Thursday, November 1, 2012

Newborn sleeping habits - known causes of cot death


Newborn sleep patterns: The amount that babies sleep, even when they are very small, varies a lot. During the early weeks some babies sleep for most of the time between feeds. Others will be wide awake. As they grow older, they begin to develop a pattern of waking and sleeping. Some babies need more sleep than others and at different times. Try not to compare what your baby does with other people’s babies. All babies are different, and their routines will change as they grow.
You will gradually begin to recognize when your baby is ready for sleep and is likely to settle. Some babies settle better after a warm bath. Most sleep after a good feed.
A baby who wants to sleep is not likely to be disturbed by ordinary household noises, so there is no need to keep your whole home quiet while your baby sleeps. It will help you if your baby gets used to sleeping through a certain amount of noise. It’s better to know more advices on sleeping positions.
Twins, triplets or more can have specific sleeping issues and it may be difficult for you to get them into a routine. The Multiple Births Foundation and Tamba give advices that you may find useful. They can sleep in the same cot – there are methods from Tamba on how you can do this safely.
How to prevent cot death   
Sadly, we don’t know why some babies die suddenly and for no apparent reason from what is called ‘cot death’ or ‘Sudden Infant Death Syndrome’ (SIDS). But we do know that placing a baby to sleep on their back reduces the risk, and that overheating a baby increases the risk.
All the advice that we now have for reducing the risk of cot death and other dangers, such as suffocation, is listed below. Remember that cot death is rare, so don’t let worrying about it stop you enjoying your baby’s first few months. But do follow the advices given here to reduce the risks as much as possible.
To reduce the risk of cot death:
Place your baby on their back to sleep, in a cot in a room with you.
Do not share a bed with your baby if you take medicines.
Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.
Do not let your baby get too hot – keep your baby’s head uncovered.
Place your baby in the ‘feet to foot’ position.
The safest place for your baby to sleep is on their back in a cot in a room with you for the first six months.

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