A newborn baby spends most of his time in a dream. He is still very small and not used to the world around him. Parents should patronize the baby and provide him with a healthy and comfortable sleep. In what position should the newborn sleep? The article will consider the issue of creating conditions for a good rest of the baby.
Like a newborn sleeping in a crib
The baby in the first days after his birth may feel discomfort. However, for safety reasons, he is allocated a separate sleeping place. For these purposes, a standard bed is suitable, in which he can rest for several years.
What should be the position of the newborn during sleep? A baby can sleep in a crib as follows:
- The most comfortable pose is on the back. The head should be turned to the side.
- Do not cover newborns with duvets. It is best to wrap it in a thin blanket or in a sleeping bag.
- Can a newborn sleep on a pillow? Up to 1-1.5 years, the baby does not need it, so as not to cause spinal deformity.
For proper development, the newborn must sleep on a hard surface. She is the safest for him. The mattress must be resilient. In the event that the child bury his nose in him, he will not impede his breathing. Joint sleep with parents should also take place on a solid surface. After all, the formation of the skeleton and the safety of the crumbs depend on this.
An important issue is the choice of children's mattress. The material should be hygienic and safe, it is better to take coconut fiber as a filler.
If the mattress is double-sided, children under one year old need to sleep on its hard side.
Why does the baby sleep poorly
The main problems parents experience with their babies are related to trying to put them to bed. These include the following:
- The baby can not sleep more than 3-4 hours. He wakes up, cries, and again falls into a dream.
- It is impossible to put a child to sleep.
- The baby wakes up at night and cannot fall asleep again.
To understand why this happens, you need to understand the structure of night rest. It consists of several phases. Sometimes a baby may be awakened by a loud sound or bright light. To prevent this, it is necessary to provide him with comfortable sleeping conditions.
How to achieve full sleep
In what position should the newborn sleep? Before you fully decide on this issue, you need to create comfortable conditions:
- The temperature in the room of the newborn should be in the range of 18-22 degrees.
- The room should be well ventilated. In warm time, it is better to leave the window open. The main thing is not to put the newborn to sleep in a draft and dress him according to the weather.
- The optimum humidity in the room should be 60%.
- Mom of the newborn will have to choose between diapers and vests. A baby born in the summer can sleep in a light vest. In the winter, a newborn will need diapers. A hat in the room at temperatures above 18 degrees is not needed.
In the room you need to create comfortable conditions. To the sun did not hit the eyes of the baby, curtains must be closed.
What pose to choose
Can a newborn sleep on his back? Choosing a resting position is necessary correctly. A physiologically convenient position for sleeping is the baby's posture with legs and arms spread apart, thrown behind the head and clenched into fists. This position with the head turned to the side is safe and suitable for relaxing both day and night.
Experts recommend monitoring the pose of the newborn and constantly changing it. This applies to the position of the head, which is necessary for the proper formation and development of the musculoskeletal system.
Sleep on the back
In what position should the newborn sleep? The pose on the back is one of the safest and most acceptable for the baby. The baby's head should be turned to the side so that the baby does not choke if it burps.
Many parents practice laying the newborn in this position. The sides in which the head is turned must be changed. This is done so that a torticollis does not form. If the baby turns to one side more often, then you can put a diaper folded in several layers under this cheek.
When the baby prefers to sleep towards the light, it is necessary to change the position of the pillow. To do this, the head and legs are alternated, so the baby is turned to the window, but at the same time sleeps on different sides. The side of the turn must be changed constantly: day and night.
Can a newborn sleep on his back? Despite the convenience of this position, such a pose is not always the most suitable. With increased muscle tone, the child moves his arms and legs, so he constantly wakes himself up. In this case, some mothers use swaddling, but not all babies love the restriction of freedom and therefore are capricious. Then change the position for sleep. With the pathological development of the hip joints, a baby sleeps on his stomach.
If the newborn is tormented by gases, then this situation improves their discharge. A warm diaper is also placed on the tummy to alleviate the baby's condition.
On the stomach
In what position should the newborn sleep? For the full development of the baby, experts advise laying it on the stomach daily, and it is advisable to do this several times. Kid in this position:
- raises and holds the head;
- back muscles are developed;
- sees the world around him from the other side;
- developing the ability to navigate in space.
What is a safe sleeping position for a newborn? When he sleeps on his stomach, his intestinal gas is normal. This helps to improve its condition with colic. You can sleep on the stomach of the child, but only under the constant supervision of parents. After all, the baby can bury its nose in the pillow and suffocate. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is also possible. Usually the danger increases if the surface under the head is soft. Therefore, babies under 1 year old should not sleep on a pillow, usually it is replaced by a diaper folded several times.
If the newborn is sleeping on his stomach, then some safety rules must be observed:
- Lay the newborn on a smooth and hard surface.
- No objects (toys, clothes) should be left near it.
To control the process of breathing, the baby should be under the supervision of parents. If they cannot keep track of the baby during sleep, then a less dangerous position should be chosen.
On the side
This position is safe enough for the baby, but it is necessary to prevent the possibility of a coup on the stomach.
Can a newborn sleep on its side? For this, the baby is laid by placing a roll of twisted blankets or towels under its back. When the child is sitting on its side, it presses the legs to the stomach, which helps the exhaust gases. At the same time, the baby's hands are in front of his face, and he can scratch himself. To avoid this, parents need to wear a vest with closed hands or special non-scratch mittens. This situation is especially favorable for babies who constantly spit up.
When the newborn is on his side, there is an increased load on the pelvic bones. Such a pose is contraindicated in babies in the first 3 months, as well as with hip dysplasia.
Be sure to regularly change the position of the baby's body to avoid the development of torticollis.
How to lay the baby
Children's doctors recommend laying the baby on a half-coat. It is necessary to roll a roller from the diaper and put it under the child’s back and place the body slightly tilted to the side.
Can a newborn sleep on its side? As we already said, it is better to lay it on a half-board. Such a pose reduces the risk that the baby will be choked with regurgitation, and the load on his hip joints will decrease. This situation combines the positive aspects of sleep on the side and back, and also prevents negative consequences.
The child must be shifted to different sides to avoid the appearance of torticollis. In order not to get confused, parents can use a hanging toy that is outweighed when the baby changes position.
After feeding , the newborn’s sleeping position should be as follows: it is best after that to carry the baby in her arms vertically so that air comes out. Only after burping the child can you put in a bed on a skirt or on your back, be sure to turn the head. So his sleep will become stronger, and the baby will not be bothered by colic and gas.
A newborn should not be swaddled tightly. You can use a bag for sleeping, the baby will be able to freely move his arms and legs. However, it is not guaranteed to open, and mom will not need to worry that the child will freeze.
If the parents cover the baby with a blanket, then it should be at chest level.
Within 2-3 months after birth, the mother is recommended to use two poses for sleeping the baby: on the back and side. In the first position, you need to turn your head to the side. It is necessary that the saliva and milk mass after vomiting flow out.
If you decide to put the baby on its side, then you must ensure that nothing interferes with it.
Baby's sleep duration
Newborns include babies whose age does not exceed 1 month. After the expiration of this period, he becomes a baby.
How much does a newborn baby sleep up to a month? The process of being born has a stressful effect on the baby, so he needs to restore his strength as quickly as possible. The daily routine of the newborn is as follows:
- in the first weeks after birth, the baby sleeps for 20-22 hours;
- the rest of the time until the month is over, the baby rests for 18-20 hours, making short breaks for eating;
- gradually, the duration of sleep decreases to 16-17 hours.
How much does a newborn baby sleep after feeding? If the baby is full and does not bother anything, then he can rest for 4-8 hours, it depends on the amount of food eaten and the nutritional value of the mother’s milk.
It is very convenient if the bulk of sleep occurs at night. This allows you to relax not only the baby, but also his parents. To achieve this, children's doctors recommend reducing the duration of daytime sleep.
How much does a newborn baby sleep up to a month in the afternoon? Kids do not distinguish the time of day very well, most often they wake up at regular intervals in order to eat. But it is worth remembering that each baby is individual.
Do I need to rock a newborn
Many parents are sure that the baby should sleep in their crib. However, some children begin to act up, ask in their arms and cry. This is due to the fact that the newborn is frightened by the outside world. Here everything seems unusual and dangerous to him. The most native creature at this moment is mom. Psychologists in such situations recommend taking him in his arms and rocking. Feeling her mother’s presence and her smell, the baby immediately falls asleep. Putting the child immediately in the crib should not be. He needs to be given time to sleep soundly.
In the first months it needs to be laid in a crib, which is located in the parents room. The more time the baby will feel his mother’s presence, the higher the chance that he will grow up healthy and balanced.
What will help the child fall asleep
Most babies from the first days of life quickly fall asleep immediately after feeding or begin to doze off already during sucking. If this does not happen, then perhaps the baby was scared by something or he was excited about new impressions.
Most often, problems with motion sickness of a month-old baby do not arise if he does not have any health problems.
Contraindications for various sleep poses
When laying the baby in bed, parents should worry about the safety of the situation in which he is. There are some contraindications:
- Falling asleep on the side and back is prohibited for babies who have been diagnosed with abnormal development of the hip joints.
- Night and day rest on the back is prohibited with muscle hypertonicity (tight swaddling is recommended) and the occurrence of colic.
- The head should not be above the body.
For the correct formation of the spine, the baby is laid on a flat and hard surface.
Conclusion
So that the newborn has a sound and long sleep:
- the bed should be firm and even, no pillow required;
- it is necessary to surround the baby with care and attention;
- sure to create a comfortable environment for sleep.