How Much Should a 2 Month Old Sleep: Useful Tips for Parents

The Importance of Sleep for Newborns

It’s highly unlikely you’ll establish a set schedule for your baby when they’re as young as two months.

Your baby will let you know when they need to sleep rather than the other way around.

However, it is still your responsibility to make sure they are getting enough sleep.

Cognitive development is the number one factor that is influenced by sleep patterns at a young age.

Newborns who miss a proper night’s rest may be less likely to establish healthy cognitive functions.

Studies suggest that memory, language development, and executive functions are just a couple of examples of systems affected by sleep.

By analyzing over 30 studies, researchers suggest a significant correlation between sleep and cognitive and physical growth in infants.

Apart from dealing with emotional outbursts from a tired baby during the day, their healthy development relies on plenty of sleep.

The Importance of Sleep for Parents

As a parent, you also have the responsibility of ensuring you get enough sleep at night to be the best parent possible.

You are responsible for raising another life, but you’re also responsible for doing so safely.

If you’re just as tired as your baby, you could be inviting dangers into your life that are difficult to avoid.

Did you know that approximately one in 25 drivers fall asleep while driving every month?

Being exhausted from a baby with poor sleep patterns can prevent you from completing everyday tasks.

Parents use plenty of age-old tricks, such as napping when your baby naps, but they’re not for everyone.

A far better alternative is to ensure your newborn is getting more than enough sleep nightly and daily.

How Much Should a 2 Month Old Sleep?

You’ll likely start to see patterns forming around how your baby sleeps during the day and night at this stage of development.

Unlike during their first few weeks of life, babies should now have general patterns revolving around naps and nighttime rest.

It’s also important to note that their sleep requirements will differ as they get older, with toddlers and teens requiring less sleep.

At two months old, your baby should be sleeping anywhere from 14 to 17 hours.

Ideally, they should have approximately eight to nine hours of sleep during the night.

During the day, they should have between seven and eight hours of naps.

Apart from the average amount of time they should be sleeping daily, it’s also essential to consider their sleep cycles.

Most babies will get a significant chunk of rest and then be awake for up to 90 minutes and then nap again.

For example, your baby could sleep for eight hours, wake up for 90 minutes, and nap for another 30 minutes to two hours.

As you begin to adjust to your new role as a parent, you’ll get an idea of your baby’s sleeping habits.

How to Sleep Train Your Two-Month-Old Baby

Sleep training is subjective, depending on the parent, since some suggest it’s an essential task while others prefer to wait.

At two months of age, it’s not the ideal time to begin sleep training.

Most recommend waiting until they are at least four months.

With that said, establishing a sleeping schedule earlier on can help to make parenting simpler.

Also, your baby will have the ability to get accustomed to a set schedule at a young age.

There are several different tips and tricks that you can use to begin sleep training your two-month-old.

1. Baby Sleep Miracle

Baby Sleep Miracle is an innovative resource designed to help parents and children across a broad spectrum.

In an e-book format, it is a phenomenal guide that approaches your baby’s sleep patterns from a scientific and professional point of view.

However, as a mother develops it with over 20 years of clinical psychology experience, it comes from the heart.

Parents can use the seven-step program to improve the quality of their baby’s sleep and promote healthier development.

By establishing holistic methods to enhance sleep, Mary-Ann Schuler’s program is sure to give you a healthy and natural solution.

Many of the fact-based evidence in the guide is derived from Harvard Medical School and Stanford Center For Sleep Science and Medicine.

By teaching parents about good and bad ways to put their children to sleep, you gain plenty of benefits.

Also, it’s fully accessible from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.

2. Monitoring Your Child

When it comes to figuring out when your baby needs to sleep, the best way to do so is watch them.

When you notice they are beginning to get drowsy, you can put them down for a nap without rocking or holding them.

With this method, you’ll be encouraging them to fall asleep independently, making nighttime rest far easier for both of you.

The more accustomed your baby is to falling asleep alone, the easier it will be to get them to sleep.

You won’t have to worry about continually getting up to soothe them at regular intervals, impacting your rest.

3. Establishing Routines

Another process explained in detail in Baby Sleep Miracle is the importance of establishing routines.

Even though it can be tough to establish bedtime routines with a two-month-old, it’s well worth the investment.

This process can also help them sleep independently since they will be able to enter their circadian rhythm more gently.

You will want to develop a routine, but it is imperative that you also stick to it.

Any deviation could result in missed signals, preventing your child from getting sleepy when resting.

4. Promote Relaxation and Play

During the day, be sure to spend enough time playing with your newborn to help them exert excess energy.

Ensuring you play during the day can also reinforce their understanding of the difference between day and night.

Over time, your baby will distinguish that when it’s time for bed, they should relax and rest.

Many times, babies find it difficult to fall asleep because they have too much pent up anxiousness.

By promoting relaxation, you will be able to defeat their worries and sleep more peacefully for extended periods.

For example, gently smiling at your baby can put them at ease in seconds, allowing them to calm down.

This theory is explored in detail in Baby Sleep Miracle, as you’ll see in this review.

5. Use White Noise

White noise machines are seemingly everywhere, even when it comes to adult sleep.

Frequently, when there is some background noise, it’s easier to drift off into dreamland.

This instance occurs because white noise provides a calming and soothing environment, even for babies.

If your home is tranquil, a white noise machine can help block out the dead silence.

Without noise at night, babies can become very light sleepers and be likely to awaken even from your voice.

As an old trick, always make sure your baby is exposed to regular noises to ensure they get used to sleeping with activity.

Final Thoughts

With professional guides such as Baby Sleep Miracle, you can answer, how much should a 2 month old sleep?

As a part of cognitive and physical growth, you’ll want to be prepared for your child’s sleeping schedule.