A couple of things may stand in the
way of you and your baby getting a good night’s sleep. First, your baby doesn’t
know the difference between day and night. And second, his stomach holds only
enough to satisfy him for three or four hours, no matter what time it is. You
can begin trying to teach him that nighttime is for sleeping. When you’re
awakened by your baby at 3 a.m., keep the feeding as quiet as possible— no
playing or bright lights. Put him right back in bed after feeding and changing
him.
While most new babies sleep a lot,
waking every two to four hours to eat, your baby will gradually go longer
between feedings as he gets older and his stomach grows. You will be glad to
know that most babies sleep through the night (six to eight hours) by three
months. But that doesn’t mean that your baby will sleep through the night every
night. Be prepared for different sleep stages. He may start to wake again
during the night at five to seven months of age. Just comfort him and change
him if needed. He’ll get back into his pattern of nighttime sleeping again
soon.
The best sleeping position for your
baby
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that healthy infants, when being put down to sleep, should be placed
on their backs. This is the safest position for your baby, based on information
about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Be sure to place your baby on his back
to sleep during the first year of life unless the pediatrician instructed you
to place him in a different position for sleeping. Propping him on his side is
also not recommended as he could roll over onto his tummy, and again be at risk
for SIDS. (Rarely, medical conditions require other sleeping positions.)
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