There’s a veritable laundry list of things about which new parents need to educate themselves. But putting your baby to sleep isn’t one of them, right? Sleep is an involuntary reflex. We all do it because our bodies need it. So, it’s simple, right? Not exactly. Sleep is crucial to babies and most do it naturally. Parents still need to understand how to best help their babies get the most restful sleep, as it helps them grow into healthy toddlers.

Crib Contents

Your baby will sleep in any number of places. Your arms will be a favorite resting spot. A playpen, baby swing, or crib will be necessary, though, so you can get something done while the baby sleeps. It’s tough to restrain yourself from surrounding your baby with a bunch of soft toys and cozy bedding. You need to know, however, that if you’re going to include things like that in your baby’s bed, they need to be specially designed not to cause your child injury. For example, did you know there are specialized pillows for babies? These pillows aren’t the normal ones you’ll see in your favorite bedding store. They’re designed to gently cradle a newborn’s skull to prevent the baby from getting a flat patch on his or her head. The pillows are lightweight and small enough not to trap your baby in a way that would suffocate him or her.

As for toys and blankets, you’ll need to wait until your baby is older for those. Blankets shouldn’t be introduced into your baby’s bedding until they’re twelve months or older. It’s because those blankets can easily tangle and choke your child. The flip side is true, too. Because babies can kick blankets off, you can’t rely on the blanket to keep your child warm. Using weather-appropriate blanket sleepers or footie pajamas is a much better idea. Also, save the stuffed toys for when your child is strong enough to push those toys away without issues.

Sleep Struggles

It’s normal for newborns not to sleep through the night at first. Their little bellies only hold so much food and they’ll need to be fed in the middle of the night at least once for them to grow and be healthy. There are other problems, though, that prevent a baby from sleeping well. Colic is a common infant ailment that can compromise a baby’s – and parent’s – restful sleep. Colic is unexplained crying for an extended length of time. Its origins are not well understood and it’s usually something that fixes itself by the time your baby is three or four months old.

Most other sleep problems in babies are less enduring, time-wise. Usually, these issues can be attributed to specific factors. For example, when a baby is teething, his or her sleep can be disturbed because of that pain. Sometimes when you change your baby’s diet, it can affect how he or she sleeps as his or her body learns to digest the new foods. Changing your child’s routine will also affect sleep patterns; consistency is important.

Paying attention to the things that affect your baby’s sleep pattern can help you all get a good night of rest.

What are your favorite tips for helping your babies to sleep?

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