
Hi to all,
Thanks for visiting with me today! So far we have discussed alot of different topics here, I hope that this blog is helping you in some way! Please feel free to post any suggestions that you may have to help me enhance this blog. Let me know what you the reader would like to see here! Now today I am going to talk about naptime with your little one. Lets face it sleeping is somthing your baby does alot of. However as babies get older they tend to adjust their schedule, it is important for any new parent to know that what your baby did last week may change on you today. Just when you and your infant has finally gotten into a schedule bang she decides she wants to change that. Remember babies grow very fast in the first years so they change as they mature. Welcome your babies changes as this is a sign that they are maturing and that is a good thing! I welcome your questions and comments so please feel free to post anything you wish under comments. You can also send me and email to MelidaCohen@CareForMyBaby.com. Make sure you visit www.CareForMyBaby.com to find out how you can learn all you need to know for your baby's first year of life. Happy Reading!
How to Get Your Baby to Sleep at Naptime
By: Melida Cohen
Naptime is a very important issue when you have a newborn. Did you know that a infant spends 16-20 hours of their day asleep? That is over 75% of the day so you can see that this is a important issue. Your baby will generally let you know when she is tired however below are a few guidelines you can follow with your newborn.
If you baby is not napping well during her first few months of life, you may want to try to cut back on the time she is awake by 15 minute increments. If she is getting overstimulated, then she will fight sleep and be difficult to get to nap. The way to prevent this is to watch her “sleepy” cues to make sure that you put her down when she is beginning to get sleepy.
Some parents believe that letting their child cry will harm him or her. Fifteen or twenty minutes of crying will not harm your child physically or mentally. Babies will learn to self-soothe and fall asleep by themselves, but only if you let her. It is very important that babies learn to fall asleep by themselves so that they can self-soothe if they awake in the middle of the night. Otherwise, you may have a child that will not sleep through the night for years.
Regular sleep patterns are intermeshed with regular eating patterns, so let us look at the stages of a baby’s life:
Newborn: Your newborn will sleep anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a day, including the naps that he takes between feedings. When your baby has been fed, let him stay awake for a short while and then put him down before he becomes overstimulated.
Two months: At two months and older, your child should be allowed to try to self-soothe during their naptimes and bedtime. Crying is normal when you put your baby down, but it is okay. If he cries for longer than 10-15 minutes, then go in and check on him. Don’t get him up, but pat his bottom or lightly rub his back until he calms down.
3-6 months: At around 3-6 months, your baby will stop taking one of his naps. Usually it is the third nap or late afternoon nap that they do not need as much. He may be a little fussy and may want to take a little nap, but you need to try to keep him up if you want him to go to bed at a decent time and sleep soundly through the night.
16+ months: When your child is between 16-20 months, they usually quit taking the morning nap in favor of a longer nap in the afternoons. Babies this age usually sleep between 10-12 hours a night and take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap.
Ground Rules about Naps:
1. You decide when the nap starts and ends, not the baby.
2. When your baby is older than 4 months old, she will wake up crying if she hasn’t slept enough. She might have a dirty diaper, be in a position that is not comfortable, or cold/hot. Fix the problem and encourage her to go back to sleep. Babies that have enough rest wake up happy, talking, and in a good mood!
3. Make naptime a routine by always doing the same thing at naptime such as turning off the lights. or singing a certain song. Do this whenever possible this way your baby will know that this means it is naptime
Remember your baby will always give you clues when she is tired. Your baby might do a huge yawn, or rub her eyes. Pay attention to these clues this way baby can sleep when tired. A baby that is not well rested will usually be very cranky! However keep in mind that with our sometimes busy lives it may be hard to put baby down for a nap, for example if you are out on a shopping trip. Do not beat yourself up over these times and do not feel bad it is ok to break your baby's routine, if your baby is tired she will go to sleep in the car seat or stroller! Always remember to cherish your time with your precious baby and do not fret when she misses a nap!





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