The issue of sleep is always coming up with new parents. There is just nothing more important than everyone in the family getting the recommended amount of sleep, including baby. Babies generally nap throughout the day and sleep for the longest stretch at night. For example, babies usually sleep for two to three hour stretches two to three times per day during the first couple months of life. By the time baby has reached six months old naps will only be taken twice per day for three to four hours total. That means baby will need one long stretch of sleep at night to get enough hours of sleep in. Of course, all children are different and some babies may need to sleep more or less. If you feel like your baby is sleeping way too much or not sleeping nearly enough then take it up with your pediatrician. There could be some other issue going on you are not aware of that needs to be evaluated. One thing for sure is that when baby is on a regular sleep routine they will know when it is time to sleep each day and sleep more easily.
If you haven’t started your baby on a routine yet you should start today. It’s never too early to start a sleep routine and the sooner you do it the better. Keep in mind that babies respond best to routines that are the same day in and day out and that occur roughly at the same time each day. If bedtime is at 8:30pm you don’t want to veer away from this more than 15 minutes or you risk ruining your schedule and having to start from scratch.
Sleep is important and infants do a lot of sleeping. It’s important to schedule their sleep in a way that works well for the family and allows everyone to get enough sleep.