Day and Night Sleep

In the early day’s baby will sleep in short rounds randomly through out the day and night. As the months pass, baby’s longest period of sleep coincides more and more with the hours of night, and wakeful time becomes longer. However case may vary from child to child, so don’t worry if yours takes longer time to sleep through the night.

Emphasizing Day & Night

From the newborn stage, make a clear distinction between how to treat day and night time sleep, to help your baby learn which time is for play and which for sleep.

Make the child sleep in a carriage, carrycot or pram or moses basket in the day time and if you are using the cot already keep it for night sleep.

If you have pets don’t let them in baby’s room.

There’s no special need to keep the house quiet for the baby. If he / she cries, pick him/her up and make the most of his/her waking time. This will help the baby to associate the daylight hours with play and wakefulness.

At night swaddle the baby firmly so her jerking limbs won’t wake the baby and put him/her sleep in the cot.

Keep the room dark. Whenever the baby cries and wakes for a feed pick him/her up and feed the baby quietly, talking as little as possible and only changing the nappy if he/she is wet or dirty.

The baby will gradually learn that nighttime feed is not a social-time and the baby’s sleep pattern will soon become more like yours.

Your Toddler’s Naps

From the age of six months, bedtime will become more and more important ritual in your baby’s day, and the baby needs to be tired and ready for bed if the baby is to sleep through the night. The baby needs some daytime sleep to give energy to his / her active life and will need it throughout the toddlerhood.

But don’t let the baby nap for two long. Give the baby two hours at each nap (the baby may wake earlier), then wake him/her up. The baby may be confused and grumpy if he/she was deeply asleep, so give him/her plenty of time before introducing the next activity.

How to Swaddle Your Baby

For the first three months your baby will sleep better if you wrap him up snugly in a blanket or sheet. It makes him feel safe and secure, and stops his limbs jerking and twitching as he drops off to sleep-the movements can startle him awake.

Points That Can Help You

Fold the blanket half diagonally. If baby cries needn’t upset him more by putting him down to cover him, wrap him on your lap.

Hold the baby against your shoulders while you arrange the blanket over your lap or on the bed. If on lap, keep the long edge of the triangle along one thigh, the point hanging down on the other side.

Supporting his head lay your baby across your knees, his neck just level with the edge of the blanket. Bring the far corner up, pulling it tight.

Tuck the corner under his bottom, smoothing it out. Bring the other corner up, again pulling it tight, and take it over to tuck under him. Fold the point beyond his feet loosely under his bottom.

Putting Him Down To Sleep

Once your baby is swaddled and has calmed down, he’s ready to be put into his Carrycot or cot to sleep. Doctors believe that the safest sleeping position is lying on his back there is no evidence that baby tends to vomit or choke in this position. If you put him on his side, make sure you pull his lower elbow well forward so he can’t roll on his front. After three months, he will roll in to whatever position suits him best, however you put him down.

Sleep Time Safety

• Never let your baby sleep with a pillow until at least two: it could suffocate him.
• Put your baby to sleep on his back. Doctors believe this is the safest position.
• Remove any polythene packaging from the mattress and don’t use a plastic sheet.
• Don’t let your baby get too hot or too cold.
• Don’t smoke and keep your baby in a smoke free atmosphere.