Until three months of age, there isn’t much you can do to influence this; babies will sleep where and when they want to. Until this age, they are more influenced by their internal needs and feelings, and less influenced by external stimulation. But after three months, you can try to limit naps and keep her awake more during the day. Keeping her active, interested, and engaged is the best way to wear her out for better sleep at night. Experiment with her nap times and overall amount of daytime sleep. If she naps three times a day, try two longer naps. Don’t let naps run too late into the afternoon. Or awaken her a few minutes early from her naps, to see if she “consolidates” her sleep better at night. But don’t make the opposite mistake and eliminate naps; this creates an overtired baby, and an overtired baby will sleep less at night.
Until three months of age, there isn’t much you can do to influence
this; babies will sleep where and when they want to. Until this
age, they are more influenced by their internal needs and feelings,
and less influenced by external...
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Dr. Heather Wittenberg answered:Until three months of age, there isn’t much you can do to influence this; babies will sleep where and when they want to. Until this age, they are more influenced by their internal needs and feelings, and less influenced by external stimulation. But after three months, you can try to limit naps and keep her awake more during the day. Keeping her active, interested, and engaged is the best way to wear her out for better sleep at night. Experiment with her nap times and overall amount of daytime sleep. If she naps three times a day, try two longer naps. Don’t let naps run too late into the afternoon. Or awaken her a few minutes early from her naps, to see if she “consolidates” her sleep better at night. But don’t make the opposite mistake and eliminate naps; this creates an overtired baby, and an overtired baby will sleep less at night.
