Why babies sleep through the night

FREQUENT feeds during the first week of a baby’s life can stop them sleeping through the night months later, researchers warn.

If a baby is fed more than 11 times during a 24 hour period, it is three times less likely to sleep through at 12 weeks of age. Conversely, parents who avoid night-time feeds and cuddles are more likely to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

A study of 600 babies from one to 12 weeks of age by researchers at the University of London found that two thirds of babies could sleep through the night - at least five hours of continuous sleep - by the age of 12 weeks, if their parents adhered to a behavioural programme where a clear difference was made between day and night, and where night-feeds and cuddles were avoided.