Why Developing Good Sleep Habits Is Vital for Newborns

Why Developing Good Sleep Habits Is Vital for Newborns

If you're a new parent, congratulations! It's an amazing and rewarding experience, but it can also be exhausting. When it comes to ensuring enough rest for both you and your baby, it’s commonly expressed by any parent and medical physician how essential sleep is for both you and your newborn baby.

 A good night's sleep can help your baby grow and develop properly, so it's important to make sure they're getting enough shut-eye. However, getting your baby to sleep through the night can be a challenge. Fortunately, by following some simple tips, you can help your newborn get into a good sleeping routine.

What to Expect 

The amount of sleep your child needs is dependent on their age. Newborns typically sleep anywhere between 16 to 20 hours a day, and tend to be awake for periods of about 1 to 2 hours in between each sleep cycle. This is a crucial time of rest for these newborns (and moms), as they adjust to their new life. 

Infants begin to develop a more steady sleep requirement, consisting of morning naps, afternoon naps, and a nighttime sleep routine. Their total amount of sleep within a day should be between 13 to 15 hours in total. By the time your little ones reach the toddler phase, you will notice a total of about 12 hours of sleep time per day, consisting of their regular nighttime rest, and an afternoon nap. 

What are the Most Common Mistakes?

If you’re raising your first child and you’ve never gone through the motions of developing a sleep routine for you and your baby, it’s common and easy to make mistakes while helping your baby adjust and adapt to a healthy sleep pattern and routine. That’s why it’s crucial to start as early as possible. Here are some common mistakes that a high percentage of parents assume is the best approach, but most likely, experience hardship down the road. 

1. Placing your baby in their bed, after they’ve fallen asleep - This may seem harmless, but without them getting used to their bed being their proper place of rest prior to falling asleep, they will continue to assume that your arms are the only place where they should have their rest.
   
   
2. Sharing your bed with your baby - Not only can this be dangerous for your little one once you yourself have fallen asleep, but they become accustomed to you always being there to help soothe them back to sleep, every time they awake throughout the night. This causes a dependency and a breach of boundaries later on between their place of sleep, and yours.
   
   
3. Rocking your baby to sleep - Although this is not necessarily a negative approach (it’s actually encouraged for newborns), about 60% of parents consistently rely on this motion to help their baby fall asleep, which can become problematic later on as they become dependant on this motion alone, to get them to rest for the night, or for their naps.
   
   
4. Letting your baby fall asleep drinking their bottle or nursing - During this crucial stage of development, a warm bottle of milk will most likely make them sleepy…this is common! However, using this tactic as a means to help your baby fall asleep every time, is probably not a wise idea. Newborns pick up routines and habits quickly, and they can easily get used to the sensation of these objects in their mouth alone, as an indicator of sleep. Not to mention that it can cause gum issues, and poor development of teeth down the road.   

What Are Some Good Sleeping Habits for My Newborn?

As a new parent, the best thing that you can do for yourself and your newborn is to be predictable. Setting a regular daily routine creates a consistency that becomes normal for you and your baby. Here are some suggestions that will help you both adjust to a healthy rhythm together, and allows you both to get the good night’s rest that you need. 

1. Create a regular schedule and nighttime routine - Our bodies develop internal clock patterns, so allowing your baby to get used to the same time every night, will ensure a smooth transition over time. Incorporate activities too, that will help them understand that bedtime is near—create a pattern such as feeding, bathing, and a bedtime story to help them ease down for the night.
   
   
2. Feed your baby prior to bedtime - It’s important to ensure a full belly for your little one before they go down for the night. Being fed too early can call for a restless night, and a cranky newborn waking up frequently.
   
   
3. Lay them down in their crib before they fall asleep - This step is important, as previously mentioned. It will give them a sense of their own space and environment, in which they can adapt to falling asleep on their own. Also, make sure to choose the right crib mattress for your baby so that they can stay asleep at night!
4. Time block their naps - Although it’s important to let your new baby sleep for as long as they need to (and yes, new moms appreciate the free time too), it’s important to develop a rhythm around scheduling their naps. Having them nap at different times every day causes confusion, and throws off their ability to rest when it’s time. Studies have shown that letting babies nap past 4 pm, will most likely cause them to stay awake later on when they should be laying down for the night.
   
   
5. Lay them on their back - This suggestion is primarily for safety reasons. This position has been proven to allow proper airflow through the lungs (to avoid suffocation), and in general, aids in their overall development while resting for long periods of time.
   
   
6. Don’t let them sleep with a bottle - Aside from them relying too much on a bottle to get them to sleep, it’s important to consider the damage that it can cause over time, as it affects their gums and teeth. Having them sleep with residue from milk or juice in the mouth can cause tooth decay and even cavities in the future. It’s also important to begin gently brushing your baby’s gums at night, once the first sign of a tooth sprouts up. 

Conclusion

Having a newborn at home is one of the most beautiful experiences you can have as a parent! This is an exciting time, as you develop a personal relationship with your baby, and develop new routines that are healthy for you both. Sleep is the one thing that you’ll find comes less often as a new parent, but it’s all worth it once you develop a schedule that meets the needs of you, and your baby. 

Routines, schedules, and predictability for your little one will not only help create a less stressful environment each day, but it will surely assist in the healthy development of your baby over time, and ensure a bonding relationship and experience that you can look forward to each and every day…happy sleeping, to parents and babies alike!