Should you allow sleeping babies lie? Babies spend most of their day just sleeping.  Of course, it is during sleep that their body grows and gets stronger.  Regardless of whether your baby is a heavy sleeper or a light one, it is important to take measures to enhance their sleeping patterns by recreating the environment of the womb.

First,  create a cozy sleeping space.  Although cribs are the first sleeping area that most parents think of for their newborn babies, the space may be too large for your baby to sleep in comfortably.  Why?  You have to remember that for nine month his or her little body was snug inside the uterus. Having such a large space between their body and the walls of a crib can make them feel scared and uncomfortable.  It’s best to allow your baby to sleep in a bassinet or a baby carriage for the first few months after his or her birth.

Baby with pacifier and holding an iphone sleeping soundly

flickr.com/andrec

Second, help your baby rest with soothing sounds.  Inside the womb, your baby experienced the sounds of his or her mom’s body.  For nine months, your baby was comforted by the sounds of a heartbeat or the gurgling sounds of a stomach.  These internal sounds helped to keep the baby relaxed and happy.  When putting your baby to sleep, the soft sound of a music box or the sound of a humming fan  will help them sleep better.

Don’t undermine your baby’s sleeping habit by not allowing them to sleep too much in the day.  If your baby has troubles sleeping at night and this is interrupting your sleep, you may try to fix this problem by keeping the baby up during the day.  While this may work with small children by causing them to be more tired at night, it is not suggested for a newborn baby.  This will only cause your baby to become sleep deprived, which in turn will cause the baby to sleep more fidgety.  A well-rested baby has healthier sleeping patterns than one that’s tired because of being kept awake during the day, when what they really wanted is to be sleeping.

For the parents of a newborn baby, a good night’s sleep can seem elusive. It does get better as the child gets older, but in the mean time, you can take these few methods to encourage your baby to sleep well.