In particular babies can benefit from all sorts of positives including cognitive development lower risk of asthma food allergies and the risk of obesity in adulthood According to a recent study by CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US alone the national rate for infants who are breastfed at six months is 583 whereas only 256 of them are exclusively breastfed through 6 months
This just goes to show that there is a greater need to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement in maternity care practices
According to several studies breastfeeding is also linked with your babys sleep A proper breastfeeding schedule is important for the better sleep duration of your child Not only it impacts the sleep routine of your child but night breastfeeding also helps mothers sleep well
In light of this information lets take a quick look at some of the ways through which breastfeeding can help babies sleep at night
1 Age of Baby Matters
It is essential to realize that babies exhibit sleep patterns that can be unique for each individual however much of their sleeping habits can result from their age For newborns sleeping through the night is definitely out of the question as they need to be fed more frequently In comparison babies that are from 2 3 months old can achieve sleep for a stretch of five six hours straight
By four months babies can sleep for a solid 7 8 hours of sleep It is not around 5 6 months that your babies would be able to accomplish asleep through the night milestone This is the stage where you can start using bits of advice and recommendations to get them to sleep
2 Establishing a Routine
A lot can be said as to why breastfeeding may help babies sleep Probably the warm feeling of skin on the skin can be taken as one of the reasons However if you study the psychological reasoning behind this is cholecystokinins release a hormone that gives your baby the drunken sailor look when they are well fed
However CCK can induce sleep in both moms and the babies which is why it is highly recommended that you and your catch up on sleep together and count yourself lucky when that happens Building a routine would therefore greatly benefit both of you Establishing a bedtime routine will assist in giving signals to the young and adorable one that it is time to sleep
You can use warm water baths to initiate such practices plus cuddling and lullabies can also help you to induce sleep while a full feeding will be a great finishing touch
A scheduled breastfeeding at night will not only result in a good sleep for your in fact But according to a study breastfeeding practices in early child hood impacts the trajectories of sleep in children of 2 to 5 years as well
3 Filling Tummies through the Day
Babies have tiny tummies and can hold up to about 20ml of fluid and this can increase with the passage of time as they grow older While night time contribution may make a significant contribution to their daily intake there is no doubt that you can keep your babies satisfied throughout the day period and keep their tummies full However it is crucial to note here that hormones control circadian rhythms that regulate our internal body clocks
Breast milk contains tryptophan which is an amino acid in the body that makes melatonin Melatonin is what can help your baby get to sleep and as such breastfeeding during the day can cause levels of melatonin to rise while supporting the development of circadian rhythms which in return can settle them to sleep better at night
4 Dream Feeds
A dream feed can be described as a late night nibble where you wake up your baby just a little so that they are not completely asleep and just a few sips can ensure an extra hour or two of sleep However if this becomes habitual to the point where your baby wants to have that extra snack then you might have to ditch this routine altogether
It should be noted here that nighttime breastfeeding can help LAM Lactational Amenorrhea Method which can be used as birth control Furthermore while breastfeeding doesnt reduce the risk of SIDS sudden unexplained death in infancy those babies who arent breastfed show a much higher risk of this fatal occurrence Lastly breastfeeding also helps you to get sleep
5 Weaning Nighttime Feeds
Weaning is the gradual process where infants are introduced to other supplementary diet and withdrawing mothers milk For a better night at sleep mothers can start weaning nighttime feeds so that their baby becomes less dependent on being breastfed
So by effectively shortening the night time feed through various techniques you can ensure that your baby starts to develop patterns that encourage nighttime sleep slowly Eventually when you start decreasing the amount of milk or nursing time your baby would become less reliant on overnight feeding
6 Bad Sleeping Habits and Environments
It would make you feel delighted to make sure that your baby sleeps soundly through the night as a mother However there are some bad habits that you must avoid
No association with a particular room as a bedroom Baby sleeps all over the place including on the sofa in the car stroller and even in their high chair
Frequently changing sleep schedules thus reduce consistent sleep patterns and hamper their daily time for activities and playtime
Lack of bedtime routine where no explicit initiatives or practices are followed to signal baby that it is nap time
Conclusion
Regulating a babys nighttime sleep routine or pattern is no joke Hence it is absolutely essential that parents together take an active part to play their important roles and all must not be left for the mom to consolidate
Share weekly routines where the two of you can rock the baby to sleep and exchange turns to get up at might night when the baby wakes up Relying too much on nighttime feeds is also not healthy as this will make your baby wake more often just to have that extra snack Always remember that healthy sleeping habits will make your baby super happy
Alaska Sleep Clinic has the most experience in the state with pediatric sleep disorders Our Pediatric Medical Director Dr Harry Yuan is just one reason why you can trust your entire familys sleep health to ASC Call us today to learn more
Author Bio
Stella Lincoln currently works as a Health Advisor at essay writing help This is where higher education students can acquiring professional support from experts specializing in their field of study You can connect with Stella through her social media handles on Facebook LinkedIn and Twitter
