How to get a 3 month old to sleep through the night
If you are feeling frazzled and cannot remember the last time you had a decent night's sleep, you probably have a young baby in the house. New babies sleep anywhere up to 16 hours a day, says a Kaiser Permanente information article. However, this is usually broken down in to two- or three-hour naps, meaning a baby's sleep pattern is often broken. When your baby reaches 3 months old, she will be ready to sleep for longer periods at night. She should also be more receptive to settling into a sleep routine.
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Instructions
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Keep your baby busy during the day. Stimulation such as play, reading a book and singing songs will tire your baby out for bedtime. It will also teach your baby the difference between day and night, according to the Mayo Clinic. Avoid tiring your baby out too much; an overtired baby is harder to get to sleep.
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Put your baby in her crib when she is drowsy but still awake. The Ferber sleep method, created by Dr. Richard Ferber, recommends leaving your baby to fall asleep by herself. If she begins to cry or fuss, leave her for five minutes before going in to comfort her. The next time leave her 10 minutes, then 15 minutes and so on. The idea is she will gradually learn to fall asleep by herself with no interaction from you, according to Kaiser Permanente.
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Give her a chance to wind down before bedtime. Set a bedtime routine that will help her settle down after the day's activities. A soothing bath and a bedtime story or just 15 minutes of quiet time will help her feel relaxed and ready for bed.
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Make night feedings as uneventful as possible, recommends the a BabyCenter website. When she wakes for a feeding, avoid playing or talking to her. The stimulation will wake her up and she will be harder to get back to sleep. Feed her as quietly as possible and put her straight back in her crib when she has finished.
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Try her with a pacifier. This is a personal choice and many parents are reluctant to give their baby a pacifier due to worry about weaning her off it when she is older. However, a pacifier can be all the comfort a fussy baby needs when she is going to sleep. Some medical experts believe they also reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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Tips & Warnings
Your baby will move around quite a lot at night and may even make a bit of noise. Avoid going in to her every time you hear her, as you will only end up waking her.
Avoid putting her in her crib for anything else other than sleep. While it is a safe place to put her while you do the vacuuming, this does not help her associate her crib with sleep.
If your baby continues to have sleep problems and you are concerned, you should seek advice and support from your baby's pediatrician.
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