Young babies spend up to 14 hours of any 24 hour period asleep. Unfortunately, this doesn't often coincide with their parents sleeping pattern, because it takes a few months for babies to learn the difference between night and day.
How Babies Sleep
The way babies fall a sleep differs from adults, adults can crash suddenly, whereas babies sleep lightly for about 20 minutes, then go through a transitional stage before reaching deep sleep. Nothing will wake them until they've had enough sleep. This means that babies who are simply put down will not necessarily go to sleep peacefully. You may need to nurse your baby to sleep for quite a while, so try to be patient, particularly at night, when you're longing to go back to bed yourself.
Where Should A Baby Sleep
Where a baby sleeps isn't important to him to start with. He won't automatically fall asleep when put into a darkened bedroom, light doesn't bother him at all. He's much more likely to be disturbed by being too hot or too cold. Your baby will be happiest going to sleep hearing your voices and the household noises that he is used to in the background, so let him sleep in a bassinet or carrier in which ever room you happen to be.
Using A Baby Monitor
If you leave your baby in another room, set up a baby monitor so that you can hear him as soon as he wakes. He may feel disturbed by the silence when you leave the room and this could make him more fretful, leave the door open so he can hear you moving aroundunless you have a cat that may climb in to the crib. Avoid going back in to the room once your baby is asleep, your smell could wake him, so resist the temptation to check him too frequently.
Encouraging Longer Periods Of Sleep
A young baby needs food at regular intervals, so he'll wake for a feeding when his body tells him to. The way to encourage your baby to sleep for a stretch (four, then rising to five or six, hours) during the night is to make sure he's taken in sufficient calories to last. that long. This means feeding him when ever he shows he's hungry during the day. As he steadily gains weight, he can go longer between feedings and by about six weeks he could be sleeping for at least one period of about six hours hopefully during the night. When he wakes for a night feeding make as little fuss as possible. Feed him in bed, if he needs changing, do it quickly in dim light. Don't make this a time for chatting and games, he'll learn that waking at night doesn't bring any special privileges.
Rescue Package For A Sleepless Baby
Night after night of broken sleep is wearing for parents and a young baby who perhaps only catnaps during the day makes it hard to catch up. Use this checklist of strategies to reduce unnecessary fatigue.
Be aware of background noise
Don't shield your baby from the sounds of your home. They won't disturb his sleep, in fact some babies are soothed by the rhythmic noise of household appliances.
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