Yes, it will. But you need to be patient.
Newborns sleep a lot: 16 or more hours a day, but often in stretches of just one to two hours, whether day or night. A more consistent sleep schedule, where most sleep happens during the night, will gradually develop as your baby's nervous system matures and as she is able to go longer between feedings, usually when she's around 2 months old.
Most experts agree that when babies are around 6 months old, they are capable of sleeping through the night, but you'll need to adjust your expectations: "sleeping through the night" at this age means 5-to-6-hour stretches, which may not be YOUR definition of "sleeping through the night."
At this point, and possibly earlier, there are several things you can do to encourage your baby to sleep for longer stretches during the night:
1. Create a clear distinction between day and night. During the day, expose your baby to lots of natural light. Play and talk with him and keep him active. Conversely, when he wakes up at night, keep the lights dim, care for him with minimal fuss and put him right back to sleep. This is a good way to teach your baby that daytime is for fun and interaction, and nighttime is for sleep.
2. Follow a consistent bedtime routine. When my kids were babies, we used to give them a warm bath each night. After their bath I used to nurse them, sing a lullaby and put them in their crib. Throughout this routine, lights were dim and we kept very quiet, signaling it was the end of the day and the beginning of the night. If you're consistent, your baby will lean to associate this routine with going to sleep.
3. Make sure the conditions in the nursery promote sleep. Baby bedding [http://www.tinytotties.com/] and your baby's pajamas should be soft and comfortable - never scratchy; the room should be relatively dark; and room temperature should be pleasantly cool - not too hot or too cold. Many parents keep the baby's room too hot, especially during the winter.
4. Place your baby in bed when she's drowsy, but awake. See if she falls asleep on her own. Let her fuss and whine a little if she needs to, but do go to her if she starts crying. Our own policy was that we never allowed our children to cry themselves to sleep, but this is of course a very personal decision.
5. During the night, if baby moves or stirs, don't rush to her right away. Sometimes babies move or makes noises, then go right back to sleep. Rushing to them and fussing over them encourages them to fully wake up and to view night as a chance to play and interact with you. Trust me, you do NOT want that to happen.
Most importantly, keep things in perspective! Those first few months of sleep deprivation are tough, but as someone who has survived it, I can tell you with confidence that you learn to manage and that your body does adjust to functioning on less sleep.
Sooner or later, almost all babies do sleep consistently through the night. Our children started sleeping for longer stretches (5 or 6 hours) when they were around nine months old. By the time they were two years old, and done with teething, they started sleeping consistently for 8-10 hours.
Remember that even when your child starts sleeping through the night, there will be many setbacks, especially when she is sick or scared. Sleep deprivation is part of parenting a young child, just like kissing their boo-boos and admiring their artwork. The calmer you are about it, the easier it will be for you to handle those sleepless nights.
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