The topic of baby sleep is one of parents’ most common concerns—so much so that it is often a frequent reason for consultation in Primary Care. Not only do we lack reference points for how a baby “should” sleep, but it can also be difficult to define what a normal sleep pattern looks like for a baby or young child. With the fast pace of our daily life, we want to accompany you on this journey. To do that, we’ll answer the most common questions first-time parents have about baby sleep :-) Are you ready? Set? Go!

What is the baby's sleep like?

Questions about childhood sleep are among the most common reasons families consult healthcare professionals. Often, the reality is that we don't know what baby sleep is like. And that’s normal. Who hasn’t heard the phrase “sleep like a baby” at some point? The reality is different: babies and young children wake up several times during the night. This doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a sleep problem; rather, it’s an evolutionary issue: newborns sleep in short periods distributed over the 24 hours of the day, without being able to distinguish day from night.

Over time, your little adventurer will be able to sleep for longer periods continuously and, little by little, their sleep will start to concentrate at night and decrease during the day. It’s normal for this to disrupt rest at home, and it isn’t always easy to accept. Be patient—it won’t last forever. Try to rest when the baby does , and seeking help with baby care during the day can be practical solutions to the lack of sleep in adults .

How many hours should a baby sleep?

Sleep is essential for the healthy development of a baby’s brain, as it helps regulate hormones , consolidate the information received while awake, and promote the proper functioning of the immune system . Regarding the number of hours babies should sleep, although there are some normal ranges, the truth is that there is huge variability among children. According to the Clinical Practice Guideline on Sleep Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence in Primary Care , these are the recommended hours of sleep according to age:

• In the uterus, the baby already experiences moments of sleep in the last weeks of pregnancy . Then, during the first days of life, the newborn sleeps around 16 hours a day, but those hours are distributed across several periods throughout the day.

• When the baby turns two or three months old, sleep hours gradually start to decrease until, at 12 months, the average sleep time is approximately 12 or 13 hours a day.

• The number of hours continues to decrease, and at two years old the child sleeps around 10 a 12 horas ; lo que se mantendrá hasta los cinco años. A partir de los seis años, y hasta los diez, es habitual que las horas promedio de sueño sean menos de 10 horas diarias.

We share with you a summary chart of the hours of sleep you can expect as your baby grows:

You, more than anyone, will know whether your little adventurer is resting well or whether, on the contrary, there might be a problem with their sleep. In that case, we recommend consulting with .

How to help a baby sleep?

Understanding what baby sleep is like is already a first step toward coping with sleepless nights. Here are eight tips to help your baby fall asleep:

1. It is important to create a suitable environment for sleeping. Ideally, according to sleep experts, the bedroom temperature should stay around 20 ° C , with humidity between 40 and 60%. Don’t worry—you don’t need to take out a thermometer. Just ventilate for a few minutes a day and try to keep the room as cool as possible in summer and as warm as possible in winter, without it getting too hot.

2. For the baby to start distinguishing between day and night, it is essential to create an environment that is dark and silent in the room where the baby will sleep—an environment that invites rest.

3. The baby needs their parents . Keep in mind that they have been inside you for almost a year. Your scent is what makes them feel at home. It is your voices that they know. Therefore, although it is a very personal decision, it is advisable for the baby to sleep in the parents' room. This benefits their rest, as they feel calmer and more secure, but it also benefits yours: if the baby sleeps better, you will sleep better too.

4. Skin-to-skin contact and gentle rocking can help your baby fall asleep. What place is better than a parent’s arms?

5. It is common for the baby to fall asleep while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding , since sucking has a relaxing effect and, in the case of breast milk, it provides melatonin (the sleep hormone). Do not prevent them from falling asleep like that—there is no problem with it. On the contrary!

6. The sound of their reference people also helps the baby sleep . Babies usually like to be sung to not only because of the melody, but precisely because it is the voices of their caregivers that soothe them. You can also, from time to time, rely on white noise to help them fall asleep.

7. As they grow, your little adventurer can enjoy a story before bedtime. This not only helps guide sleep but also establishes a strong bond with their parents . Create a pleasant environment to encourage rest: turn on a warm light; turn off televisions and radios; promote silence; and read with enthusiasm, but in a calm tone.

8. Don't let your baby cry . The scientific community agrees that this practice is not recommended, because there are much more respectful options for the baby and their needs.

How to recognize a sleep disorder?

If your little adventurer wakes up during the night or has trouble falling asleep, remember that this is normal, as sleep changes as they grow. However, there are some signs that may indicate a disorder and suggest that you should change your rest habits:

• When the child expresses tiredness, bad mood, irritability ... In other words, daytime problems that make it clear that they are not sleeping well.

• When the baby's or child's sleep pattern afecta negativamente al resto de la familia , especially their primary caregiver. In this case, there is a problem to solve, even if the child does not suffer from any pathology, and the pediatrician will be best able to analyze how to address it.

To conclude this article, we want to remind you that sleep is health. If you consider it necessary, seek support so that both your baby and you can get good rest.