What You Should Know about Sleep and Babies

 I am not sure that there is a more polarizing topic for parents of young children than that of SLEEP.  Let’s talk about sleeping through the night. There is so much guilt, worry, and comparison that parents face when their children do not do it.

We have all heard about the mommas who can get their 4-month-old baby to sleep through the night.  We hear that and can feel inadequate when our children are not yet sleeping through the night.

Guess what...even by 12 months of age, not all children sleep through the night. 43% of children do not sleep a consecutive 8 hours. And of these, 28% do not sleep a consecutive 6 hours.

If your baby falls into this percentage, he/she is completely normal!

My four children were not great sleepers.  None of them slept through the night until they were 2-years-old.  I am here to tell you, you will survive!  You may get a few more wrinkles, but you will survive.

With my first baby, I felt enormous pressure.  I tried everything.  I read the books.  Followed the Babywise schedule.  Let her cry it out.  None of it worked for her.  If anything, it made it worse.  

Once I learned that it is normal, and actually healthy for babies to wake during the night I was able to relax.  I took the pressure off of myself to "conquer the sleep issue" and instead I just followed my children's rhythms.  Yes, I was tired.  Yes, I was a working mom.  But we made it.  

Just know that every child is different and has different needs.  The next time you are with another group of moms, pick a different topic to chat about :)  It will make you all feel better!

Do you have older children who are not sleeping through the night, it might be nighttime anxiety.  Find out more here.