The baby's newborn sleep, in the first month, is usually calm and lasts about 16 to 17 hours a day. Normally, the baby wakes up because he is hungry or the diaper is dirty, but if this does not happen, one should wake him up, since he should not stay for more than three hours without eating.
From 1 month and a half, the baby begins to relate the cycles of light and darkness, sleeps a little more at night and at 3 months, usually sleeps more than 5 hours in a row.
The restless sleep of the newborn baby, along with difficulty sleeping and crying, can indicate cramps or other health problems such as gastroesophageal reflux. In the case of colic, one should place the baby to burp after suckling or bending the baby's knees and carrying them against the belly making some pressure. In the case of gastroesophageal reflux, one should also place the baby to burp, lay him on his side, with the head of the crib raised about 30 degrees, placing a 10 cm wedge.
In any case, the baby should be taken to the pediatrician to evaluate the baby and indicate the appropriate treatment if necessary.
Hours of sleep of the newborn baby
Sleeping hours of the newborn baby in the first month of life occupy most of the day because the baby sleeps about 16 to 17 hours a day, however he can stay awake for up to 1 or 2 hours in a row .
The sleeping time of the newborn baby usually varies according to the feeding. The baby breastfeeding usually wakes up every 2 to 3 hours to nurse, while the baby who is fed by the bottle usually wakes up every 4 hours. However, there are babies who do not wake up, so the important thing is not to let the baby stay for more than 3 hours without eating.
Newborn Baby Sleep Routine
The sleep routine of the newborn baby during the first month of life is related to feeding and diaper changes.
Thus, it is important, if the baby does not wake up to suckle or because he has a dirty diaper, wake him up to feed him, never letting the 3 hours between meals pass, especially if the baby is fed by the bottle.
How To Control Newborn Baby's Sleep
To control the sleep of the newborn baby, parents can adopt some strategies from the second week of life, such as:
Daytime
- Keep the house lit;
- Play with the baby as much as possible;
- Waking the baby during feedings, talking and singing to him;
- Do not avoid making noises, such as the telephone, conversations or vacuuming, even if the baby is asleep.
During the night
- Make little noise;
- Do not play with the baby;
- Keep the environment dark by turning on only one side light when feeding the baby or changing the diaper.
These strategies teach the baby to distinguish the day from the night, controlling his sleep.
Is it normal for the newborn to stop breathing asleep?
Babies less than 1 month old, especially those born pre-mature, may suffer from sleep apnea syndrome. In this case the baby stops breathing for a few seconds but then returns to normal breathing soon after. This stopping of breathing does not always have a specific cause and the most common is to be related to several factors like heart problems or reflux, for example.
Therefore, it is not expected that any baby will not breathe during sleep and if this happens, it should be investigated. The baby may even have to be admitted to the hospital for tests. However, half the time no cause is found. Learn more about how to identify and treat this syndrome.
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