The majority of newborn babies tend to sleep in long periods of time from 3 to 4 hours In the first few months after birth. As a baby grows older, the length of nap time tends to increase. A reasonable amount of sleep is essential for babies to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Only a mattress and fitted sheet should be in the crib when the baby is sleeping. The baby should sleep alone and be positioned on its back as this is regarded as the safest way for your baby to sleep in the first few months of its life.
Your infant will tend to sleep a lot during the first few months of their life, from 12 up to 18 hours a day. Hunger is what determines the amount of time or period your baby will sleep. After that, about every 3 to 4 hours, newborn babies will always wake up and want to be fed.
When Do Babies Start Sleeping Longer Than 3 Hours
Sleeping for up to 5 hours in the first 5 to 6 weeks after birth can prove to be detrimental to your baby’s health. Thereafter, you can keep the following in mind:
1. A 2-3 month-old baby can sleep up to four times a day, whereby an older infant may sleep only one to two times a day. So, Day time naps will tend to reduce in periods of time as the baby grows
2. Lot of babies will begin to show some preferences for longer sleep, by four months, mainly at night.
3. A lot of babies will begin to sleep through the night by six months and can go for five to six hours or more without Wanting to be fed, letting you rest as well.
Where Should Your Baby Sleep?
A bassinet or a crib is the appropriate place for your newborn to sleep in. And it can be located in your room, their sibling’s room or in your baby’s own room and which you prefer. Making sure your baby is safe anywhere they are sleeping is very important.
It is wrong for your baby to sleep in the same bed as you. Suffocation, strangulation, and sudden infant death syndrome are the risks involved in sharing a bed with your baby.
Feedings in your bed are okay, but you should return the baby to a crib as soon as you are done, or your infant falls asleep. Feeding your child in a chair is the best because it will avoid problems when feeding your baby in a bed.
Having your baby’s crib or bassinet in your room that is room sharing Room-sharing is fine, but not bed-sharing. Babies develop quickly during the first 6 months, and their sleep patterns also change rapidly.
You would need to understand that all babies briefly wake up several times (up to six) during the night. So when some babies wake up during the night, they might be able to soothe themselves back to sleep.
While other babies will sub or cry to signal for your attention to help in rocking, holding, cuddling, which can help put them back to sleep for a good night’s sleep after they wake. For a baby not to develop an attachment with their parents, it is better sometimes to let your baby try to soothe himself back to sleep.
But if they start to cry whenever they wake up, do not let them continue crying (your infant is losing sleep which can cause SIDS). It means they need your attention and might be hungry, or it might be something else. This is an advantage in the case when your baby crib is in your room.
What Is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?
The sudden and unexplainable death of a perfectly healthy baby can be described or defined as Sudden infants death syndrome when the child has been put down to sleep and later found dead without any obvious reasons.
Whenever a baby suddenly dies between month 1 to year 1, SIDS is the first culprit considered. During 2 months to 6 months of age, SIDS rates are higher. Research shows that more boys die from the diseases than girls.
Why SIDS happens is still unknown to experts. Some assume the baby might not have been having enough sleep. However, reducing the risk of SIDS is important, and you can follow these rules :
- Always lay your baby on their back for naps and also to sleep at night. This is known as the back to sleep rule.
- Placing your baby to sleep along in a crib with a firm mattress with no more than 2 slats. Which are not more than 3 to 8 inches apart.
- Do not allow the room temperature to be too hot or too cold, just the average temperature for an adult.
- When your baby is about 5 to 6 months, you should remove all hanging toys from above the crib, so they do not try to chew on them. At this age is when your baby will be able to pull themself up from the crib.
- Lay your baby down on their stomach when not asleep This is often called “tummy time,” an exercise for your baby that helps develop your baby’s muscles and eyes and prevents flattened areas on the back of the head since they will be sleeping a lot. And sometimes used to relieve gassiness.
- Offering a Pacifier is something you should think of because satisfying sucking their sucking urge can also reduce the risk of SIDS.
- There should be no blanket around your baby’s face, no toys, or any other type of coverings inside the crib. Blankets must be tucked in around the mattress and must be no higher than chest high against your baby if the need arises.
- There should be no pillows, quilts and comforters, plush toys, and any other objects or items In the crib; these can likely interfere with your baby’s breathing. Also, make sure there are no objects with strings, ties, sharp corners, or edges within the crib.
- A smoke-free environment must be created for your baby. Your child must not be exposed to any passive tobacco or smoke exposure as this has been proven to increase SIDS risks. People who smoke should not be allowed to do so around the home. And most especially not anywhere near the crib area. Smoking near children has proven to be Injurious to their health.
- A waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, the pillow is not a good surface for a baby to sleep. The baby’s crib should be the only and safest place to sleep.
How To Make Baby Sleep On His Own
Your baby will tend to sleep(when not feeding) more than 3 hours – 4 hours but not more than 5 hours when not feeding. But if your little one sleeps less than 3 hours, it is not good as they are at risk of losing sleep increases the risk of SIDS. There are some easy ways to assist your baby sleep well, these are;
Your baby’s sleep cycle maybe need to be shifted: By the time your baby is around 2 to 3 months of age, they sleep more at night. Their hunger streak determines the way babies sleep and wake up. So whenever your baby becomes hungry during the night, while asleep, they are awake but are actually still asleep.
A lot of emotions like smiling, sucking, twitching, jerking will show. These are all normal aspects of sleep. However, if they cry for few minutes, Your baby may be cold, wet, hungry, or even sick; it’s time to check on them. Keep the lights dim and reserve not dark stimulating interaction for the daytime hours.
Eventually, this will assist in forming a more consistent sleep/wake schedule. Also, do not reduce nap time; this will result in your baby being overtired and lacking a good sleep.
Consider a change in the bedtime routine. Your routine should include Quiet talking, warm baths, infant massage, Gentle music, rocking, reading, singing, cuddling. These signals may be a little hard for your baby to understand, but this routine will be useful in the future for regularity in bed tine routines.
After about 6 months of age No need to make these drills. After around 1 year, introduce a security object instead, maybe a stuffed animal toy, a favorite napkin, a cloth, or an item with your scent on it. If accepted by the baby, these objects may help the baby soothe themselves at night. The bedroom environment should be quiet, cool, dim, and comfortable for sleeping.
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When Should You Seek Your Doctor Regarding Your Babies Sleep?
You will have to contact your pediatrician or doctor immediately if you have noticed that your infant continually does the following things:
1. Being extremely fussy or irritable or cannot be soothed, a medical problem such as colic, gas, or reflux is when stomach content flows back into the food pipe.
2. our infant seems to have a breathing problem.
3. If You have a difficult time waking your baby up from a nap.
4. Your baby persistently shies away from activity.
5. If your baby seems uninterested in feeding a lot of times.