How and at what time should a baby be put to sleep?

The first moments are both the most beautiful, but also the most difficult for parents. They must try to understand the different needs of the infant while accumulating fatigue and the diaper change regular.

It is however necessary, after a few months of adaptation, to try to find a rhythm so that the child benefits frommaximum hours of sleep between day and night.

Indeed, studies conducted at the University of Montreal and the Sacré-Coeur Hospital in Montreal show thatone hour less sleep in infants can have an impact on their cognitive development (concentration, logical reasoning), their emotional controls, their growth and weight.

During the first three years of life, sleep is particularly crucial for the brain to develop properly.

Pediatricians often say it: for infants, sleep calls sleep. If baby gets enough sleep during the day, he’ll probably sleep better at night.

During baby’s first weeks, parents must realize that there is still no rhythm possible. It sets in over time. We just have to keep in mind that the child needs to sleep between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. a day with intervals of waking up approximately every 4 hours to feed.

“We can’t talk about rhythm before 6, 7 weeks, even less while breastfeeding, because there is breastfeeding on demand during the first months. We can, on the other hand, make sure that there is no confusion between day and night by having him sleep at night in a dark room and with a little light during daytime naps. says Déborah Assous.

Once these few weeks have passed, we can try set bedtimes approximate. “From 6, 8 weeks, we can help the child to fit into a rhythm or to modify it gently over several weeks”, she adds.

The three months often sign an evolution of the baby’s rhythm. He will have several nap slots during the day which will gradually decrease. ” From 3 months to 9 months, the child will about four naps. After that it can drop to two naps per day. The more the child will grow, the more the sleep time will lengthen at night and shorten during the day”, explains the sleep specialist.

A baby who sleeps too much can also concern parents. They don’t know whether to wake him up or let him rest. “Normally, we should not wake baby at night unless a pediatric opinion indicates that there is a problem of growth. As for the day, we will wake up baby if he sleeps more than three hours in a row”, replies Deborah Assous.

In time, parents will understand their child. They will recognize the signs tired : he rubs his eyes, his ears, clenches his fists tightly, can make jerky movements with his arms and legs, he yawns. The older ones will have difficulty performing certain movements…

In addition, they will also be able to recognize when their child is too tired. He will have angry phases, he will be nervous, will only micro-naps…

The child needs landmarks, this gives him a sense of security and allows him to sleep in a deep and restful sleep. Thanks to certain habits, rituals, he will manage to fall asleep easily without worrying about what is around and to make the difference between day and night.

It all starts with the meal. Contrary to popular belief, the force-feeder is not an effective solution for a good night’s sleep. “The more you feed in the evening, the more likely he is to wake up at night. In 50% of cases, there will be awakenings due to stomach aches, gas… Night is not a function food, except in case of undernourishment, because the baby will be hungry and this is completely normal”, explains the coach.

After dinner, you have to establish small habits so that the child feels confident. “There is no ideal routine, there are as many routines as babies. It will depend on the age of the child. A baby of two, three months will need kisses, hugscradling, physical contact… As he grows up, he will rather ask for a little story, we can also tell each other about our days, tidy up the room together…. “.

However, there are a few rules to follow for the bedtime ritual to be effective. “A routine must be done in the place where the child sleeps, whether in co-sleeping or in his room. It is necessary to have reference points of language, gestures and that it does not last more than 15 or 20 minutes, because we want to avoid that the child confuses ritual and falling asleep“, advises Déborah Assous.

The stimulating activitiesto exhaust baby are also not recommended. “I’m not particularly for over-stimulation, the baby is already stimulated by light, colors. It can excite him too much and exhaust him and he will have difficulty falling asleep and will probably have a restless night with nocturnal awakenings, she adds.

It is important for parents to don’t put pressure on yourself regarding their child’s sleep. Some babies sleep early, others much later.

“A child can spend his nights when he leaves the maternity ward, like at 8 months or two years old. Every child is different.”

Full night vision is also different depending on the parents. “Everything is relative, for some mums, sleeping through the night is when baby sleeps between midnight and 5/6 a.m. For me, sleeping through the night is sleep between 10 and 12 hours without eating, possibly with one or two pacifier alarm clocks”, confides the specialist.

However, there is a time slot to respect for the child’s bedtime. “In general, the ideal time for babies to go to bed is between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.”.

Regardless of baby’s pace, parents should not panic despite exhaustion. Indeed, there are now sleep specialists trained to guide them. “We, sleep professionals, are there to guide parents and give advice on how best to support the child, and help him find his own rhythm”. concludes Deborah Assous.