 |
Infants
Sleeping
Habits
|
Newborns sleep a lot — about 17 to 18 hours a day for the first few
weeks and 15 hours a day by month three. But they're almost never asleep
for more than three to four hours at a time, day or night. The best way to
make sure that your baby will learn the good sleeping habits is to teach
them right away. Keep an eye on your baby to learn to know the signs when
he is sleepy. If you spot the common signs of sleepiness (rubbing the
eyes, pulling on his ear, developing dark circles under his eyes) put the
baby right away in the crib. Soon you will learn your baby's daily rhythms
and patterns, and you'll know instinctively when he's ready for a nap.
Also once your baby is about 2 weeks old, you can teach the baby a
difference between day and night by playing with him during the day and
then making sure that night time lights and noise level are down. When the
baby is 6 to 8 weeks old, start giving your baby a chance to fall asleep
on his own.
Try
our "Self Quieting" Test
When you lay your baby in her crib,
you’ll want to follow the recommendation of the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) that healthy infants sleep on their backs or sides.
Here is some updated information about baby
sleeping:
-
The safest sleeping position for a baby
is on the back.
-
The risk of SIDS is slightly greater for
infants placed on their sides compared to those placed on their backs.
-
Babies who sleep on their stomachs have
a higher risk of SIDS
than those infants who sleep on their backs or
sides.
-
Avoid soft surfaces and air-trapping
objects in a baby’s sleeping environment. Never lay your baby on a
pillow, quilt, or other very soft surface to sleep.
-
If you use a side sleeping position,
bring the bottom arm forward so your baby will be less likely to roll
onto her stomach.
-
When baby is not sleeping, be sure to
follow the AAP recommendation and give your baby some "tummy
time." While your baby is awake and you’re watching her, lay
her on her stomach to assist her development and to help prevent flat
spots on her head.
-
Don’t use a restrictive device to hold
your baby’s head in place.
-
When your baby is able to easily turn
over from his back onto his stomach, continue to put him to sleep on his
back but then let baby adopt whatever sleeping position he prefers.
Exceptions to the rule
The current AAP recommendation is for
healthy infants only; it may be best for some babies to sleep on their
stomachs. Before you leave the hospital, be sure to discuss the safest
sleeping position for your baby with her doctor.
Try
our "Self Quieting" Test
|
