Newborn babies sleep quite a bit, usually waking up every two to four hours for feedings.  At about two months of age, they generally start sleeping through the night, although a few cooperative babies may start sooner.  You may have heard that starting solid foods (i.e. cereal) will make a baby sleep through the night.  There is no evidence this is true.  Awakening your baby to feed or offering food every time they stir during the night will either start or propagate a habit of waking up to feed.  Try to allow your baby to go as long as they will tolerate between nighttime feeds (see section on When to Feed).  The following table is a guideline as to how much babies sleep:

Creating a Bedtime and Sleep Routine
Starting from six weeks to three months, you should begin to create a bedtime routine, which will signal to your baby that it is time to go to sleep.  A routine can include any and all of the following:

• Taking a bath
• Changing the diaper and changing into pajamas
• Hearing a story or singing a song

Put your infant to sleep while he is drowsy but awake.  Establishing this habit early will teach your child to go back to sleep on his own when he awakens in the middle of the night.  Between five to seven months of age, your baby may disappoint you by starting to wake up once again during the night.  This isn’t backsliding.  It’s a normal developmental phase.  Let him stay in his bed, comfort him, pat him on the back, or change his diaper if it is dirty or wet.  The pattern of uninterrupted nighttime sleep will soon return.  Try not to pick your baby up or reintroduce feeding during the night as it may start a habit which will be difficult to break.

Sleep Position/Environment and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
SIDS is the leading cause of infant death beyond the neonatal period.  Since 1992 when the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that babies be positioned on their backs while sleeping, the SIDS rate in the United States has decreased by greater than forty percent.  The AAP has made the following recommendations concerning infant sleep:

• Infants should be placed for sleep on their back.  Supine (wholly on the back) confers the lowest risk and is preferred.
• Only allow your baby to sleep in a crib that conforms to the safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials.
• Infants should not be put to sleep on waterbeds, sofas, soft mattresses, or other soft surfaces.
• Avoid soft materials in the infant's sleeping environment (plush blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows).
• Bed sharing or co-sleeping may be hazardous as well.
• Overheating should be avoided.  The infant should be lightly clothed for sleep, and the bedroom temperature should be kept comfortable for a lightly clothed adult.  Over bundling should be avoided, and the infant should not feel hot to the touch.
• A certain amount of tummy time while the infant is awake and observed is recommended for developmental reasons and to help prevent flat spots on the head.  Consider alternating the side of the head the infant sleeps on weekly or daily.
• Sleep positioning devices are not recommended.
• There is no evidence that home apnea monitors decrease the incidence of SIDS.
• A pacifier used during sleep time can decrease the risk of SIDS, however for dental reasons, all pacifier use should be discontinued after the first birthday.

Revised 3.22.09