I really wish I could give you a definitive answer to this question. The truth is though, no one ever really sleeps through the night. We all wake up 2-6 times per night as we cycle through different stages of sleep and your baby will be no exception. What I can tell you, with absolute certainty, is that he/she will begin to sleep through once they learn how. Once your little one begins developing their independent sleep skills, they will begin to string those sleep cycles together, without your help, and so even if she does wake up throughout the night - she will understand that she is the one who has the power to put herself right back to sleep! That being said, many newborns will still need nighttime feeds and will wake up at least once to fill up their tummies. I have seen babies who were ready to drop this feeding as early as 10 weeks and I have seen babies who needed nighttime feeds through the sixth month. Exactly when this will happen depends on the individual child and family.

Whenever we talk about nutritional needs for your child, it is always best to speak with your pediatrician first. However, normally, when a full-term, healthy baby is back to his birth weight and continues to gain weight appropriately, there is no need to wake him for a feeding. This recommendation may be different depending on your baby's specific circumstances, so always check with your pediatrician before making any changes around feeding.

Newborns typically sleep in 30-45 minute cycles and they sometimes have trouble falling back to sleep after one cycle has been completed. If your babe has slept for less than an hour, try to coax her back to sleep for another 10-15 minutes. You can offer some loud shushing, patting, jiggling the mattress a bit or offer a pacifier to buy you a little more time. If you have tried for 10-15 minutes and it is clear she is not going back to sleep, it's ok to get her up, but if it's still too early, wait another 10-20 minutes before offering her next feed (and make sure to keep her awake during it) in order to keep your schedule on track.

If you've missed the nap window - for whatever reason - and baby seems hungry, go ahead and feed him. If he falls asleep during the feed, just lay him down in his crib instead of letting him sleep on you. At the next feed, do your best to keep baby awake and at the next nap try putting baby in his crib, drowsy but awake. The newborn stage is a time for everyone to practice. It doesn't need to be perfect!

Yes! This it totally normal. Newborns sleep in two stages - deep/quiet sleep and active/REM sleep. When babies are in REM sleep, they are working hard to process all of the sensory information they received during their last period of wakefulness. Because a newborn's system is still developing, they have not yet developed the muscular paralysis that adults experience when we enter REM sleep to keep us from acting out our dreams. This is why newborns often twitch, make noises, or are prone to other startling movement while they sleep.

I'm sure you can agree that we all wake up happier when we wake up naturally, on our own, when we're ready. Because your baby is still developing those sleep cycles, it's important that she is also given the chance to regulate her own sleep and is allowed to finish each nap on her own. However, if it is nearing the 3.5 hour mark since her last feeding and she has slept for at least 2 hours, then it's ok to gently wake her by opening her door or the curtains and speaking in a soft voice so as not to startle her. This will help to keep her day on track. The goal is to get in enough calories during the day, so that she doesn't need to make them up at night and she can then begin sleeping in longer stretches overnight.

Once your child is overtired, their body begins to produce adrenaline and cortisol - two hormones that can wreak havoc on sleep. This is why it's so important to follow wake windows. Finding that sweet spot where your child is tired enough to fall asleep but not too tired is critical to successful naps. It can also be helpful to get some natural light and fresh air during awake times. These along with physical activity can help elicit sleep.

It happens! If something comes up or you just can't make it home before nap time, do your best to allow your little one to sleep wherever you are. If, for example, he falls asleep in the car on the way home from Target, drive around for 20-30 extra minutes and call that his nap. Do your best to get back on track for the next one and follow appropriate wake times.

If your child is under six months old: Please know that it is totally normal to see mostly short naps at this age. Some babies are not developmentally able to consolidate and lengthen their daytime sleep until they are 5-6 months old. If your baby is a chronic cat napper, you can still attempt to lengthen them by patting or rocking them if they wake up early. If after 10-15 minutes your baby has made it clear that she will not be going back to sleep, get her up and try again at next nap. You might also take a look at your baby's daily caloric intake, especially if she's sleeping well at night. Sometimes, babies between 3-6 months need two feedings during their wake window to ensure they are getting enough calories to make up for their lower intake at night. If you are working on independent sleep skills, be sure to keep your baby awake during these feedings, especially if the second one is taking place before a nap.

If your child is over six months old: Give your child some space upon waking early and allow them the opportunity to find their way back to sleep. Rushing in will only cause too much stimulation - especially with older babies or toddlers - and then your little one will surely be up for good. Try waiting for 15-30 minutes to respond. If they don't fall asleep within this time frame, they are probably unlikely to get themselves back to sleep.

Leave your child in their crib/bed and exposed to darkness for a total of one hour. Not only does this encourage your child to find their way back to sleep, this can help the body clock to lengthen daytime sleep.

Avoid overstimulating activities for 5-10 minutes before beginning your short naptime routine.

Assess your child's sleep environment. Is it dark enough? Light is a stimulant and can make it difficult for babies to fall asleep and stay asleep. If you can see your hand in front of your face, it's too bright!

Is your child tired enough, or too tired? It is important to follow both your child's cues and age-appropriate wake windows when considering when to put your child down for a nap. Sometimes it can be helpful to push your child a little bit longer (10-15 minutes can help tremendously) as they may be tired enough to fall asleep, but their sleep drive just isn't high enough to help them transition from one sleep cycle to the next. If your child is too tired, it can also cause fragmented sleep leading to short naps.

It can be helpful to track your baby's wake and sleep times to see if a pattern emerges. Make sure your baby isn't taking a quick "snooze" at the breast/bottle and/or getting too drowsy before going down for nap. In order for your child to fall asleep and stay asleep, they must build up sleep pressure. If your little one dozes off in the stroller or falls asleep in the car 5 minutes from home, it is common to see the next nap be shorter (and/or be met with major protests before falling asleep). This is simply because your child has taken the edge off of their sleep pressure and are now in this awkward in-between state of being tired, but just not tired enough to fall asleep or connect sleep cycles.

Do your best to keep your baby active and alert between naps. Get some activity in during awake times. Better yet, get some natural light and fresh air which are both really beneficial for sleep.

When your child stops napping, bedtime will need to be earlier than it was when they had a midday snooze. Your child still needs 11-13 hours of sleep even after they stop napping, so it is important to get them to bed with enough time for them to be rejuvenated and refreshed the next day.

If and when you decide to pull the nap, it is normal for there to be a transition period while the body goes from having frequent daytime sleep to having none. Be ready for a little crankiness in the afternoon or a bit of a meltdown around the dinner hour. I would recommend implementing an hour of “quiet time” around the time nap usually occurs for at least 6 weeks (preferably indefinitely) to help their little bodies and brains rest and to minimize afternoon meltdowns.