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Best Way to Make Your Newborn Baby’s Sleeping Better
Newborns are known for two things, sleeping and crying. Every newborn baby sleeps throughout the day. It is quite essential for the proper development of the baby and therefore it is normal. Moms find it pretty comforting when their baby gets the necessary meal and then enjoys a comforting sleep.
Hence newborn babies aren’t accustomed to the day-night cycle, most of them stay awake during the nighttime. The baby may wake up and cry during the nighttime to gain your attention. It is normal for newborns!
Things get a bit concerning the baby doesn’t sleep properly during the day or night. It can be a sign of a health issue or other problem. Therefore, you should pay attention to this issue and try to resolve it as soon as possible.
Why the Newborn Baby is Not Sleeping?
One of the following reasons can interrupt your newborn baby’s sleep:
1. Hot weather
Just like adults, babies also need the ideal temperature to sleep calmly. It can be daunting for them to snooze if the temperature is too hot or too cold. The newborn baby will wake up and cry due to discomfort!
You should maintain 22°C to 27°C temperature in the home to comfort the baby. Use a thermometer or monitor the readings of the AC to ensure the room temperature is perfect. The baby will enjoy a long and comfy sleep if the room temperature is neither too hot nor too cool.
You should not put a lot of clothes on your baby during summertime. A diaper would do the job with a thin shirt. Do not put heavy blankets and too many clothes on your baby. The newborn will be in a discomforting position. It will wake him up time-and-again.
2. Lack of water
Do you provide your baby with milk powder and water mix to soothe his hunger cravings? It can be dangerous for newborns! Newborn babies get all the necessary supply of food and water from mom’s milk. It is a complete food for newborns.
Some moms feed water to ensure the baby is not thirsty. It can be dangerous for the baby’s health because his kidneys cannot process the amount of water adults usually take. Feed your baby regularly to ensure he is not thirsty! Avoid external milk because mom’s milk is the best for proper growth of newborns.
3. Wet or ill-fitting diapers
Have you chosen the right size diapers for your babies? Ill-fitting diapers can make life quite troubling for newborns. You should carefully pick the nappy size according to the age of your baby. You should also ensure the diaper is dry and comfy. Frequently check the diaper for wetness and mess to change it on time and avoid diaper rashes.
4. Umbilical Granuloma
It is a condition which troubles many newborn babies. The baby’s belly button looks abnormal in this condition and it can cause discomfort for some time. You should meet the doctor to ensure the baby won’t suffer too long due to this condition.
What Can You Do If the Newborn Baby is Not Sleeping?
There are several things you can try to ensure the baby is fine, which are as follows:
#1 Maintain ideal room temperature to comfort your baby
Newborn babies take time to adapt to the new world. They can’t cope with frequent weather changes. If you live in a warm climate country, the temperature can get too hot during the summer season. Install an air conditioning system in the baby’s room to maintain 22°C to 27°C temperature. It is perfect for all the newborn babies.
You can use a room heater to heat the room if you live in a cold climate country. Prevent the baby from cold winters to keep him calm and comfortable. Your baby will snooze much longer if the temperature is perfect for newborns.
#2 Provide small meals
The baby may not sleep well because he is hungry. It is a new experience for newborns to get their food from moms. Therefore, you should be patient with the baby. Provide small meals and check baby’s stomach for bloating. If it feels bloated, you should gently rub the newborn baby’s belly. Thus, the baby will easily expel the gas and feel comfortable.
#3 Give small quantities of water
Newborn babies should not be provided with water. They get the necessary quantity of water from the mom’s milk. You can give your baby little quantities of water once he is six months old. Babies grow old enough to process water in this age. Provide small quantities of water through milk bottle or soft-edge spoons to soothe the baby’s thirst.
#4 Check the diaper
As explained earlier, ill-fitting diapers can cause severe discomfort to newborns and toddlers. You have to know the right size of nappies for your babies. Buy top-quality diapers to ensure those nappies soak moisture perfectly.
Modern diapers use highly-absorbent material to soak moisture and prevent leaks. Top-quality diapers make life much easier for newborns. Change them on time to prevent skin infection and other such problems. Your baby will enjoy his snoozing time and look happier when awake.
#5 Help your baby in developing good habits
Extra energetic babies find it tough to stay calm. They will frequently shake their hands and move their legs like paddling a cycle. Babies look cute when they do such activities and these activities also make them quite tired.
You should not keep the baby close to you throughout the day. Let him spend more time on the bed. Leave him on the bed when he is awake. Play with him instead of taking him in your arms. Thus, the baby will get familiar with his sleeping place. He will feel comfortable in his space and sleep well throughout the night.
Some babies get addicted to being in mom’s arms. They feel secure only when the mom is around. Such babies start crying when the mom is not around because it frightens them. Train your baby to stay happy when alone. Thus, the baby will play and sleep without feeling scared of alone at the nighttime.
#6 Inefficient nutrition
You should not compromise with your diet when you are pregnant. Eat nutritious foods and do regular exercises to ensure the baby is healthy. Many women do not take care of what they eat and how they eat. It affects the baby’s health. Therefore, some babies are born with a malnutrition problem.
Lack of nutrients can severely affect the baby’s growth. It can affect baby’s neurodevelopment, which can have severe consequences. New moms should take a healthy diet so that they can provide ample meal to their babies. The baby can recover quickly in such situations and sleep well when healthy.
#7 Sing or play cradle songs for your newborn baby
If you see your baby yawning time-and-again, he is feeling quite sleepy. It is time to help the baby taking a good nap. Provide your baby with a quiet and comforting environment so that he can fall asleep conveniently. Your baby will fall asleep easily. If it doesn’t happen, you should pat your baby gently. Thus, the baby will fall asleep within a few minutes.
Suppose the baby is feeling sleepy but crying because of tiredness, sing some cradle songs to him. These songs work quite well. Try a few songs to know which song draws your baby’s attention. Use that song every day and your baby will fall asleep.
It is okay if you do not know any good cradle song. Go online and find some good cradle songs for your newborn. You can play them on low volume so that the baby can fall asleep without any trouble.
What is the Normal Sleep Time for Babies?
Newborn babies should sleep a lot to develop their brain faster. It is a crucial period for all the newborns because they get familiar with the new world during the early stage of their life. Baby’s sleeping time reduces as he gets older.
Babies do not sleep too long. They take small naps of 1-3 hours throughout the day and night. They follow this sleep pattern because the day-night cycle is a new phenomenon for them. Babies take time to go into a deep sleep.
Most of the time babies sleep lightly and wake up quickly as they hear noises. Therefore, parents should maintain a quiet and comforting environment in the baby’s room. The sleep time for babies is described below:
- Newborn babies sleep at least 20 hours and two-month-old babies sleep 16-18 hours.
- A four-month-old baby would sleep 15-16 hours.
- A nine-month-old baby would sleep 14-15 hours.
- A 1-year old baby would sleep 13-14 hours and a 15-year-old baby would sleep up to 13 hours.
- 2-year old babies sleep up to 12.5 hours.
- 3-year old babies sleep up to 12 hours.
- Young kids need at least 11 hours’ sleep and teenagers enjoy only 9-10 hours’ sleep.
