Baby Sleep : 6 Months to 9 Months

A 6 months old baby will typically sleep for about 14 hours in a 24 hour span, and most likely will have a sleeping schedule of his own. Generally, baby naps at this age are around 3-4 naps a day, likely scheduled on four phases of the day. Although it is not a matter of concern if your baby likes to sleep more, yet it is important that he has settled into a sleep routine by now. The place and routine need to be consistent and unless really required, we’d advise against varying it. If the habit is not set by now, you might need to be persistent with your approach and settle the baby into having regular and long naps. Sticking to a schedule is not really going by the clock with precision, but it really helps if your baby has a pretty-stable schedule of his own. Sleeping soundly is very essential for the baby as it helps them grow and develop faster.

If your baby is unable to sleep on his own at 6 months or so, you definitely need to put in some effort here. It is suggested to leave your baby in the cot or crib after feeding and cleaning, and let him settle on his own. If he cries, go back to him, comfort him, maybe cuddle, but again leave him back to sleep on his own. Make sure that there is nothing that can cause discomfort to the baby.

A bed time ritual like giving a bath or singing a lullaby in order to make the baby aware that nights are for sleeping also helps in putting the

It is not a bad idea to let the baby sleep on his own at this age

baby to sleep. A baby by himself will not know what night is and what a day is like, so you need to instil these changes in him. Avoid talking or playing with him when he wakes up for a feed during night (he’d still be waking up for at-least one feed in the night), and keep the lights and noise to a minimum level. During the day, keep the room bright and fresh, and do not try curtailing the sounds either.