Let Sleeping Babies Lie!

The first time I brought Lillie home I was scared to death to put her down. I wasn’t sure about a lot of things, but the thing I was most scared about was sleep. I had noticed how important sleep really is because I had lost so much myself. There were a million questions that ran through my head within the first few hours of having her home. How should she sleep? Should she have her own bed or is it okay for her to sleep with me? Will she sleep better if she stays up throughout the day? Will she sleep longer if I feed her more before bedtime? All these are difficult issues that every mother addresses within the first few days after bringing the baby home and since I am trying to be the absolute best mother I can be I did a little research on the subject.

Newborns sleep about 16 hours a day in intervals of about 3 to 4 hours at a time. (Side note: not all babies are the same- these are just averages.) At first babies do not know the difference between day and night. It may take a week or two for the baby to adjust. About 3 months of age babies may start to sleep about 6 to 8 hours at night. By 6 months the baby should sleep about 8 to 10 hours at night, but don’t worry if the baby doesn’t sleep through the night until 1 year of age.

“Sleep when she sleeps.” What a crock! Most of the time, you have something else to do- such as dishes or laundry or even eat! I have also found that by the time I get settled enough to doze off she is waking up screaming for a bottle and a diaper change. Lillie is still working on finding her sleep patterns, but she is slowly getting there.

One article I found addressed where the child should sleep. Co-sleeping has become very popular with new mothers. Most mothers choose to co-sleep with their child because it’s easier at feeding time, it provides comfort for you and your child, and it just makes you feel safer about your baby. There are different beliefs on co-sleeping and the effect that it has on the child. Some research shows that children who sleep with their parents routinely become more socially and psychologically independent, do better when alone, and have a greater ability to be empathetic. Another study done in 1999 by the U.S. Consumer Products Manufacturer’s Association said that co-sleeping should never be practiced. This study found that 515 cases of accidental infant death occurred in an adult bed over 8 years. Another article I found suggested room sharing over bed sharing if you feel the need to be close to your child.

Personally, I have found that my daughter and I both sleep better when she sleeps with me. I would imagine it is because she can hear my heartbeat and it mimics the sounds and memories of the time she spent in the womb. For me I think it is the comfort of knowing she is okay. I find myself checking on her less often because I can feel her breathe. I say go for what works best for you!

More than one-third of infants pictured in magazines are shown in inappropriate sleep positions. No wonder there is so much confusion about how a baby should sleep. When studying almost 400 pictures, researchers found that only 64 percent of the pictures of infants (not being held in adult’s arms) were shown properly laying on their backs. Its it recommended that infants under the age of 6 months should sleep on their backs in order to prevent SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (unexplained death of a healthy infant which happens most during sleep). FYI: I will cover SIDS in more depth in another post. It is believed that sleeping on the back lowers the risk of SIDS because a baby who sleeps on their stomach runs a higher risk to “rebreathe” the oxygen-depleted air that was just exhaled. Your baby should only sleep on their stomach if recommended by the pediatrician. Some examples of why they would recommend that include severe reflux or a birth defect of the upper airway which may block breathing. There are also disadvantages associated with a baby sleeping on her back. Young infants are more likely to be woken by a startle reflex when lying on their back. Also some babies may get a flattening on the back of their head.

“Put her on her back to sleep” was the first thing I heard from the doctors and nurses in the hospital when she was born. I have found that my daughter loves to sleep on her side. She is only a month old, but she will actually position herself on her side in her bassinet. The pediatrician told me not to worry too much about it but to try and get her to lie on her back. I also noticed that she sleeps well on her stomach when she is lying on my chest. It scares me that she may spit up when she is sleeping on her back and she may choke on it. I think she sleeps best on her side curled up with her hands under her head. She is the absolute cutest might I say? I say let the baby tell you how they like to sleep. Every child is different and has different preferences. So let sleeping babies lie!

Citations:

Currie, Donna. (2009, November). Many magazine photos depict infants in improper sleep positions. The Nation’s Health. Retrieved March 16, 2010 from EBSCOhost database.

Hoard, M. (2005, August). Are you stressed about SIDS? Baby Talk. Retrieved March 26, 2010 from EBSCOhost database.

Priesnitz, W. (2009, July/August). The family bed. Natural Life. Retrieved March 26, 2010 from EBSCOhost database.

RelayHealth. (2009, July). Sleep patterns in babies. CRS Pediatric Advisor. Retrieved March 26, 2010 from EBSCOhost database.

Schmitt, B.D. (2009, July). Sleep position for young infants. CRS Pediatric Advisor. Retrieved March 16, 2010 from EBSCOhost database.

Picture Citations:

Image of sleeping baby. Chitale, R. (2009, August 17). Sleeping babies in precarious pose infuse magazine ads. ABC News/Health. Retrieved on March 26, 2010 from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Parenting/story?id=8332032