In this article we’ll talk about infant sleeping habits and which mattress is the best for your child. It is very important to understand your infant sleeping habits and react appropriately if something unplanned happens. Once you understand infant sleeping habits, you easily develop a bedtime routine, which is very important.

Out of 24 hours, you might find your baby sleeping for 20 hours. Newborn babies rarely stay awake for more than 25 to 30 minutes. Establish a good infant sleeping habit for your baby to develop proper sleeping habits in your child.

Infant sleeping habits tips

  • The bedtime routine that you develop should be followed regularly and should be practical enough to be continued on a daily basis.
  • You can offer your baby a pacifier while putting her to sleep.
  • Don’t allow the baby to sleep while the bottle is in the mouth.
  • The daytime naps should not exceed 2-3 hours.
  • Be sure not to over stimulate the baby if you feed the baby in the night.
  • Keeping the baby awake during daytime might be difficult to you. Talk or sing, and keep her engaged so that the baby is not lulled to sleep by silence.
  • Each time the baby goes to sleep, place her on her side or back. Don’t let the baby sleep on her stomach. This position is to prevent the incidence of ‘Sudden Infant Death Syndrome” (SIDS).
  • The slats of the crib in which your baby sleeps should not be wider than 2 to 3/8 inches. Do not use soft and loose pillows or cushions. The make breathing difficult for the baby. Waterbed crib mattress should also be avoided. It poses the risk of trapping and suffocating the baby.
  • Till the umbilical cord falls off use sponge bath to clean your baby. The umbilical cord usually takes 7 to 10 days after birth to fall off.
  • Use cotton balls moistened with clean water to remove sleepers from the eyes of your baby.

To remove dried nasal secretions from the nose of your baby use a tissue and gently wipe around the nose. Never put anything inside it. Make sure not to put anything inside the ears of your baby. You can clean around the ears with the help of some soft cloth.

More on infants sleeping habits

Use disposable diapers rather than using a cloth as they are more convenient. It save you of the troubles of using pins or plastic pants and saves the pains of washing them. A lot of people also use a combination of cloth diapers and disposable diapers. Make sure that your baby sleeps in a clean and dry diaper.

A lot of processes take place while your baby sleeps and hence it is your responsibility to develop a proper schedule for your baby and to ensure her sound sleep. You will be required to put some extra efforts in infant sleeping habits till the baby becomes a little older.