That’s why your baby can’t sleep through the night yet

Evolution prevents sleeping through the night

There is a simple reason why your baby wakes up several times a night: it is evolutionary. Babies used to sleep unprotected and were quickly surprised by dangerous animals. Babies wake up several times during the night to make sure that everything is ok and that the parents are still there to protect them from danger. This ensured the survival of the offspring. They have not yet established a day-night rhythm and no deep sleep phase.

Adjust to the baby’s rhythm

Since the parents have no choice but to adapt to the rhythm of their baby, a reasonably regular daily routine has meanwhile set in in most families during these months of life. Your baby has set bedtimes during the day and gets tired around the same time in the evening. The nights also gain in rhythm. Your child still sleeps about 13 out of 24 hours a day. It is important that you accept your child’s routines and adjust your own daily routine accordingly, even if you have to do without a lot. It will be a long time before your child sleeps through the night .

Breastfeeding during the day versus breastfeeding at night

Of course, you cannot avoid breastfeeding your baby at night when it is crying and hungry. But if you ensure that breastfeeding becomes an activity during the day with additional cuddling and play units and at night serves the purpose of pure satiety by exclusively breastfeeding without noise and bright light, you can get your baby used to the fact that the night the phase of rest and sleep and the day is the phase of activity.

When it comes to sleep, there are big differences between children. Even with very young children, you can tell whether they tend to be late risers or whether they can get by with relatively little sleep.

Where is the best place to sleep?

The most important thing is that your child has enough space in the bed. Otherwise it wakes up because it cannot move freely or because it is too warm. The children’s room should be easy to darken and quiet. Absolute silence is not necessary because normal noises do not disturb your baby’s sleep. If it works better, there is still nothing wrong with your child sleeping in bed with you and your partner. For more tips on your child’s sleep environment, see our article “ How your baby learns to sleep ”.