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Baby sleep: Help your baby sleep through the night
Encouraging good sleep habits
For the first few months, middle-of-the-night feedings are sure to disrupt sleep for parents and babies alike. But it's never too soon to help your baby become a good sleeper. Consider these tips:
- Encourage activity during the day. When your baby is awake, engage him or her by talking, singing and playing. Surround your baby with light and normal household noises. Stimulation during the day can help promote better sleep at night.
- Monitor your baby's naps. Regular naps are important — but sleeping for large chunks of time during the day may leave your baby wide awake at bedtime.
- Follow a consistent bedtime routine. Try relaxing favorites such as bathing, cuddling, singing or reading. Soon your baby will associate these activities with sleep. If you play bedtime music, choose the same tunes each time you put your baby in the crib.
- Put your baby to bed drowsy but awake. This will help your baby associate bed with the process of falling asleep. Remember to place your baby to sleep on his or her back, and clear the crib or bassinet of blankets and other soft items.
- Give your baby time to settle down. Your baby may fuss or cry before finding a comfortable position and falling asleep. If the crying doesn't stop, speak to your baby calmly and stroke his or her back. Your reassuring presence may be all your baby needs to fall asleep.
- Consider a pacifier. If your baby has trouble settling down, a pacifier might do the trick. In fact, using a pacifier during sleep may reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But there are pitfalls, too. If your baby uses a pacifier to sleep, you may face frequent middle-of-the-night crying spells when the pacifier falls out of your baby's mouth.
- Expect frequent stirring at night. Babies often wriggle, squirm and twitch in their sleep. They can be noisy, too. Sometimes fussing or crying is simply a sign of settling down. Unless you suspect that your baby is hungry or uncomfortable, it's OK to wait a few minutes to see what happens.
- Keep nighttime care low-key. When your baby needs care or feeding during the night, use dim lights, a soft voice and calm movements. This will tell your baby that it's time to sleep — not play.
- Don't 'bed share' during sleep. This can make it harder for your baby to fall asleep on his or her own. Bed sharing also may increase your baby's risk of SIDS.
- Respect your baby's preferences. If your baby is a night owl or an early bird, you might want to adjust routines and schedules based on these natural patterns.
Keeping it in perspective
Some babies sleep for long stretches at night right from the start, only waking for feedings. Others have trouble lulling themselves back to sleep. Take time to understand your baby's schedule and ways of communicating.
If you're concerned about your baby's sleeping habits, consult your baby's doctor for suggestions. Remember, getting your baby to sleep through the night isn't a measure of your parental skills. It's simply a goal you're working toward. The result will be a good night's sleep for everyone.
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- Parenting corner Q&A: Sleep problems. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Sleep.htm. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Grover G. Sleep: Normal patterns and common disorders. In: Berkowitz CD. Berkowitz's Pediatrics: A Primary Care Approach. 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2008:75.
- Understanding children's sleep habits. National Sleep Foundation. http://www.sleepforkids.org/html/habits.html. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The changing concept of sudden infant death syndrome: Diagnostic coding shifts, controversies regarding the sleeping environment, and new variables to consider in reducing risk. Pediatrics. 2005;116:1245.
