Parents have a lot of questions about sleep: Should you wake a sleeping baby to eat? Why is my sleeping baby so noisy? How do I handle sleep regression? But the most-asked baby sleep question is always the same: When will my baby start sleeping through the night? And its popularity is totally understandable: On average, a new parent loses 109 minutes of sleep every night for the first year of their baby’s life. Parents are tired! And they’re desperate to learn when their precious uninterrupted nighttime sleep will return. The truth is that it takes time. But your baby will eventually—and gradually—hit that sleeping-all-night sweet spot. Read on to find out when most babies sleep through the night—plus tips for getting them there.
What does “sleeping through the night” mean?
For babies, “sleeping through the night” generally means snoozing for at least six continuous hours. However, within that stretch, babies may briefly wake…but they’re able self-soothe themselves back to sleep without parental help. And, honestly, that last bit is the key. You see, all of us—babies, toddlers, big kids, and adults—whether we realize it or not, rouse a tiny bit about three to four times a night. So, the goal for your baby isn’t necessarily to “sleep through the night,” but to help them learn how to self-soothe, so when they inevitably wake, they can get back to dreamland on their own.