Being a parent, you may be concerned about your baby’s sleep habits.
Infants or newborns wake up several times at night for a nighttime feed. A baby who won’t sleep at night can disturb their parent’s sleep.
Mothers feel overwhelmed and exhausted while fathers feel confused and helpless.
However, when babies grow, their sleeping habits change.
So, many parents want to know “What age do babies sleep from 7pm to 7am?” It mostly depends on the age, health, body weight, and stage of your baby as well as whether or not she/he learned to self-soothe.
Continue reading to find the answer to your question. You will also know how to get your baby to sleep through the night and encourage good sleep habits as they grow.
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What age do babies sleep from 7pm to 7am?
Generally at the age of 4 months, your baby will be able to sleep through the night from 7pm to 7am. Babies between the age of 4 and 6 months will begin to quit nighttime feeding and are generally ready to sleep through the night, anywhere between 6 to 12 hours. Research studies demonstrate that around 60% of babies sleep through the night when they reach 6 months of age and 80% of babies sleep through by 9 months. At this age, babies generally weigh around 15 to 16lb and they can drop the feed altogether. Note that all babies wake up during the night, but those who sleep through the night have learned how to go back to sleep on their own.
When do babies sleep through the night?
At the infant stage, your baby will have a routine consisting of a couple of naps during the day and longer sleep times at night. He may wake up several times for feeding.
Note that at this stage, the average nighttime is 10 to 11 hours. You will have to begin creating a soothing bedtime routine.
When your baby turns 6 months, you may start noticing a more liable time that your baby gets fussy or tired at night.
Mostly babies between 6 and 11 months old have an ideal bedtime between 7pm to 7am.
But naps and wake-up time must be factored in.
How to establish a bedtime routine?
Consider the time when you wish your baby to wake up in the morning. It depends on various factors like work schedule and lifestyle.
For example, if your 10-month-old generally sleeps for 10.5 hours and you want him to wake up at 6 am, then 7:30 pm is his ideal bedtime.
It doesn’t mean that you start the bedtime routine at 7:30 pm. You will have to add some time for a calming bedtime routine.
The bedtime routine may include changing a diaper, bathing, snuggling, and feeding.
If it is too much to do before going to bed then you can change the bath time to some other time of the day instead of before going to sleep.
Ensure that you are starting your bedtime routine earlier so that you put him to sleep before his ideal bedtime.
Why do 4-6 months old babies sleep from 7pm to 7am?
At this age, little ones can sleep for a continuous 8 to 10 hours which means sleeping through the night. However, it doesn’t happen all at once, instead, it happens gradually.
The reason is that a 4-month-old baby has reached a weight of 11-14 pounds, meaning that they don’t need nighttime feeding metabolically. But they can still demand feed at night.
Sometimes, babies at this age wake up frequently at night but the reason may not necessarily be the hunger.
To help your baby learn to sleep for 8 hours at a time, doctors advise slowly cutting down the extra nighttime feedings.
Your baby will be physically ready for this transition at this age but they may protest it, particularly when they are used to several nighttime feedings and the sweet dose of cuddling that comes with them.
How to get baby to sleep through the night
To get your baby to sleep through the night, you will have to begin working on it at a very earlier stage. Take control over the sleeping habits of your baby.
Don’t wait for them to become 6 months old to begin encouraging longer nighttime snoozes.
Here are some of the ideas to help your baby sleep from 7pm to 7am:
Create a bedtime routine: A bedtime routine will make your baby feel comfortable and act as a signal for your baby that it is time to sleep.
Start with a warm, relaxing bath that is both sleep-inducing and soothing. Then go for a lullaby, cuddle, and story. Finish it with a full feeding.
Don’t change the diaper at midnight: Try not to change the diaper in the middle of the night unless it is an absolute mess. It is because doing so can wake them up.
If it is necessary to do it, turn on as dim lights as possible.
Shorten nighttime feedings: Try to decrease the time of feeding during the night waking.
Keep decreasing the amount of milk slowly over the course of a week or two until your baby knows the sign and gives up on nighttime feeding.
Conclusion
What age do babies sleep from 7pm to 7am? It depends on your baby’s age. When your little one reaches between 4 to 7 months of age, they learn to sleep through the night without needing to feed while sleeping.
However, it doesn’t apply to all babies as each baby is not the same in terms of weight and habits. You need to understand your baby and its needs.
I know that the early months of parenthood are tiring but you will soon have a toddler playing all day long and sleeping for a long time at night.
To prevent extreme exhaustion, it is good to sleep when your baby sleeps. Soon, this stage will also pass.