6-Week Sleep Regression Sleep regression at 6 weeks usually happens due to a growth spurt, and it often results in a demanding, hungry, and fussy baby. Your child will be starting to explore and think about the world in more detail, and this can make them particularly clingy. They might want to feed more at night.
Signs and symptoms of the 6-week sleep regression
Your baby is no longer falling asleep in spaces that are loud and bright. Increase in fussiness. Seem sleepy and squirmy, but are not going to sleep easily.
As with any other regression, the 6 week sleep regression probably won't last more than a week or two at most. Be consistent and stick to your routine if you can, but give your baby the attention they need and know that this isn't forever!
There are a few reasons why your newborn may be fighting sleep. It could be that they're not tired enough, they're hungry, they're overstimulated, they're unwell or they may have discomfort from gas or colic.
To top it off, there is also commonly a growth spurt happening at six weeks. A growth spurt may cause a baby to want to eat more often, day and night. All of these things put together means you will likely experience some extra fussiness and your baby waking even more often at night.
Do babies sleep more during growth spurts? It depends. Some research shows that infants tend to sleep more during the days when they're experiencing a growth spurt in length. But it's also common for babies to wake up more often to demand a feeding, and some babies can go through a sleep regression during this time.
Growth spurts tend to last approximately 3 days, at which time your baby will reward you for your patience by sleeping well and becoming more alert during his awake time. You may even find that he develops new (and better!) patterns of sleeping and feeding.
Your baby continues to put on weight at a rate of 1.5-2 pounds a month. Your baby is growing in length, too, about an inch taller each month. Their head circumference is growing about ½ inch per month.2 That means that by the end of their first two months, they will be about 4 pounds heavier than they were at birth.
How do I know if my baby is having a sleep regression? More frequent night waking, trouble falling asleep at bedtime, increased fussiness, and suddenly resisting naps can all be signs your baby is having a sleep regression.
Newborns (0 - 3.5 months) - 7:30-9:30pm (later because newborn sleep cycles aren't yet in place and circadian rhythm isn't driving sleep) 3.5 - 6 months old - 7-8:30 pm. 6 - 12 months old - 6-8pm. 12 - 24 months old - 6:-7:30pm.
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.
Newborns up to 3 or 4 months old need 14 to 17 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, usually waking every two to four hours to eat.
Most people find the first six to eight weeks to be the hardest with a new baby. And, although people may not openly discuss many of the challenges in these early weeks of parenthood (if at all), there are a number of common hurdles you may face at this time.
A newborn's weight ranges from 2.3kg to 4.9kg, and during the first 6 weeks your baby's weight will increase by approximately 0.9kg to 1.6kg.
But here's the thing to remember – most babies also go through a pretty pronounced growth spurt at 6 weeks, too. And, that growth spurt will likely have your baby waking more often, and seeming to be fussier than usual, simply because your baby will be hungrier than usual, and will need more feedings.
Growth spurts can often bring about sleep issues, but sleep regression and growth spurts are not exactly the same thing. While growth spurts are centered around physical growth, sleep regression is about cognitive and mental growth.
Babies fight sleep for a variety of reasons the seven most common being separation anxiety, overtiredness, overstimulation, teething, hitting a milestone, traveling and discomfort or illness.
The first few weeks of living with a newborn baby will be hard work, not least because of the postpartum changes your body will be going through. During these first six weeks it's essential that you give your body adequate time to recover.
However, many babies tend to get "easier" around 3 to 4 months old. Around this age, infants may begin to sleep longer stretches and feed on a more predictable schedule. You may also start to adjust to your new set of responsibilities as a parent. This being said, every baby is different, as is every family.
At 6- to 8-weeks-old, night time sleep is becoming more organized, and you can expect a longer 4 to 6 hour stretch of sleep at night (barring no medical conditions). The first important thing to take into consideration is your baby's developmental age.
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.
They take around 4-7 naps a day. It's totally normal for these naps to be short (45-60 minutes) but if they will sleep longer stretches that's great!
Very young babies have little idea of day or night and most wake regularly around the clock every 2 or 3 hours needing a feed and attention. In the first few months it is common for babies to wake regularly at night for feeds at least 2 or 3 times.