Getting Your Baby to Sleep

Babies do not have regular sleep cycles until about 4 months of age. Although newborns sleep about 16 to 17 hours per day, they may only sleep 1 or 2 hours at a time. As babies get older, they need less sleep. However, different babies have different sleep needs. Here are some tips that may help your baby (and you) sleep better at night: Stay calm & quiet at night. Try not to stimulate or wake babies when you feed or change them during the night. If you speak, speak softly. Make daytime playtime. Keep babies awake longer during the day. This helps babies sleep for longer periods during the night. Spend time talking, reading and playing together.