Teach your child to sleep through the night

Parenting Australia

Newborn

Sleeping

Teach your child to sleep through the night

3 Votes

sleepingpic

If your baby or toddler is sleeping through the night, great! However if your child is not getting enough quality sleep at night, it can impact on their development and behaviour (eg lots more crying or tantrums). And what about the impact that months or years of broken sleep has on Mum’s health and energy? It’s hard work being a mother, even when you are well rested. You have every right to a full night sleep once your baby is old enough to not need feeding during the night, which is usually after about 4 months.

Research shows that 50% of 6 month old babies not sleeping through the night are still having sleep problems as preschoolers! So make the decision to teach your child to be a great sleeper, rather than relying on luck to change their sleep habits. And the quicker you start to teach your baby to sleep through the night, the quicker they will sleep through!!!!

The following tips for teaching babies over 4 months to sleep through the night may be just what are needed for your whole family to get a full night’s sleep: Use a structured daytime routine, with set feed & sleep times, so your baby knows what you expect & when. Ensure your child doesn’t get over-tired during the day, by having bedtime by 7pm, continue with day sleeps and avoid short catnaps in the car. Overtired babies and children are harder to settle and often have disturbed night sleep. Use a relaxing bedtime routine, including bath, stories in bed and music to help your child unwind and fall asleep.

Have a consistent sleeping environment so your baby or toddler stays warm and safe all night. Use a quality baby sleeping bag, such as a Go Go Bag, so there are no blankets to kick off. If your baby is pulling up, make settling much easier with a movement limiting sleeping bag, such as Babe Sleeper or Snug Sheet. Introduce a comfort blankie to help your child soothe herself at bedtime & during the night.

Do a dreamfeed (feed your baby while she is asleep) at about 10pm, to ensure your baby has a full tummy to last through the night. From 4 months babies can usually last from 10pm until morning with no night feeds, and from about 9 months, they should not need any feeds after 6.30pm until morning.

For more information visit www.thesleepstore.com.au

Added on: 12 Mar 2009

9 Comments

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megan makes this comment

Thursday, 19 November 2009

so, where is the evidence to justify the notion that babies should sleep through from 4 months? As for parents being 'entitled' to sleep all night...well I think we all know that we gave up that entitlement when we decided to have children. Most 4 month olds around the world co-sleep with their parents and feed through the night so I'm interested to know where your information (or is it just opinion?) is coming from.
Is this article actually written to help parents, or is it an advertisement? Either way, if you want you site to be taken seriously you need to enhance the quality of your articles and provide sources for your claims. Australian parents aren't stupid.
Jo makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

I have 2 children neither of which sleep thru the night the eldest didnt sleep thru until she was 2.5- 3 yrs old. My baby is only 10 months and sleeping thru isnt something that happens in my household. I have found being a breastfeeding mother that children use the breast as a comforter when they wake. Babies are not stupid and do know the difference between a pacifier and a breast. Even with my eldest when i finished breastfeeding she would still wake thru the night...she was too used to be comforted I know what the suggestion is here...controlled crying....thats all well and good however does not work with all children and secondly when u have another person/people in the home with you it wakes the entire household letting them scream themselves back to sleep at night....so again who does this help?
Lisa makes this comment

Wednesday, 02 June 2010

It IS possible to have a family of children who sleep through the night. I have a 5 year old, 3 year old and an 8 month old. All of my children sleep through the whole night in their own beds. They have all been great day and night sleepers. I know I've been lucky- but my children don't know the option of sleeping in our beds with us or the option of feeding during the night- so it's never been an issue! As for the controlled crying- we have let our 8 month old cry a couple of times- not for longer than about 5 minutes, and the other girls who are in the room next door have not woken. Perhaps if they did- a couple of nights of broken sleep for everyone could mean weeks of whole nights sleep so just maybe worth the sacrifice??????
CurvyMummy makes this comment

Monday, 29 November 2010

Well I have to disagree with Lisa, about sacrificing my child's well being and mental health for sleep. This an ridiculous idea. How would you feel if you where in distress and your family ignored you and not offered any comfort? I recently read an article that is so pertinent to this issue, and have added the link below.
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Mumto2 makes this comment

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

I have to agree that we all have to accept that sleeplessness is just one part of being a parent, but I know myself, and I don't cope well on little sleep. Both my bubs were terribly unsettled in the first few weeks of life but with lots of hard work we had them both sleeping through at 3 weeks of age from dreamfeed at 10pm until 5/6 am. (or mostly luck!) Every bub is different but this is what we did. The same bedtime routine for every sleep (cuddles, book, song) and waking them for feeds during the day if they slept too long, worked for us. Do what suits you as a parent. Listen to advice but only use what is right for you.
Adventuremama makes this comment

Thursday, 28 April 2011

That article is heartbreaking CurvyMummy. Surely there must be a happy medium between abandoning an child to cry and rocking them to sleep in your arms (and crucifying your back, as I have been)?
Elle 83 makes this comment

Friday, 23 September 2011

if you have a set eat play sleep routine during the day and night bedtime is no later than 7pm babies sleep and settle better. i have done this with all 3 children and have never had a problem. i know they are happier as they know all their needs are meet and they dont have to scream or cry for food or sleep or cuddles because they get it all during the day but every parent is different, wether on a routine or not you will find a happy medium. but you dosent mean your a bad parent because your baby sleeps all night or you a good parent cause your feeding every 3-4 hours day and night!!!
Sophie makes this comment

Saturday, 29 October 2011

What some people have to remember is that babies aren't robots! There is no one rule fits all. We are all raising little human beings with their own minds and thoughts. If your child slept through the night at a young age then lucky you. What I can't get my head around is the whole 'dream feed' idea. Ok; fine if it works and you are happy using this idea go ahead but really we should call it by it's real name 'force feeding!' I tried it once and couldn't bring myself to do it, I felt soo guilty; why was I in such a hurry to get a baby to sleep through the night? My own selfishness. Sleep deprivation is just apart of being a new mum.
sleeping beauty syndrome makes this comment

Friday, 23 December 2011

I think if your child slept through the night at a young age then lucky you. What some people have to remember is that babies aren't robots! There is no one rule fits all. We are all raising little human beings with their own minds and thoughts.

sleeping beauty syndrome