Baby Sleep Issues

5/13/2008

Everyone praises an infant who sleeps through the night, but the reality is, few do. Some babies are born thinking day is night and vice versa, but most babies wake up so often because their sleep cycles are not fully developed. Babies have much shorter sleep cycles than adults, cycling between REM (rapid-eye movement) and non-REM periods every hour. As babies mature over the first year, their sleep cycles naturally become longer and they wake less frequently.

Here are a few tips for putting your baby to sleep:

• Forget about topping off baby’s tank with extra feedings (liquid or solid) before bedtime. They won’t make your child sleep longer and will create a habit of wanting unnecessary late-night calories. If your baby needs more calories, spread the increase out throughout the day instead.
• Always put them to sleep on their backs or sides (alternate sides so the head doesn’t become misshapen). Be sure the crib is free of pillows, sheepskins, comforters, and stuffed toys.
• Teach your baby to associate bed—not you—with sleep. Don’t let her fall completely asleep on you, but nurse or rock her till she’s drowsy, then put her in her crib.
• Don’t put anything in that crib bottle but water. Milk or juice contain too much sugar and will cause dental caries. Be sure to take the bottle out of the crib before baby falls asleep.
• If your baby is still crying endlessly when you put him to sleep after the age of three months, resist going in to comfort him a little bit longer every night. Within a week or two, he should settle down much more easily.
• I’m not a fan of “the family bed,” but if you are overweight, a smoker, or use alcohol or recreational drugs, you put your baby in danger by sleeping together. These behaviors significantly increase the risk of suffocating a baby in the bed with you.
• If a baby over five months old wakes frequently in the night, it’s probably time to move her to a room of her own. Infants are so tuned in to their mothers that just sensing or smelling their presence can wake them up. With a baby monitor in place, you’ll be able to hear when she needs to be fed or changed.