcolepsy is not commonly diagnosed in teens, but many cases go unrecognized. People usually begin to have symptoms between the ages of 10 and 25, but might not be properly diagnosed until 10–15 years later. Doctors usually treat narcolepsy with medicines and lifestyle changes.

Sleepwalking

It’s rare for teens to walk in their sleep; most sleepwalkers are kids. Sleepwalking, which may run in families, tends to happen most often when a person is sick, has a fever, is not getting enough sleep, or is feeling stress.

Because most sleepwalkers don’t sleepwalk often, it’s usually not a serious problem. Sleepwalkers tend to go back to bed on their own and don’t usually remember sleepwalking. (Sleepwalking often happens during the deeper sleep that takes place during stages 3 and 4 of the sleep cycle.)

Sometimes, though, a sleepwalker will need help moving around obstacles and getting back to bed. It’s also true that waking sleepwalkers can startle them (but it isn’t harmful), so try to guide a sleepwalker back to bed gently.

How to Help

If your teen seems to be getting enough rest at night but is still feeling tired during the day, it’s a good idea to visit the doctor. Excessive tiredness can be caused by all sorts of health problems, not just difficulties with sleep.

If a sleep problem is suspected, the doctor will evaluate your teen’s overall health and sleep habits. In addition to doing a physical examination, the doctor will take a medical history by asking about any concerns and symptoms your teen has, and about his or her past health, your family’s health, and any medications your teen is taking. The doctor may also do tests to find out whether any conditions — such as obstructive sleep apnea — might be interfering with sleep.

Treatment for sleep problems can vary. Some can be treated with medicines, while others can be helped with special techniques like light therapy (where someone sits in front of a lightbox for a certain amount of time each day) or other practices that can help reset a person’s body clock.

Doctors often encourage teens who have sleep problems to make lifestyle changes — like turning off the cellphone or computer before bed, cutting down on caffeine, or avoiding violent video games or movies at night — to promote good sleeping habits.

Newborns don’t yet have a sense of day and night. They sleep around the clock, and because their tiny stomachs don’t hold hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for long, they wake often to eat — no matter what time of day or night it is.

How Long Will My Newborn Sleep?

Newborns should get 14 to 17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Some newborns may sleep up to 18 to 19 hours a day.

Newborns wake every couple of hours to eat. Breastfed babies feed often, about 8 to 12 times a day. Bottle-fed babies tend to feed less often, about every 3 to 4 hours.

Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3 to 4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it’s OK to let your baby sleep for longer periods of time at night.

The first months of a baby’s life can be the hardest for parents, who might get up many times at night to tend to the baby. Each baby has a different sleep pattern. Some start to sleep “through the night” (for 5-6 hours at a time) by 2 to 3 months of age, but some don’t.

How Should Babies Sleep?

During the first weeks of a baby’s life, some parents choose to room-share. Room-sharing is when you place your baby’s crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring at night. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing.

While room-sharing is safe, putting your infant to sleep in bed with you is not. Bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and other sleep-related deaths.

Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:

• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. The rate of SIDS has gone way down since the AAP introduced this recommendation in 1992.
• Use a firm sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly. Make sure your crib, bassinet, or play yard meets current safety standards.
• Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Avoid overheating. Dress your infant for the room temperature, and don’t overbundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
• Keep your baby away from smokers. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.
• Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier. But if your baby rejects the pacifier, don’t force it. If the pacifier falls out during sleep, you don’t have to replace it. If you’re breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is firmly established.

Helping Your Newborn Sleep

Newborns follow their own schedule. Over the next couple of weeks to months, you and your baby will begin to settle into a routine.

It may take a few weeks for your baby’s brain to know the difference between night and day. Unfortunately, there are no tricks to speed this up, but it helps to keep things quiet and calm during middle-of-the-night feedings and diaper changes. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play with or talk to your baby. This will send the message that nighttime is for sleeping. If possible, let your baby fall asleep in the crib at night so your little one learns that it’s the place for sleep.

Don’t try to keep your baby up during the day in the hopes that he or she will sleep better at night. Overly tired infants often have more trouble sleeping at night than those who’ve had enough sleep during the day.

If your newborn is fussy it’s OK to rock, cuddle, and sing as your baby settles down. For the first months of your baby’s life, “spoiling” is definitely not a problem. (In fact, newborns who are held or carried during the day tend to have less colic and fussiness.)

When to Call the Doctor

While most parents can expect their newborn to sleep or catnap a lot during the day, the range of what is normal is quite wide. If you have questions about your baby’s sleep, talk with your doctor.

Toddlers are more and more aware of their surroundings, so distractions might disrupt them at bedtime. Their growing imaginations can start to interrupt sleep, too.

Now more than ever, a simple and consistent bedtime routine is a parent’s best bet for getting a sleepy toddler snugly into bed.

How Much Sleep Does My Toddler Need?

Between the ages of 1 and 2, most kids need about 12-14 hours of sleep a day, including one or two daytime naps.

At around 18 months, or sometimes sooner, most toddlers condense their two naps into one afternoon nap. If you find that your toddler fights the morning nap, he or she is probably ready for just an afternoon nap.

Where Should My Toddler Sleep?

Your 1- to 2-year-old should still sleep in a safe, secure crib. Before a child’s first birthday, blankets are not recommended because of the possible risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) syndrome. But at this age, it’s OK to put a light blanket in your child’s crib. Also, security items like “lovies” are fine and can provide a lot of comfort.

But do not put any extra-large soft toys or stuffed animals in the crib, and look out for items with ties or strings that could wind up around your toddler’s neck. Also, be on constant lookout for nearby objects your child might be able to reach from a standing position in the crib: curtains, window blind pulls, pictures, or wall hangings are all possibilities.

Your curious toddler may be looking for ways to climb over the crib railing in an effort to “break out” of the crib. Don’t leave a lot of toys that your child could pile up and climb onto. And remember: No bumper pads — a child might use those as a step at this age.

If you have an active climber who is getting out of the crib, make sure that the crib mattress is on the lowest possible setting. If it is, and your toddler is still trying to scale the crib, consider moving him or her into a toddler bed or “big kid” bed with a side rail. It will be difficult at first to keep your toddler in it, but at least you’ll know your child won’t be hurt climbing out of a crib. For added safety, install a gate in the doorway of the room so that your child cannot wander around the house unattended. Be sure your child’s room is childproofed.

Why Does My Toddler Wake at Night?

Your toddler also may begin waking up at night, for several reasons. Sometimes it’s discomfort, such as teething pain or illness. Sometimes it’s mild separation anxiety: “Where’s Mommy? Where’s Daddy?” Dreams and nightmares can begin to affect toddlers, who have a difficult time distinguishing these from reality. Be mindful of any screen time or books your toddler is exposed to just before bedtime, and keep the content mild. If your child doesn’t have a comfort item like a lovie or blankey, consider getting one to help provide reassurance.

Look around for an environmental cause for your toddler’s nighttime awakenings. Toddlers are notorious for pushing off the covers at night, so in the colder months you might want to dress your child in heavy pajamas for warmth.

Is there too much noise coming from another room? Toddlers will learn to sleep with some noise, but a loud TV or too much conversation close by can be disrupting. Check out your child’s room from a noise perspective. Make it someplace you would sleep soundly and chances are you’ll make it more comfortable for your toddler.

Helping Your Toddler Sleep

By now you’ve probably found the right combination — like a warm bath and a bedtime story — to help your child relax. Stay with it and don’t let it get too long. The backrub that seems like a treat now may not be so fun when it’s demanded night after night for longer and longer periods. Decide how many drinks of water you’ll allow and how many times you’ll retrieve the toy that’s thrown out of the crib in defiance of bedtime.

Get used to setting the rules and sticking to them. This not only helps your child get more sleep now, but also helps you later if other, more serious discipline problems arise.

If your toddler awakens in the middle of the night, you’ll still want to quietly and quickly provide reassurance that everything is OK and you are close by. But too much interaction can backfire, so keep your nighttime “visits” brief and boring for your toddler.

If you have an early riser, help keep sunlight from waking your toddler by keeping curtains or blinds closed. Also try putting a few safe toys in the crib — they may keep your child busy in the morning.

When to Call the Doctor

Sleep problems that seem severe to you, such as recurring nightmares, should be discussed with your doctor.

Just when you think that getting more shut-eye is a far-off dream, your baby will begin to sleep longer stretches at night. Baby’s sleep cycle is getting closer to yours, and he or she may be feeding less often at night.

But don’t assume you’ll be hitting the snooze button just yet. At this stage, “sleeping through the night” is considered to be a stretch of only 5 or 6 hours.

How Long Will My Baby Sleep?

Since babies this age are more awake, alert, and aware of their surroundings during daylight hours, they’re more likely to be tired at night and sleep. But the range of normal is still very wide.

Infants up to 3 months old should get 14 to 17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Many will have settled into a daily sleep routine of two or three naps during the day, followed by a longer “sleeping through the night” stretch after a late-night feeding.

How Should Babies Sleep?

The American of Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing for or at least the first 6 months or, ideally, until a baby’s first birthday. This is when the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is highest.

Room-sharing is when you place your baby’s crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring baby at night.

While room-sharing is safe, putting your baby to sleep in bed with you is not. Bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.

Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:

• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. The rate of SIDS has gone way down since the AAP introduced this recommendation in 1992.
• Use a firm sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly. Make sure your crib, bassinet, or play yard meets current safety standards.
• Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Avoid overheating. Dress your baby for the room temperature, and don’t overbundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
• Keep your baby away from smokers. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.
• Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier. But if your baby rejects the pacifier, don’t force it. If the pacifier falls out during sleep you do not have to replace it. If you’re breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is firmly established.
• Watch out for other hazards. Avoid items with cords, ties, or ribbons that can wrap around a baby’s neck, and objects with any kind of sharp edge or corner. Look around for things that your baby can touch from a seated or standing position in the crib. Hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords could be harmful if they are within a baby’s reach.

Helping Your Baby Sleep

If you haven’t already, start a bedtime routine that will be familiar and relaxing for your baby. Bathing, reading, and singing can soothe babies and signal an end to the day. Be consistent and your baby will soon associate these steps with sleeping.

If you rock your baby to sleep before bedtime, your little one may expect to be rocked to sleep after nighttime awakenings. Instead, try putting your baby into a crib or bassinet while drowsy but still awake. This way your baby will learn to fall asleep on his or her own.

Some babies squirm, whine, and even cry a little before falling back to sleep on their own. Unless you think that your baby is hungry or ill, see what happens if you leave your baby alone for a few minutes — he or she might settle down.

If your baby wakes during the period that you want him or her to sleep, keep activity to a minimum. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play with or talk to your baby. Change or feed your baby and return him or her to the crib or bassinet.

If your baby is waking early for a morning feeding, some small changes may allow a slight shift in schedule. You might try waking your baby for the late-night feeding at a time that suits your sleep schedule. For instance, if your baby sleeps after a 7 p.m. feeding and wakes up at 2 a.m. to eat, try waking the baby to feed at 11 p.m. and then put him or her down to sleep until an early-morning feeding at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. It may take a few nights to establish this routine, but being consistent will improve your chances of success.

When to Call the Doctor

Some infants at this age will start sleeping through the night, but there is a wide range of normal. If you have questions about your baby’s sleep, talk with your doctor.

By this age, your baby should be well on the way toward having a regular sleep pattern. Some infants, particularly those who are breastfed, may still wake at night. But most no longer need a middle-of-the-night feeding.

How Long Will My Baby Sleep?

Most babies this age should sleep 12 to 15 hours a day, which includes a longer stretch at night and at least two naps during the day, says the National Sleep Foundation. The average amount of daytime sleep is now about 3 to 4 hours.

By 6 months, most babies are sleeping at night for 9 hours or longer, with brief awakenings.

How Should Babies Sleep?

The American of Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing until the first birthday or for at least 6 months, when the risk of SIDs (sudden infant death syndrome) is highest.

Room-sharing is when you place your baby’s crib, portable crib, play yard, or bassinet in your own bedroom instead of in a separate nursery. This keeps your baby nearby and helps with feeding, comforting, and monitoring your baby at night.

While room-sharing is safe, putting your baby to sleep in bed with you is not. Bed-sharing increases the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.

Follow these recommendations for a safe sleep environment for your little one:

• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, not on the stomach or side. The rate of SIDS has gone way down since the AAP introduced this recommendation in 1992. Once babies consistently roll over from front to back and back to front, it’s fine for them to remain in the sleep position they choose.
• Use a firm sleep surface. Cover the mattress with a sheet that fits snugly. Make sure your crib, bassinet, or play yard meets current safety standards.
• Do not put anything else in the crib or bassinet. Keep plush toys, pillows, blankets, unfitted sheets, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and bumper pads out of your baby’s sleep area.
• Avoid overheating. Dress your baby for the room temperature, and don’t overbundle. Watch for signs of overheating, such as sweating or feeling hot to the touch.
• Keep your baby away from smokers. Secondhand smoke increases the risk of SIDS.
• Put your baby to sleep with a pacifier. But if your baby rejects the pacifier, don’t force it. If the pacifier falls out during sleep you do not have to replace it.
• Watch out for other hazards. Avoid items with cords, ties, or ribbons that can wrap around a baby’s neck and objects with any kind of sharp edge or corner. Look around for things that your baby can touch from a seated or standing position in the crib. Hanging mobiles, wall hangings, pictures, draperies, and window blind cords could be harmful if they are within a baby’s reach.

Helping Your Baby Sleep

You may have started a bedtime routine that you’re sticking to. If you haven’t yet, now is a good time to start. Soothing activities that lead up to “night-night” time can help relax your baby. A warm bath followed by stories or singing will signal an end to the day, and these same activities can be used at bedtime for years to come.

You’ll want your baby to fall asleep on his or her own. This may mean doing your nighttime routine and putting the baby into the crib while he or she is drowsy but still awake. If the baby cries, stay away for a few minutes. Your baby may settle down and go to sleep.

If the crying continues, go back in and soothe your baby for a moment without picking him or her up. This may go on a few times until your baby figures out that the crying is not getting results. This can be tough for parents, since it’s upsetting to hear your baby cry. If you know your baby is safe, it’s OK to give him or her time to settle down.

Why Does My Baby Wake at Night?

Even a baby who has been sleeping through the night will sometimes wake in the wee hours. Allow some time to let your baby get back to sleep on his or her own. Give your baby a few fussy minutes before you respond. Then, after checking to see that everything is OK, leave your baby alone to fall back to sleep. Remember: Any cuddling, feeding, or talking you do may prompt your baby to wake each night for this attention.

Separation anxiety, a normal stage of development, can cause some babies between 6 months and 1 year old to call out or cry in the middle of the night. If this happens, as with other awakenings, give your baby some time to settle down. If needed, give brief reassurance to your little one without taking your baby out of the crib.

When to Call the Doctor

Most infants at this age will have a regular sleep routine and are able to sleep through the night. But there is a wide range of normal. If you have any questions about your baby’s sleep, talk with your doctor.