Wondering if your baby will ever sleep through the night? Babies have needs at night just as they do during the day; from hunger, loneliness, and fear, to feeling too hot or too cold. They rely on parents to soothe them and help them regulate their intense emotions.
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General baby sleep safety precautions
Do not allow anyone to smoke around your baby. This holds true whether your baby is asleep or awake. Babies who are exposed to smoke face an increased risk of SIDS, as well as other health complications, such as asthma.
If your child spends time with a child-care provider, babysitter, grandparent, or anyone else, insist that safety guidelines are followed in that environment also.
Keep your baby warm, but not too warm. Keep the bedroom at a comfortable sleeping temperature, usually between 65°F and 72°F (i8°C to 22°C). Be careful not to overheat your baby. If your newborn comes home from the hospital wearing a hat, ask your doctor if he should wear it to sleep and for how long. A hat could contribute to overheating.
Do not use blankets or comforters under or over the baby. They can entangle your baby or become a suffocation hazard. Instead, when the temperature warrants, dress your baby in warm sleeper pajamas layered with an undershirt.
You can help your baby learn how to fall asleep without help! If your baby is waking you up frequently at night, the problem is not the awakenings, but that she doesn't know how to go back to sleep on her own. There are ways to help your baby feel comfortable and secure when she wakes up so that she can go back to sleep without your help.
"My Bed Is a Nice Place!"
This first idea helps your baby learn that her bed is a safe, comfortable place.
Spend some quiet, cuddly time during the day in the place you want your baby to sleep at night. Read, talk, sing, and play. Have two or three of these very pleasant interludes during the day with Baby in her sleeping place. If your baby responds positively, try to get her interested in watching a mobile or playing with a toy as you fade back and sit quietly in a chair beside her and watch.
By following these steps your baby will come to know her crib as a welcoming, safe, and comfortable haven and find it easier to go back to sleep...
It's true, the number one milestone most parents seek look forward to is the day (or night) their newborn starts sleeping through the night. You don't have to suffer endless night after night without sleep however, even with a newborn. Baby's actually follow certain sleep patterns, and if you get to know what these patterns are you'll start sleeping more soundly and better the times you do have a chance to get some sleep! Baby's don't actually sleep at the same intervals adults do. They actually sleep very unsoundly. Their sleep is full of interruptions because their sleep cycle is not yet fully developed, thus they wake more often during the night. Generally grown adults spend about six hours every night in deep sleep. This is the really restful phase of sleep you require to feel fresh and new in the morning. Usually time permitting another 2 hours are spent in light sleep. Baby's generally have twice as many light sleep cycles as adults though, and their deep sleep cycles are...
Congratulations on the birth of your new baby. This is a glorious time in your life – and a sleepless time too. Newborns have very different sleep needs than older babies. This article will help you understand your baby’s developing sleep patterns, and will help you have reasonable expectations for sleep.
Read, Learn, and Beware of Bad Advice
Absolutely everyone has an opinion about how you should handle sleep issues with your new baby. The danger to a new parent is that these tidbits of misguided advice (no matter how well-intentioned) can truly have a negative effect on our parenting skills and, by extension, our babies’ development…if we are not aware of the facts. The more knowledge you have the less likely that other people will make you doubt your parenting decisions.
When you have your facts straight, and when you have a parenting plan, you will be able to respond with confidence to those who are well-meaning but offering contrary or incorrect advice. So, your...
Sleep is the stuff of which dreams are made—especially if you’re a sleep-deprived mom. Here are some tips on troubleshooting some common mom, baby, and toddler sleep problems. MOM “My newborn is sleeping, but I’m not. It takes me forever to get back to sleep after each middle-of-the-night feeding—and then it’s time to start all over again!” What to try: · Try to lull yourself back to sleep by breathing in and out slowly and deeply; imagining a peaceful and relaxing scene; and repeating the same relaxing word (“relax” or “calm”) over and over again until you fall asleep. · Get out of bed. If you aren’t asleep within 15 minutes (don’t look at the clock!), move to another room and read until you feel sleepy. Then go back to bed. · If you continue to have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. Caring for a new baby is tough enough without being chronically sleep deprived. BABY “My newborn hates to sleep on her back. I know this is the safest sleeping...
