Your baby is now three months old and you want your baby to sleep through the night, or at least for longer periods of time. Babies at this age are able to sleep for longer periods, but the duration will differ from baby to baby, even within families. Babies typically will need a specific amount of sleep in a 24 hour interval and you need to ensure your baby’s greatest duration of sleep happens throughout the night and not in the day.  

There's no set regular sleeping pattern for any baby, regardless of age, or adult for example. Stimulating longer sleep periods at night from the beginning is greatest because once a baby establishes a sleep cycle, it is difficult to adjust.  Generally, larger babies are ready to sleep for extended cycles at night because they can handle more milk at one time which will aid them sleep. Also, if you’ve been feeding baby on demand when hungry, as opposed to at set periods regardless, you will likely have more success getting baby to sleep longer at night.

If your child wakes up within the night and you find out she isn't hungry, leave the child alone and check out if she can return to sleep. This may involve letting baby cry for a little while. If crying doesn't subside, you may ensure child has not soaked his diaper and bed linens, then leave the room and observe if she can resume sleep. Helping baby find a lovey or pacifier may help in going back to sleep. If baby has been coached to go to sleep on their own by mom or dad, this may be less difficult.

Having a regular bedtime routine and time will assist in training your baby to go to sleep on her own.  I know it is a special time when you rock your baby to sleep, and also you can still rock her, just put her in the crib before she is completely asleep so that she can get accustomed to sleeping on their own. The time for bed must not be so stringent that if baby is sleepy earlier you do not place her down.  A child that's worn out will have a tougher time falling asleep and sleeping quietly.

Several babies who've been sleeping “through the night” may all of the sudden quit as she gets older. Several things may be the cause, such as knowing to roll over or sit up. You can still leave child to return to sleep. If it becomes clear that baby is not going back to sleep on her own, you may get baby up and rock her back to sleep.  Attempt to keep away from feeding child in the night except when you understand hunger is what woke her.

Bedtime can turn out to be a stressful time of day for several moms and dads. Keeping to a routine will support take some of this anxiety away. As soon as your child begins sleeping through the night the nights of letting child cry and having sleepless nights will appear farther away.

Discover more about baby keepsakes at our baby health care website.