If you are trying to implement a 6 week old sleep schedule, you may be wondering whether to stick to a strict routine or make a little wiggle room for your newborn. While newborns still have a very distinct sleeping pattern, you may want to break up the associations between bedtime and waketime. You can start by reviewing your baby’s previous sleep schedule and implementing some of the Zen Tips for your newborn.
At six to eight weeks, babies exhibit a more structured day, with regular feeding and wakeful play periods separated by naps and sleep. Babies have unsettled periods twice daily, most often between 10 am and 4 pm. During these times, you may struggle to soothe your baby, especially if feeding and rocking don’t have the same soothing effect as they did before. The crying is intense.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Sleep Medicine don’t have an exact number. Still, both organizations estimate that most six-week-olds sleep anywhere from fourteen to seventeen hours each day. Most sleep occurs at night, while naps are still a significant part of a baby’s day. Regardless of the number of hours, a baby sleeps per day; they may not sleep through the night for several months.
After the first six weeks of your baby’s life, you will be exhausted from feeding and caring for your little one. You may have also learned a few bad sleep habits during this time. But you can work with these habits once they establish a routine. You can also ask your doctor for recommendations on feeding schedules. If your baby still needs feedings, put them down when the first signs of sleepiness appear.
Babies will eventually start dropping daytime naps to two or three hours. They may also start to sleep longer at night and require less frequent feeding. Typically, a six-week-old baby will only wake up once during the night. However, some may wake up several times during the night, making it more difficult to settle them to sleep. Keeping your baby on a consistent schedule during the day will help them sleep better.
Newborns sleep about fourteen to eighteen hours per day. However, their sleep is not necessarily deep. Instead, it’s in little bursts. Newborns spend about half their day in an active sleep cycle, and their total sleep time varies widely. The day starts at seven a.m., and the night begins around eleven p.m. This schedule is not as rigid as it sounds and may require some adjustment.
Babies’ sleep patterns are extremely demanding. You don’t want to put your baby to sleep too early or too late, but you also don’t want to over-tire your baby. By understanding your baby’s cues and knowing when they are drowsy and awake, you can better put them to bed when they’re ready for bed. However, remember that babies need time to grow. So you might need to start working on a sleep schedule for your six-week-old when you’re a little more confident with it.
