For parents, babies’ sleep patterns or babies sleeping for a long time are really important in every sense 🙂 The baby’s sleep pattern is important for his/her development, but we cannot ignore the fact that a baby who sleeps for a long time, maybe for a few hours without interruption, is like a recipe for happiness for parents to take time for themselves, maybe to sleep. Every mother & father wants their baby to sleep for at least 1-2 hours when they put them to bed. However, while babies are in a state of physical and cognitive development brought about by the month they are in, they usually experience a sleep pattern compatible with this. So, it is important to approach this issue by knowing your baby’s sleep needs and sleep patterns according to their month! So, what is thesleep pattern for 7-month-old babies?
what is the Sleep Pattern of 7 – 9 Month Old Babies?
After the sixth month, babies sleep much longer at night. They also have 3 daytime naps. They may stay awake for 3 or 4 hours betweendaytime naps. While this pattern is normal, situations such as sleeping less than this time, falling asleep by sucking, rocking to sleep and waking up frequently can be worrying. Let’s talk a little bit about these..
1. Pay Attention to These Things When Putting Your Seven Month Old Baby to Sleep!
There are many mistakes we make, intentionally or unintentionally, when putting babies to sleep. We can list the things we should pay attention to forbabies to learn to sleep on their own and to sleep longer and sufficiently:
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Do not hinder their movement!
If it wants to move around in the bed, let it. After a while it will stop. He will settle down and fall asleep. This may make him restless as he will not understand why you are restricting him.
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Don’t Cover It Up!
Use a sleeping bag. Covering the baby can cause the blanket or duvet to interfere with their movements and wake them up.
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Develop a Sleep Routine!
Soothing actions such as giving your baby a warm bath beforehand to help them fall asleep, staying with them while they sleep and reading them a bedtime story, singing a lullaby so that they can hear your voice and relax, and stroking their hair and head can help themlearn to fall asleep .
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The Perfect Time for Learning to Sleep Alone: 7 – 9 Months
After the sixth month, separation anxiety starts. They may be uncomfortable when you put them to bed and leave the room. Leave him/her by loving and comforting him/her. At first, wait with him/her and let him/her fall asleep. However, so that this does not become a habit that is carried forward, make sure that he learns to fall asleep by leaving the room gradually. He should feel safe even when you are not there.
2. Develop a Sleep Pattern!
Putting your baby to sleep at the same time with the same ritual helps his/her body clock to remember these time periods. Therefore, between 7 and 9 months, establish a sleep pattern, knowing that your baby sleeps two or three times a day and stays awake for 4 hours between each nap.
3. Do not put to sleep by breastfeeding / do not rock to sleep!
Breastfeeding or rocking the baby to sleep seems to be the best solution to get the baby to fall asleep quickly. These classic methods are used so that the baby falls asleep as soon as possible, but over time, these methods tire the parents the most. For this reason , bedetermined to abandon the early habit of breastfeeding or rocking to sleep after the sixth month. So, how do you change the habitof a baby who sleeps by sucking?
Sleep Training for Babies Who Sleep by Rocking and Sucking
It is very common to rock a baby to sleep standing up, on a swing or in a crib. On the other hand, breastfeeding is also very common.
The habit of breastfeeding to sleep starts between 0-3 months. In this early period, the baby who falls asleep while sucking, eventually wants to suck to fall asleep. He sees this as a transition ritual to fall asleep. However, over time, it can be quite uncomfortable for him/her to wake you up several times a night and feed you at night. Do not combine sucking with sleep. It is important to know that it is not hunger but habit. So, how can we overcome this habit of 7-month-old babies who sleep by sucking?
Solution: disconnect suction from sleep!
Do this with smooth transitions. For example, breastfeed but don’t let him/her fall asleep and put him/her down when he/she is slightly lethargic. Gradually put him back to sleep when he is just starting to become lethargic and then half an hour after breastfeeding, when he is awake.
Sleeping while Feeding / Feeding while Sleeping
Babies associate the sucking reflex and feeding with sleep. This is actually due to the fact that we feed them and put them to sleep during the newborn period. Of course, it is normal for them to feed, suck and fall asleep at that time. However, carrying this habit to later periods, even to the age of 2 and 3, causes the baby’s sleep to be unhealthy and the parents to have difficulties. In addition, sleeping with a full stomach in this way can cause a negative picture for reflux. The right thing to do is to gradually remove this habit, to feed and put to sleep half an hour in advance, and if we use bottles, to prefer bottles that do not cause gas.
Curiosities About Seven-Month Baby Sleep Patterns
Now, let’s elaborate a little more by answering frequently asked questions…
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why should I read a bedtime story to a 7-month-old baby?
Reading fairy tales to babies is very popular nowadays, but many parents think it is unnecessary. If you are thinking “how can seven-month-old babies understand a bedtime book”, you are wrong! Reading a book may be good for your baby as he/she will enjoy listening to your voice and it will relax him/her.
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can a 7-month-old baby sleep alone?
from 6 months he can get used to sleeping alone in his room. Here it is important what kind of routine you offer him and how patient you are. You can get him used to sleeping alone in his room by leaving the room when he’s a bit fussy.
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Is it possible to sleep train babies without crying?
Babies may resist sleep from time to time. There is more than one reason for this. The more you insist that he sleeps, the more he wants to do the opposite, the more stubborn he becomes and of course he cries. It is important to reassure the baby, distract him/her with different things and g entlypersuade him/her to go to sleep. A sleep buddy, a lullaby, reading a book, stroking and petting, and providing a suitable environment can be useful to help the baby learn to fall asleep.
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Why doesn’t your baby want to sleep?
It’s way pastbedtime, but he’s still not sleeping? He might be hungry, he might have gas, he might be having trouble pooping, he might have a stuffy nose, he might be cranky because he’s tired and can’t sleep because he’s cranky. Or maybe none of these things. He just doesn’t want to sleep or can’t fall asleep. Set up a sleep ritual and help him learn to fall asleep.
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Why doesn’t my baby sleep for a long time / why does my baby wake up immediately?
You look forward to his sleeping hours so that you can do your work, relax, socialize, but he wakes up fifteen or twenty minutes later 🙂 Sometimes you think, “I wish he would fall asleep so I can have a cup of coffee and read a magazine,” but he wakes up before you even put the coffee in the cup…Do these scenarios sound familiar? You need to find out what wakes your baby up. Maybe it’s the blanket you put on him, maybe it’s the noise, maybe it’s the light in the room..
See also our articleWhat are Baby Sleep Headphonesfor babies who are disturbed by noise !
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