Can you let your 2-month-old sleep through the night? Baby probably still wakes up a couple of times in the wee hours to feed. But if they're managing to sleep through the night, go ahead and let them. Studies have found that at the two-month mark, baby might start sleeping longer stretches.
Newborns generally sleep for two to three hours before waking to eat, day and night. As they get older, babies are usually able to sleep for increasingly longer stretches of time at night without waking to eat. Between the age of 2 to 3 months old, healthy babies are often able to sleep for six hours without feeding.
Each baby has a different sleep pattern. Some start to sleep "through the night" (for 5–6 hours at a time) by 2–3 months of age, but some don't.
Although rare, it is ok for a 2 month old to sleep 8 hours straight. Most pediatricians will want you to follow feed windows during the first few months to keep your baby's weight on track. Discuss with your pediatrician whether they would prefer for you to feed your baby or if it's ok to let them sleep.
Bedtime for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Lights out shifts a bit earlier, with most babies going down around 9pm. Nighttime Sleep for 2- to 4-Month-Olds: Babies are able to sleep a little longer now, but they still wake for a feeding or two. Longest unbroken sleep can range from around five hours to up to eight hours.
2 to 3 months old
Two- to 3-month old babies can sleep for five- or six-hour stretches. That said, most 3-month-olds still need a feeding or two during the night, especially if they're nursing.
Generally, newborns sleep about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and about 8 hours at night. But they may not sleep more than 1 to 2 hours at a time. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until they are about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.
Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night. Most infants can sleep for 6–8 hours without a feed by the age of 6 months. Once they are 9 months old, most infants can sleep for 11–12 hours without a feed.
Most pediatricians recommend that you wake up your baby if they are due for a daytime or nighttime feed. Babies shouldn't go without feeding for more than 4 hours. So while most of the time your baby will let you know when they are ready to eat, it's okay to wake them up if they snooze past the 4-hour mark.
Here are a few things to keep in mind: Don't let any one nap go longer than 2 hours. Aim for wake windows around 60-90 minutes. Don't let your baby's night last any longer than 12-12.5 hours.
Once your child is about 6 or 8 weeks old, he or she should start to sleep for longer periods at night and shorter periods during the day. By the time your baby is 8 weeks old, night sleep may last six hours or more, and by the time he or she is a few months old, sleeping through the night is possible.
Most doctors will agree that you can stop intentionally waking your baby for night feedings around 3-4 months as long as they're showing stable weight gain and staying on their growth curve. However, some babies won't be able to sleep through the night without any feedings until closer to 9 months.
At about 2 months of age, babies usually take 4 to 5 ounces per feeding every 3 to 4 hours. At 4 months, babies usually take 4 to 6 ounces per feeding. At 6 months, babies may be taking up to 8 ounces every 4 to 5 hours.
Your baby could be chewing their hand for many reasons, from simple boredom to self-soothing, hunger, or teething. Regardless of the cause, this is a very common behavior that most babies exhibit at some point during their first months of life.
Sleeping or napping more can be strong indicators of a perfectly healthy baby. They may be growing at a typical rate experiencing due growth spurts, recovering from illness, or merely teething. Infants grow at a rapid pace, and rest is an imperative component to getting what children need to fuel their changes.
If your baby doesn't wake up to eat, try being a bit more forceful with your nudges. Sing or talk a bit more loudly when you wake him, undress him completely or try taking him into another room to feed him, as a change of venue can sometimes work wonders.
Infants up to 3 months old should get 14–17 hours of sleep over a 24-hour period, says the National Sleep Foundation. Many will have settled into a daily sleep routine of 2-3 naps during the day, followed by a longer "sleeping through the night" stretch after a late-night feeding.
Generally, newborns sleep a total of about 8 to 9 hours in the daytime and a total of about 8 hours at night. But because they have a small stomach, they must wake every few hours to eat. Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) until at least 3 months of age. But this can vary a lot.
Newborns will wake up and want to be fed about every three to four hours at first. Do not let your newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks.
As newborns get older, they'll nurse less often, and may have a more predictable schedule. Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings. Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.
Most 2-month-olds still need to eat once or twice overnight, but it's usually not necessary for your baby to chow down three or four times in a night. To minimize nighttime awakenings, make sure your baby is getting enough to eat during the day and maybe try a dream feed.
Most newborns need eight to 12 feedings a day — about one feeding every two to three hours. While waking up a sleeping baby might seem like a bad idea, frequent feedings early on are important for a couple of reasons: Crying is a late sign of hunger.
For the first few days you may need to wake them to feed if they are still sleeping by 3 hours from the last day feeding and 4 hours at night. If baby still won't eat, allow baby to sleep another hour and try again to wake and feed them.
As a rule of thumb, a truly hungry baby will rarely choose sleeping over eating. So, if your baby falls asleep in your arms without taking a full feeding, it's likely he was tired — not hungry.
This sleep regression is due to a physiological and hormonal change that takes place around 8 weeks old so while you may be mourning the loss of your sleepy newborn, take comfort in the fact that it means your baby is growing and developing as they should.