If you like millions of other parents have some issues with the sleep of your newborn or you are a to be parent awaiting your meeting with the child study the five popular myths and truths about baby sleep carefully prepared by sleep experts These facts will probably give you a better idea of what to expect from baby sleep and how to make it better
Myth 1 Newborns Sleep Soooo Much
A popular myth that infants need nothing but eat sleep and diaper changing during the first weeks and even months of their lives often misguides parents of a newborn Overall it is true as newborns indeed need some time to adapt to the new environment after living for 9 months in a cozy convenient mothers womb But the famous saying sleeps like an infant has nothing to do with reality and youll need to put up with it as soon as you get acquainted with your much loved baby
Why could a newborn not sleep you may wonder Reasons are numerous
Most newborns have problems with their gastrointestinal system as they stop feeding via the mothers placenta and have to start eating breast milk The change is fundamental so many babies feel infantile colic which disturbs their sleep tremendously The worst about it is that you have a limited arsenal of tools to ease their discomfort except for comforting your baby breastfeeding and cuddling them doing some therapeutic massage and waiting for the first 3 4 months for the colic to go away Another problem may be the wrong temperature or humidity level in your apartment Besides infants may sleep little because of the postpartum adaptation they go through together with their parents
Myth 2 Breastfeeding Helps Put Your Baby to Sleep
Many mothers are overly confident that breastfeeding can solve all the sleep problems for their babies Indeed research proves that breastfed newborns sleep better because of the lower pressure on their gastrointestinal system Besides breastfeeding always acts as a soothing comforting action putting babies to sleep quicker However here is the catch your baby may FALL asleep quicker which doesnt mean that they will sleep well as soon as you leave So if you plan to put your baby to sleep with breastfeeding and then put them in bed going to do your household chores work or home assignments that expectation couldnt be farther from the truth
Myth 3 Newborns Sleep Much Better in Strollers
Parents experiencing problems with their newborns sleep at home may resort to the age old method putting their babies into strollers and taking them for a walk for the newborns to get several hours of healthier sleep On the one hand the method works well for many parents and babies with the latter falling asleep better in the physical limitations of clothing and stroller However it is not a universal rule with some babies never tolerating strollers
Many parents complain of their babies screams and scandals once they see strollers So if your baby is one of such free personalities dont exhaust yourself and the newborn
Myth 4 Sleep Whenever Your Baby Sleeps and Youll Be OK
What should an exhausted mother do when she doesnt sleep at night and has to do some housework and childcare activities in the daytime Experienced parents advise going to sleep together with the baby be it morning noon or evening But does it work that well for young parents Not exactly as a persons resourcefulness is not counted in the hours of sleep per day but in the non interrupted sleep duration during which hormones work correctly
So its much healthier to strive to get more hours of night sleep by keeping to a correct baby regime than to sneak 1 2 hours of sleep at different times of the day
Myth 5 Newborns Fall Asleep Once They Are Tired
This myth is not only wrong but also hazardous for your childs health In fact infants fall asleep longer and sleep worse if you extend their awake time beyond the reasonable regime To have your baby sleep well in the daytime and at night develop a consistent schedule for staying awake and sleeping your baby will adapt quickly and youll be able to plan your time accordingly
As you can see having a newborn is highly stressful mostly in terms of sleep deprivation So if you are a student combining childcare with studies its better to have a trusted companion to support you in the hardest times Click this site to find dependable academic help Youll really need it for the periods of colic toothing and other issues of happy parenthood
Pediatric Sleep Troubles
A good nights sleep is essential to the growth and development of children and children require much more sleep than adults Sometimes however children are unable to get the necessary amounts of nightly sleep that they need and it can sometimes be attributed to a sleep disorder
At The Alaska Sleep Clinic we provide consultation and therapeutic management for a wide variety of pediatric sleep disorders We understand that your childs health is important to you and we want to assure you that our Board Certified Sleep Physicians are highly adept at treating child sleep disorders
