Babies Tale

You cannot force a child to sleep; you cannot teach a child to sleep. Neither you nor your baby can control her sleep cycles. Provided the baby gets enough to eat, is not in pain, and is not interrupted constantly, she will get as much sleep as is needed. The need varies widely: one infant may require as many as twenty or twenty-one hours a day; another, only eleven hours. The actual amount of time is not important, except to a parent; a baby who sleeps very little can be as strong and healthy as one who sleeps a great deal. On average, your newborn will have about eight sleep periods a day. Some periods may last as long as two to four hours, others will be catnaps that last for only minutes.

You can intellectually assimilate all these facts about sleeping, and you can realize that your baby’s sleep habits are not an indication of your parenting abilities or the baby’s “goodness”. Still, you feel responsible for helping her get whatever amount of sleep is necessary in any way you can. You will probably find that your baby doesn’t fall asleep instantly upon being put into the crib; in fact, wakefulness, perhaps accompanied by crying, may last as long as a half hour. Put your baby down when she is full and has been thoroughly burped. A warm bath and a massage with a light lotion, a period of cuddling, or a ride in the carriage in the fresh air may encourage sleep. And the room need not be darkened, unless your baby is confusing night and day and you are having trouble changing a sleep pattern started in the hospital, where the nursery is bright and bustling with activity all day and all night. A room temperature of about 70 degrees will be most comfortable for the baby, who should be clothed in a light sleep sack [a covering blanket is not then necessary], a comfortable gown, or a sleep suit.

Do not worry about eliminating all household noise, the baby will become accustomed to the ordinary sounds very quickly. In fact, babies often find certain sounds soothing and go to sleep more quickly if those sounds are present. The intrauterine sounds the baby is used are simulated in various toys and devices, including a rather expensive teddy bear with a tape cassette. You can reproduce very similar sounds at little cost by taping a running dishwasher or washing machine with your own tape recorder. Other sounds babies sometimes find soothing are the running of the vacuum cleaner, the “white noise” produced by a radio station that’s off the air, a ticking clock, or soft music.

A ride in the carriage is only one way to supply the motion that sometimes helps babies sleep. Windup or cradle swings serve the same purpose, and you can rock the baby or walk the floor or dance around the room with her in your arms. You can even lull your baby to sleep by gently jiggling the bed, especially effective if it’s a waterbed.

Vary your newborn’s sleeping positions. Lying on the stomach will provide a pressure that may bring up troublesome air bubbles, but you may find that your baby prefers to lie on one side or the other, or on her back. Don’t worry if the baby is comfortable in only one position at first and her head will flattens a bit. It will regain its normal shape in a short time. Babies often seem to like the feeling of being swaddled. To do this, lay the baby diagonally on a small cotton receiving blanket. Fold one side of the blanket loosely over the baby, turn up the bottom corner, and then fold the other side over. Your baby is snugly enclosed in an “envelope” that will keep her warm and secure. When you pick the baby up, you can let the top corner rest on her head, like a hood, if you wish. Babies also like to be in small spaces. Try placing your baby in a corner of the crib, touching the bumper on one side and a rolled blanket on the other. Putting the baby down on the same small soft, blanket, perhaps one on which you’ve put a drop or two of your own perfume or cologne, may help induce sleep. [And that little coverlet may become your child’s all important security blanket, to be treasured and slept with for several years, so consider changing off between two identical ones in order to have one available while the other is in the laundry.

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