Family Tips

If you have never talked to other parents of a newborn, you may be surprised to learn that your infant in fact sleeps almost the whole day and night, and the sleep may take about 16 hours or even more! Newborns generally sleep for periods of 3–4 hours. It is explained by their digestive system, which is so small that they need nourishment every few hours and should be awakened if they haven’t been fed for 5 hours. But your baby may also be that rather often exception to the rule and sleep during the whole night or 6-8 hours without awakening.
At 3 months of age, about 90% of babies sleep between 6–8 hours. But if yours doesn’t, it’s not a cause for concern. Babies must develop their own sleep patterns and cycles, and if your newborn is getting weight and seems healthy, don’t concern if he or she hasn’t slept through the night at 3 months.
It’s important to place baby on the back to sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is the common recommendation, though this unpleasant phenomenon is not properly studied. In addition, remove all fluffy bedding, quilts, sheepskins, stuffed animals, and pillows from the cradle so that your baby doesn’t get tangled in them. And also alter the position of your baby’s head from night to night and during the night, if possible to prevent the development of a flat spot on one side of the head and torticollis.