Sleep Tips For Babies 6 to 9 Months old

Sleeping Tips for Babies 6 to 9 Months Old

Babies at the age of 6 to 9 months can sleep up to 14 hours per day including nap time and can usually sleep on their own for long periods of time. Your baby’s sleep schedule at this age will usually be one long sleep during the evening and several naps during the day, or just several naps spaced throughout the day and evening. If your baby has not responded to your attempts to set up a routine you shouldn’t be discouraged and keep trying to establish a regular sleep routine. Keep trying to set up regular activities to regulate her sleeping patterns as well. Try these four tips to see if they help:-

Try sleep training if your baby cannot get to sleep on time

If your baby has not settled into a sleeping pattern that fits your life you may need to try sleep training techniques. She will be ready for sleep training at the age of 6 months and there are a lot of strategies that can be used for effective sleep training. You should speak with your pediatrician about whether or not sleep training would be a good idea if there are any health conditions or other concerns that may need to be addressed prior to attempting sleep training methods.

Try night weaning at this stage if you haven’t already

At the 6 to 9 month age your baby is ready for night weaning if you haven’t tried it yet, but you will need to do it gradually and again you should speak with a pediatrician prior to starting. Also keep in mind that your baby may not wake up during the evening just due to hunger; many babies wake up for a brief period of time like adults and then go back to sleep on their own. In some cases you may want to let your baby go back to sleep independently if she is trained to self sooth.

Stick to your bedtime routine

Again it is important to establish and maintain a regular bedtime routine, even if it doesn’t seem to be working all the time. Your baby can adjust to it, and it doesn’t have to be at a specific time each day, but there should be a few activities that you associate with bedtime. When you establish a bedtime routine that involves eating, playtime and a bath, she’ll be more likely to fall asleep easily during that period of time and you’ll be able to maintain your own sleep and wake cycle.

Try changing the time for your bedtime routine

Sometime your bedtime routine can be too late, so you might need to move it up a half or an hour earlier. Overtired babies can often have difficulties with sleeping on time and may fuss more, and if you notice fussiness during bedtime you should try moving it up a half hour and notice if there’s any differences in how quickly your baby falls asleep. Also try changing up the routine a little; you may need to include more playtime if you find that your baby has more energy at night for instance.