The first few months of a baby’s life can be hectic for the parents; waking them up as per their feeding schedules day and night can get repetitive. We get it, but there is no one answer to the question of when babies start sleeping through the night. Every individual is different, and so are babies. As they grow, their sleep patterns, routines, growth spurts and feeding schedules all play a part in getting a long night's sleep.
Is it good for babies to sleep longer without feeding?
Yes, apart from newborns that need to be woken up from feeds, if your baby has been getting their scheduled feeds regularly, then it is generally a good sign for your child to be getting enough sleep. Sleep is a prime facilitator for brain development in babies. It aids in cognitive development as well as helps influence brain structure and activity in infancy. Plus, a baby that sleeps better ensures that their parents can get some rest themselves.When do babies start sleeping through the night without feeding?
This wholly depends on your child's development. Newborns are said to get a total of 8–9 hours of nighttime sleep, but not at a stretch. They need to be awakened to breastfeed every 3 hours to ensure optimal nutrition and weight gain.As they grow, they will sleep for longer stretches of time as their bodies can hold more milk. This is why a lot of babies sleep about 6-7 hours at a stretch at night, needing only a feed in between by six months. This could be due to the addition of formula, solids, and their growing diets. Most babies go on to sleep for 11–12 hours straight by nine months, waking only due to factors like diaper changes, hunger or discomfort.
A consistent lack of sleep can cause possible disruptions in brain development. Hence, if you actively track your child's sleep patterns, it will help you cover all your bases, like feeding, sleep, and diaper changes, and any issues that you notice can be easily discussed with your pediatrician. Happy Parenting!
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