The key to healthy sleep for babies is to establish healthy sleep habits from the beginning. The purpose of this article is to make sure that parents have realistic expectations regarding newborn sleep and also that the baby gets the required amount of sleep each night. Setting up healthy sleep habits early as a base that baby will develop on to develop adequate, independent sleep is important for future healthy sleep habits.
An Overview
It is not uncommon for a newborn to spend most of the time sleeping in the same bed every night, and then spend an hour or more every night sleeping on a separate mattress. With some children this becomes a pattern which sticks and can continue into toddlerhood. This can be a good thing if your child learns to self soothe during the times they are sleeping. However, if this starts happening too often, it may be a sign that something is wrong. If you notice your child is spending a lot of time awake in their bed, even if they are only sleeping a few minutes at night, it may be a sign of a sleeping disorder. This may be something serious like a physical problem or a psychological issue such as anxiety or depression.
Healthy Sleeping Habits For Baby
Babies do not have fully developed sleeping habits yet. Their circadian rhythms (the internal clock of the body) are still confused and they go through a period of rapid sleeping or wakefulness called sleep onset. They usually are not able to fall asleep or stay asleep for the full length of the night. Most of the time, a baby needs ten to twenty minutes of sleep each night and needs as much as half an hour. These are basic average numbers that can change daily.
Healthy sleep habits for baby start when your baby is still awake. This means you can begin to establish good habits for sleeping while your baby is awake. It’s important to start gentle parenting right from the beginning by setting a bedtime routine for your little one every night and sticking to it. Some parents start their baby out with a light sleep session, a nap, a bath, and then a quiet but consistent bedtime routine. Others start their baby out with a light nap, then a bath and then on to a consistent but gentle parenting regimen. The most important thing is to start a solid sleep schedule and stick with it.
Using holistic science has proven to be beneficial to many pregnant individuals. Studies have shown that there is a connection between some medications and poor baby sleep patterns. Doctors are finding that some pregnant individuals are not responding well to certain medications used to treat them. Using natural methods to treat these issues is turning out to be more effective in some cases.
Some holistic science experts have found that certain foods affect a baby’s development in negative ways. These include feeding the wrong food, timing a meal too closely or feeding a sleep chemical into the body. One of these common problems is not sleeping enough during the night. This is one of the biggest sleep challenges for most pregnant individuals. Some have turned to hypnosis or other alternative methods to help them sleep better at night.
In The End
Or maybe you are used to napping during the night and skipping out on bed training. If this is the case, you could consider taking a nap during the day or taking a 15 minute nap right after you get home from work. You could also take advantage of baby formula or breast milk before bedtime. Just be sure that you do all of this while keeping your baby’s comfort in mind.
