Your baby will feed around eight times a day (although you should never feed your breastfed baby, in particular, according to a schedule) and at around 3 months, he’ll probably decrease his required number of sleep hours to 15 or so. As he hits toddlerhood and beyond, he will slowly relinquish his day nap too. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion are part and parcel of early parenthood.
While many babies seem to sleep on schedule at hospital, they really “wake up” once you’re home and it’s quite natural to feel out of your depth as your baby cries, poos, possets, walls, Baby Bedding Sheet Sets and demands food in a seemingly never-ending cycle. No matter how difficult these first few weeks are, bear in mind that the tricks to get him sleeping through don’t work.
Don’t introduce porridge early or add it to his formula to fill him up, or try to make him drink water during the night. Simply prioritize your time by decreasing the number of visitors you receive, if possible and worry less about housework and administrative tasks.
Week one
For at least the first week, try to stick to the routine you settled into at hospital although you should always be guided by your baby in a loaby-led routine and Baby Bedding Sheet Sets. At this stage, your baby has no concept of night and day, as he needs to eat regularly over a 24-hour period and the sleep regulating hormone, melatonin, will only be secreted as he is exposed to light and dark (which takes about six weeks).
Tops tips
– Baths are soothing and sleep-inducing; most babies will sleep well after a bath.
– Massage your baby while playing gentle music.
– Ensure some quiet time before he goes to bed, as overstimulation hampers sleep.
– Keep lights dim for sleep-time by using a night light or the passage light.
– Don’t play during the night: feed and change him and then put him back to sleep.
– Don’t leave your baby to cry when he wakes up, as he will trust you if you meet his needs immediately. If you don’t, he’ll learn that only long, hard crying gets your attention.
Sleep promotes sleep. Try to have your baby nap after his first feed or breakfast and he will sleep better for the rest of the day and at night. Experts say that good sleep habits are promoted during the first four months, when babies are establishing them. If you can, and if baby is happy about it, you can gently help him to comfort himself and fall asleep by himself.
Babies are not robots and so, just when you think you’ve got a sleeping routine sorted out, your baby may very well change his mind and your plans.
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