Sleeping positions for newborn babies

Regardless of the child’s age, his sleepwear should be comfortable and of high quality. So what should a child under one year sleep in? First of all, clothes should be chosen in such a way that they do not restrict his movement and also do not irritate the delicate baby skin. In addition, its task is to protect against overheating or hypothermia. Only in this case will children’s sleep be complete and of high quality.

Why a newborn should not sleep on soft things: 2 main reasons

A soft mattress is definitely not suitable for a newborn: this is an axiom recognized by pediatricians and orthopedists around the world. And there are 2 good reasons for this.

Reason #1

The baby's spine continues to develop, so any irregularities can have a negative impact on it. The spinal column does not have the S-shaped curve characteristic of adults, which will appear only by 2–3 years; it is completely straight.

The consequences of sleeping on a bed that is too soft, or on a bed with unevenness and bumps, can be curvature of the spine, torticollis, and improper formation of the skull bones.

But the negative impact on the back is not the only drawback of soft mattresses.

USEFUL INFORMATION: Causes and treatment of insomnia in cervical osteochondrosis

Reason #2

If an infant sleeps on a soft surface on his stomach or accidentally rolls over onto his tummy from a supine position, this can be very dangerous for him. The fact is that children in the first months of life, when the air supply is blocked, do not try to free themselves and restore breathing. This means that if your baby buries his nose into a soft mattress, pillow or blanket, he may suffocate.

It has been established that respiratory arrest due to a short-term cessation of oxygen supply to the lungs is a possible cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Where should the baby sleep?

28.04.2014

0

Waiting for a baby is filled with delightful events - the joy of a good ultrasound, the mysterious refusal of a glass of wine in the company of friends, the purchase of baby things and the arrangement of a children's room or even a corner. Mothers, grandmothers, and fathers happily think about the colors of little clothes, choose a crib and look for the best stroller. Today, I'm offering a topic to ponder that will have a big impact on your family sleep patterns over the next few years.

So where will your baby sleep? In the conditions of Russian reality, there are several options, and we will discuss them today.

Option 1 - in a separate room (the most luxurious)

If your home allows it, then allocating a separate room for your baby is the most logical option. This is usually possible in large private houses, so I will describe the arrangement of the room based on the fact that the distance between you and the baby can be decent (different floors, garden, etc.).

• Install curtains that do not let in daylight (black out), preferably in the form of roller shutters that are pressed tightly against the glass - this will allow the baby to sleep longer in the morning and fall asleep easier during the day;
• Purchase and install an audio or video baby monitor - this device will allow you to assess the cause of your baby’s anxiety without entering his room. Pay attention to the signal range (important for large country houses) and the possibility of two-way communication (will help calm the baby while you are running towards him). If you prefer to see your baby, there are plenty of baby monitor options available now;
• Consider a source of white noise. This monotonous hissing sound will help drown out household noises such as a telephone ringing or a TV in the next room, it will help create a cyclical background for the baby, promoting long-term sleep. This could be a special machine, a radio tuned between stations, the recorded sound of a vacuum cleaner, or a special program running on an iPod;
• Take care of the overall safety of the room. This can be done a little later, but as soon as the baby crawls, he will be able to open the bottom drawers of the chest of drawers, climb into sockets, and pull wires. To avoid an unpleasant surprise, it is better to check such things right away.

Option 2 - in the room with parents

Even if there is space in the house, many parents are not ready to immediately “exile” their week-old baby to a separate room and decide to keep him with them for a while. This is primarily convenient for nursing mothers, colicky babies and first-time parents. There is nothing wrong with the need to see that everything is fine with the baby and to be ready to take care of him 24 hours a day. In such cases, the crib is usually placed next to the parent's or instead the baby settles in a small cradle.

When assessing the prospect of buying a cradle, keep in mind that it will last you at most for 5 months, and it costs a lot, so if possible, take it from your older friends (they will be happy to help and get rid of the bulky thing).

The features of this placement are as follows:

• Remove the TV and computer from the room. Within a month, the baby will be distracted and tired by their flickering and additional noise. And you are unlikely to be able to watch TV while the baby is sleeping. If this is your only room (studio apartment), separate the baby’s area with a curtain or furniture, buy wireless headphones for watching TV;
• Install curtains that do not let in daylight (black out) as described above; they will also help you fall asleep during the day while your baby is sleeping. In a family with a small child, no one can have a lot of sleep!
• In one-room apartments it is even more important to consider the source of white noise (see above).

Option 3 - in bed with parents

Sometimes parents initially plan to sleep in the same bed with the child, sometimes this happens out of hopelessness, when there is no other way to get at least a little sleep themselves and ensure the child sleeps. In any case, if your baby sleeps in the same room with you, first of all, you need to be sure that he will not get hurt.

• People under the influence of alcohol or medications that prevent awakening, people in very deep sleep, etc. should not sleep in bed with a child;
• A child should sleep on an elastic surface without the risk of getting tangled in blankets or suffocating in pillows; sleeping on water mattresses is unacceptable!
• There should be no spaces between the bed and the wall, bedside tables, headboard where the baby could fall through;
• The ideal option for a shared bed is an additional crib, which is attached to the edge of the parent's bed - then the baby is at arm's length, but in his own space;
• Smoking is not allowed in the room, and especially in bed with the baby - it has been proven that smoking by parents (especially the mother) seriously increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

If you decide to sleep together, immediately think about how and when you will end it. It is known that in families who took this step consciously, and not as a fire option, the transition to a child’s independent sleep is usually less difficult.

Option 4 - in a room with an older child

This situation is not uncommon, but sometimes it raises many questions. Most likely, the baby will move into this room at the age of 6-9 months or later, everything will depend on how quickly you can establish his night sleep. Don’t worry about the older child - by the time of the move, he had already heard enough and got used to the baby’s crying (where can you get away from him!) and simply stopped reacting to it.

• Organize the space so that the baby sleeps further from the entrance. Most likely, the older child will go to bed later and will not have to sneak past the crib;
• Move something from the baby’s previous sleeping place to the new room - it’s clear that there will be the same crib, but try to keep some other details: a night light, books, etc.;
• Be sure to install a nanny - at first you will have to control the process of settling in.

Did you like the article? Rate:

Votes: 23

Why doesn't the baby want to sleep on a hard surface and what do parents do?

From the above it is clear that a mattress for a baby should be firm.
But here, too, not everything is so simple. A newborn baby cannot completely relax; his limbs are constantly in good shape. The baby sleeps with his arms and legs bent, trying to recreate the position in which he was in his mother’s belly. But if the mattress is hard, this will not be easy to do. The baby will feel uncomfortable, spin around in his sleep, and wake up frequently. This is especially true for children who have hypertension. What do parents do in this case? They put a blanket on top of the mattress to make it soft, or they take the baby into their bed. The first option is worse than the second: the baby may bury his nose in a loose and soft blanket and stop breathing. The second option is not suitable for everyone: many parents are categorically against co-sleeping with their baby. What to do?

What should a mattress be like for a newborn?

For babies, they produce cocoon mattresses of a special shape and a special pad that allows the sleepy baby to completely relax. At first, this device was used only for premature babies. But later it was noted that even healthy babies in such a device fall asleep faster, sleep more soundly, do not suffer from colic, and the head lies in a position that eliminates the risk of asphyxia. Parents will appreciate this positioning mattress if their child has increased tone. The cocoon is used for up to 4 months.

USEFUL INFORMATION: Is it possible to sleep on an air mattress all the time?

A special cocoon is good, but expensive. And with all its advantages, it cannot be called a mandatory device. You can get by with a standard children's mattress. But when choosing rigidity, the following points are taken into account:

• The toughest does not mean the best. Such a mattress will be completely safe for the child, but may be uncomfortable for him. And if mom decides to “soften” it with a blanket, this can lead to the sad consequences described above.
• The best option is a mattress of moderate or medium hardness. The main thing is that he is not soft and lies in a crib with a hard bottom. Most modern products for newborns meet the necessary criteria and are safe for the child.
• If you have doubts about whether your baby will sleep on a hard surface, choose a double-sided mattress. If your baby finds it uncomfortable to sleep on the hard part, you can try a softer one. Let it be a little softer than recommended, but in any case it is better than any tricks with adding blankets and feather beds or placing the child on a large pillow. If everything goes well and the baby sleeps comfortably on the hard side, the mattress can be turned over over time, by about 2 years, when a softer bed is recommended for comfortable sleep.

Advice from Dr. Komarovsky. Some mothers worry because they feel that the chosen mattress is too soft. It’s easy to check whether the stiffness is sufficient: to do this, you need to press it with your hand. If it is pressed no more than 2 cm, you can safely use such a product, it is absolutely safe for the baby.

How warm should you dress your baby at night?

In cases where the temperature in the room remains at 18-20 degrees, a child up to one year old can be put to sleep in knitted overalls or pajamas. At the same time, it is covered with a sheet or light blanket. The smallest ones are best placed in special sleeping bags or sleeping bags.

For those cases when the room temperature exceeds 20 degrees, the child can be put to bed overnight in thin knitted underwear. If the room temperature exceeds 24 degrees, cotton underwear will be sufficient.

A few more tips for choosing a mattress

The best option would be an environmentally friendly product that does not absorb or emit foreign odors, and is also well ventilated. It is allowed to use fillers made of coconut fiber, seaweed, horsehair, latex, and hollobiber.

USEFUL INFORMATION: I have a headache during the day after sleeping: what to do?

Criteria for choosing a mattress:

• moderate hardness;
• hypoallergenic materials;
• environmental friendliness, hygiene, ventilation;
• compliance with crib sizes;
• high-quality upholstery and the presence of a replaceable mattress cover that is easily washed.

The right mattress matches the dimensions of the crib. For infants, it is recommended to choose models that are slightly shorter than the length of the bed. This will make it easy to remove the product from the crib to dry. Lumps and unevenness will not appear on such a mattress. If you select a product that is too small, the child may be injured if an arm or leg gets caught in the hole between the mattress and the crib.

The ideal option is to buy a cocoon mattress. It can be installed on any suitable surface - sofa, floor, parent's bed - and the baby will be under supervision at all times.

What should a child under one year sleep in?

How to choose the right pajamas for a child under one year old? The main thing is that it is made of natural material, let it be cotton fabric, which does not interfere with natural sweating, and also does not cause allergies and does not electrify. It is important that the pajamas do not restrict the baby’s movements in any way, and also do not have tight elastic bands or large buttons.

At night, your baby's urination becomes rare, so he may not even need to change his diaper.