From the time baby comes home, the one thing every parent wants to know is “when will this little angel sleep through the night?”

While there’s no definitive answer for when your baby will sleep through the night, most babies start being able to sleep for five to six hour stretches somewhere between four and six months of age. Of course, that’s no guarantee. Some babies don’t sleep through the night until they are a year old or older. And, on the other hand, some babies sleep for long stretches as early as three months old.

Generally speaking, though, babies have difficulty sleeping through the night before they are four months old because their stomachs are not large enough to hold enough formula or breast milk to keep them satisfied for more than a short time. Breastfed babies will generally need to eat every two to three hours during the first three to four months of their lives. Bottle fed babies can go a little longer, as the formula digests a bit slower, but they will still need to be fed every three to four hours. The best thing you can do as a parent is prepare yourself for the fact that you and your partner will need to feed baby every few hours. Getting in a quick nap or two during the day time helps make the nights considerably more tolerable, and is highly recommended if you are able.

Many parents ask why their baby, who was sleeping through the night, is suddenly waking up again and needing attention. There are many causes for this, and it’s nothing unusual and nothing to be overly concerned about. Of course, it may mean losing some sleep again for a while, but it doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your baby. Causes may be as various as growing pains and teething. The best way to handle these times is to make the time as uninteresting as possible for baby. Avoid playing with him during the night time. There will be plenty of time to bond and play during the day time, and if your baby is starting to get up at night again after having slept through the night, you don’t want to encourage it by stimulating him. Soon, he will figure out that night time is for sleeping.

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