One of the most difficult things about having an infant is the lack of sleep for the parents.  Newborn babies seem to enjoy being asleep when their parents are awake and awake just when their parents want to be sleeping.  This lack of sleep on the part of the parents can cause extreme exhaustion during the first couple months of a baby’s life.  Most of the time, parents need to survive these first few months of sleep-deprived nights.  However, there are some things that parents can do with regard to feeding their infant that can help parents get as much sleep as they can possibly get.

Establish a feeding routine.  It is extremely important to establish a feeding schedule for a newborn.  Typically, infants need to eat every three to four hours.  If an infant is eating small amounts of food every hour, it is will be difficult to establish a routine that will enable the infant to sleep through the night.

Establish a sleeping routine.  This is easier said than done, but parents of newborns really can try to accomplish this by putting their newborn to sleep at the same time throughout the day and night.  Newborns are going to wake up during the night because they have small stomachs and they need to eat.  But, parents can minimize these night time awakenings by establishing that sleeping routine.

Consider waking up techniques.  One of the ways to establish that sleeping routine is to keep a sleepy baby awake in the few hours prior to the bed time of the parents.  Holding, singing, and bathing are all ways to keep a sleepy baby awake in order to try and establish a sleeping routine.

Consider supplementing with solid food.  While rare, there are some infants who simply cannot get enough food during the day to keep them from waking during the night, even when they are several months old.  While parents should consult with their pediatrician regarding when to introduce solid food, there are some infants who are better able to sleep through the night with the addition of rice cereal to their formula.  While this should not be attempted without the direction of a pediatrician, and never before four months old, it is an option that can be considered.

You may also find interesting:

  1. Proper Feeding And Nutrition During Infants First Week Of Life
  2. Health And Safety For Infants General Tips
  3. Introducing Solid Foods To Infants
  4. Tips For Feeding A Sick Infant
  5. Infant Sleeping Habits

Tagged with: • • •

Filed under: Feeding & Nutrition For Infants

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!