‘Eating and sleeping’ sums up the life of a small infant. And diapers. Lots of diapers.
“Does the baby sleep through the night yet?” must be the most frequently asked question brand-new parents have to answer. In truth, the answer to that question is often ‘no’. But why is that? And what does ‘sleeping through’ actually mean? And how long is a baby supposed to sleep?
How long does a baby sleep?
No two babies are the same but in general terms you can say that:
From 0 to 3 months sleeping times are mainly linked to feeding moments. Every 2 to 3 hours your baby will ask to be fed - even at night - and your little one will then be awake for up to an hour before nodding off again.
Around 3 months your baby’s day and night rhythm or circadian rhythm is largely in place. Your little one takes 3 to 4 naps a day with up to two hours in between naps. Around this age comes the wonderful moment when your baby starts to sleep longer stretches at night. Your baby will get approximately 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It’s not that much but it’s a start!
From 4 months to approximately 1.5 years old the waking time in between naps builds up to around 4 hours with a morning and an afternoon nap. After that second nap there’s usually a final feeding moment around 7 or 8 p.m. and then it’s bedtime. As of 13 months the morning nap often becomes much shorter or disappears altogether.
Again, these are averages. No two babies are the same. They all have their own character and sleep in a different environment. We can’t change that but we can help you create the ideal sleeping environment!
How can you create a safe sleeping environment?
It’s fair to say that babies sleep a lot. This means a cosy and safe sleeping environment is absolutely crucial for a long and undisturbed sleep. And that starts with a firm mattress.
As your baby can’t stop growing those first few years it is very important to provide good support. A mattress from polyurethane (such as cold foam) offers the right firmness and is wonderfully comfortable. A cold foam mattress also has an open cell structure that keeps it relatively cool so that your baby doesn’t wake up at night drenched in sweat. The AeroSleep® Evolution mattresses are made of an evolved version of cold foam, making sagging extremely unlikely! Moreover, they are also available in a climate-friendly version.
By the way, every AeroSleep® mattress comes with a breathing AeroSleep® mattress protector. Thanks to 3D technology in the mattress protector your baby can breathe unobstructed in any position and air can circulate freely. This is important to help ensure safe heat regulation because your baby is not yet able to regulate its own temperature.
In short, the AeroSleep® mattress and mattress protector help your baby sleep better, especially in combination with the following tips:
Four tips to improve your baby's sleep.
1. Create a sense of security
A sense of security is the key to success. Your baby spent 9 months in the snug and secure environment of mommy’s tummy so in the middle of a large children’s cot it’s easy for your little one to feel lost. Use a safe bed bumper and put your baby down in a corner of the bed. This will make the bed seem much smaller and cosier. The AeroSleep® bed bumper can be used safely from birth. The 3D technology ensures unimpeded air circulation so your baby can breathe freely through the fabric.
In a swaddle sleeping bag your baby assumes the same compact posture as in the womb. The arms are loose inside the sleeping bag so that your baby isn’t woken early by uncontrolled arm movements.
2 Create peace and quiet through sound
Sounds from the womb, or white noise, also help your baby to settle down faster. This monotonous sound also filters out noises from outside. The sound of a fan in baby’s bedroom, for instance, can help your little one settle down faster.
3 Find a regular sleep routine
After those first few months a regular sleep routine will also help your baby relax and prepare for bedtime. Singing a lullaby or reading a story... Fixed routines before bedtime will make it easier for your baby to find sleep mode.
4 Limit stimuli
Limit the number of stimuli before bedtime by focusing on more relaxing activities. And make sure your baby gets plenty of rest during the day. Exhaustion causes stress and stress inhibits sleep. And that is exactly what we want to avoid.
These tips will definitely help you on your way. We wish you the best of luck and a blissful night’s sleep for you and your family.
