Sleeping with your baby

When we think of a young baby sleeping, the most natural assumption is that, the baby will be sleeping with his mother. Babies have slept with their mothers from time immemorial. This was thought to be the best practice as constant contact between mother and baby not only gave the baby a sense of security but also strengthened the emotional bond between the two. The increase in research and studies done on babies, in the recent times, has given rise to a debate as to whether it is better for the baby to sleep with their mother or alone in their cot. Some mothers prefer sleeping together other prefer to put their baby in a cot. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is for the parents to decide what is best for their baby.

Benefits of sleeping together:

• Feeding, whether it is breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, is very pleasant experience because of the closeness.
• As the baby is sleeping next to you, you can watch over your baby easily.
• Studies show that as a result of body contact the baby's breathing is stimulated and body temperature is regulated.
• Physical contact with your baby is always a joy, even while sleeping.

Drawbacks of sleeping together:

• Since you are so close, it is likely, that the baby may wake up more frequently and have more feeds.
• You may not sleep well as the baby's movements may disturb you.
• Many mothers worry that they may end up sleeping on their baby, which makes it difficult for them to sleep. This will happen only if you are drunk or using medication that makes you sleepy.
• You may feel that you do not have any time for yourself and that the baby is tied to you.
• Your husband may feel neglected as all your time and attention is devoted to the baby, this can affect your sex life.
• It may be a while before your baby is ready and willing to sleep alone. It may even take over a year for him to be able to sleep independently.

While making any decisions, where the baby is concerned, it is best for the both the parents to participate in the decision making process. An excellent middle path to adopt would be to put a three-sided cot right next to your bed. This way the baby will be in the same room as you and within an arm's length so that you can check on him easily. At the same time he will have an independent cot, which help you sleep without being unnecessarily disturbed.

Sleeping Safe and Sound

There is nothing more peaceful than the sight of a sleeping baby. At the same time, there is no thought more terrifying than that, your baby may die while sleeping soundly. Unfortunate as it is, there are a few instances of cot deaths. Every parents main concern is to keep their baby safe and sound even when they are asleep. Though numerous studies have been done on cot deaths, no one has been able to pin point the reason for the same. This fatality seems to be caused when a number of factors work together and affect the baby some particular way. Researchers have come up a few simple rules to be followed, which considerably lower the risk of cot death while the baby is asleep. Follow these rules to help your baby sleep safely:

• Make your baby sleep on his/her back.
• Make the baby sleep in the 'feet-to-foot' position and away from the end of the cot. Place the baby in such a way that, the feet of the baby are facing the foot of the cot, but are not touching the end of the cot.
• The right temperature for a baby's room is 18 degrees centigrade (65 F). Babies should never get very hot.
• Do not use an electric blanket or a hot water bottle in the baby's cot.
• They should not be allowed to sleep either in direct sunlight or near a fire or heater.
• The baby's clothes, sheets and blankets must be made of cotton only.
• While sleeping all they need is nappy, vest and sleep suit. If it is a hot night them make sure you dress the baby lightly.
• Do not use duvets or sheepskins until the baby is a year old.
• The room in which the baby sleeps must be smoke free. Do not smoke or allow anyone to smoke while near the baby.
• During the first six months make sure that the baby cot is in your bedroom.
• Avoid sleeping with your baby on the sofa.
• If you smoke, drink alcohol, are taking medicines or drugs which will make you sleep deeply, then do not allow your baby to share your bed.
• Do not cover the baby's head unless it is very cold, as they lose excess heat from their head and face.
• When the baby has a fever his covering should be light and not heavy as is often believed.
• The baby's bedding, mattress, covering should be kept clean, sun-dry and aired.

Baby Sleep Patterns

Once the baby is born, your baby will spend the better part of the day sleeping. Sleeping is an essential and important activity for your baby. Growth hormones work most effectively when the baby is asleep. Initially for the first few months, your baby will continue with their own sleep pattern, sleeping as and when they like. As they grow older they will slowly learn to adjust their sleep pattern to your daily routine. When they are about three months old your baby will normally, sleep for 10 hours at night on the whole, even if he or she wakes up in between. Your baby's daytime sleep can often be divided into two sessions - morning and afternoon.


Everybody has his or her opinion when it comes to care and upbringing of a baby, therefore sleep is no different. Even the simple task of deciding the length of a baby's nap, or how to put your baby to sleep has become complicated, because of the number of opinions you will get. As a result of the emotional involvement in caring for your baby every small aspect becomes an issue. Most mothers are more than happy to make adjustments and will schedule their sleeping pattern to fit their baby's sleep pattern. This ensures that mother and baby sleep together which is ideal. Sleeping together ensure strong emotional bonding between the mother and her baby. Studies have shown that babies who sleep with their mother receive more touching, breastfeeding and protection.

If you feel that your baby should have a sleep pattern that is convenient for everyone at home and that does not interfere with your sleep pattern, you will have to make the baby learn a sleep pattern. One of the most common ways to make a baby sleep, is to use music, either sing to the baby or play some soothing music and before you know the baby is fast asleep. This is a method that has been tried and tested over the years and this wisdom has been passed on from generation to generation, though the type of music used may vary.

Some parents choose a particular song for each child and sing this special song day after day at the baby's bedtime. They begin this when the baby is a few days old. After some time the baby gets conditioned and will sleep easily once you start singing the song. If you don't want your baby to get used to the habit of being rocked to sleep you can try using a musical toy. Wind-up this toy and it will play music for a few minutes. Use this toy every time you want to make your baby sleep. Place it close to his or her cot. After sometime he or she will get accustomed to falling asleep to the sound of the musical toy. This method will help your baby sleep comfortably even if you are away from home.

Today CDs are created with specific music, which help very young babies fall asleep. While selecting music, they use music with the same beats per minute as the heartbeat of the mother, which the baby hears while in the womb. This has a soothing effect on the young baby, helps him relax and fall asleep comfortably. You can choose whatever method suits you or try all of them and decide which one works best for your baby.