Sleep is essential to all babies. Among sleep’s superpowers are helping to support babies’ growth and development and giving them more energy. Premature babies (born before 37 weeks) need a lot of sleep: up to 18 hours a day. However, rest can sometimes be more elusive for preemies due to a couple factors.
It’s common for preemies to be easily startled by unexpected sounds, perhaps because they’ve spent time in a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where low-levels of noise (beeping, whirring) are fairly steady and constant. And premature babies are easily overstimulated. So creating a serene, soothing environment for your tired little one can help them drop off when they need to—and be less likely to startle awake once they’re snoozing.
These tips can help you set up that environment and let your baby get the best rest possible now and in the future.
1. Know how much sleep your preemie needs.
To calculate the sleep needs of your preterm baby, you’ll want to think about their adjusted (or gestational) age. To calculate this, subtract the number of weeks or months they were born premature from their current age. For example, a 6-month-old born 1 month early would have similar sleep needs to a 5-month-old not born prematurely.
Over time, your baby will likely ‘catch up’ to a point where their developmental and sleep needs are aligned to their actual age rather than their adjusted age. Keep in mind that the earlier your baby was born, the longer it will take for the alignment to happen–as an example, most babies born at 37 weeks will typically only need about 2-3 months, but babies that are a few months premature will take longer.
2. Learn when your preemie is ready to sleep.
You’ll know your preemie is tired when they start to show these sleep cues:
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Staring blankly
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Yawning and stretching
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Rubbing their eyes
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Pulling their ears
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Arching their back
If you recognize one or more of these sleep signals, it’s a good time for a nap or bedtime to avoid them getting overtired. And don’t be surprised if it takes your premature baby a while to sleep all the way through the night. While some full-term babies start sleeping for longer stretches at night between 3-5 months, preemies may take until 6 to 8 months or later, depending when they were born.
Nanit’s Insights can help you stay on top of when your baby falls asleep and for how long so you know if they’re getting enough rest. You can also note down naps and bedtimes with Nanit’s Care Logs feature (other caregivers can as well).
3. Offer small meals more frequently.
Preemies tend to be more likely to experience colic, which might affect sleep. They might take longer to adjust to big feedings, so they might eat frequent small meals early on.
4. Swaddle your preemie.
Especially in the first few months after birth, swaddling your baby and creating a very dark sleeping environment (more on that below!) can help recreate the womb environment during sleep.
It’s very common for young babies to have active sleep with more frequent movement, and oftentimes a preemie will startle themselves with a sudden movement or jerking their hands. Swaddling can help prevent this, keeping your baby’s hands tucked in close to their body.
5. Set up your baby’s sleep space with a dark environment and white or other continuous noise.
Use a white noise machine near your baby’s sleep space. As with most babies, premature babies are also soothed by mellow, continuous sound. When they’re sleeping, it has the added benefit of preventing loud or unexpected noises from startling them awake.
Look forward to bedtime with the Nanit Sound and Light Machine, designed to grow with your child from the early days of newborn sleep through toddlerhood and beyond. This all-in-one device creates a soothing and consistent sleep environment to promote more restful routines. 
Other tools can also contribute to a peaceful sleep environment conducive to rest, such as blackout shades which helps keep the room very dark. A humidifier and a cool temperature (between 68 and 72) can also help. Your Nanit Baby Monitor can let you know whether your child’s room is in the ideal humidity and temperature range.
6. Establish a wind-down routine.
Even with very little babies, a regular routine can help your child learn that it’s time to sleep. Choose a few activities that are easy to do anywhere (and easy for others to do, too). Your bedtime routine might include a bath, music or a song, and rocking together in a chair. Finish by placing your child in their bed on their back, saying good night (or another sleep mantra), and leaving the room.
7. Help your preemie learn the difference between day and night.
Because young babies haven’t yet developed a circadian rhythm, they’re not aware of when it’s nighttime versus daytime. This typically happens between 3 and 6 months of age (or, of adjusted age for premature babies). Your actions can help them tune into the difference: During daytime hours, look for ways to interact with your child, talking, playing with, and reading to them. Get outside; go for a walk or put a blanket down on the grass. Being exposed to natural light helps to set the body’s circadian rhythms (natural patterns over a 24-hour period that include when to be awake and when to sleep). At night, calm down your interactions and setting. When your preemie wakes up during the night, keep the surroundings as quiet and peaceful as possible with soft, minimal light and not a lot of talking or other engagement.
The beautiful thing about a couple of these tips is how useful they are long term. With a serene sleep environment and simple bedtime routine in place, your family will be well on their way to building healthy sleep patterns and boundaries that will serve you for months, if not years, to come.
