Raising a kid isn’t an easy job. Given the stress and pressure of today’s life, persistent crying of the babies can lead to more stressful situations in the family, including marital conflicts, depression, low self-esteem and obesity. A stressed mind can lead the new parents to make all sorts of rash decisions.
Thus, it is extremely important to understand the needs of the baby. Have you spent many a night, awake, trying to get your baby to sleep, and failed? Fret not, here are some tips to help both you and your baby enjoy a good night’s sleep.
A baby stays in the womb for almost nine months and is habitual of a crouched position and a warm, watery environment. Any change in the environment upsets the baby and ends up affecting its biological cycle. Normally, wet nappies, hunger or fever can cause the infants to sleep less. Yet, if all these causes are taken care of, and still the problem persists, there are some hacks that can help the baby sleep peacefully.
What to do?
One very useful fact to know is that babies slumber down better when they are provided an environment that resembles the one in the womb. To create similar conditions, pediatricians suggest the ‘5-6’ approach: swaddling, shushing, swinging, sucking, sleeping position, and to switch on the calming reflexes.
If none of the above measures work, take your baby out for a drive in the car. Most fussy babies calm down when the car is in motion. An easy solution!
Some precautions
Don’t wrap the baby in loose blankets. Also, establish a daytime and nighttime routine by keeping stimulating activities restricted to the day and sleepy and passive ones for the night. Introducing bedtime rituals like singing lullabies is also beneficial. Bathing the babies with warm water and feeding them till they are full also aids sleep.
(The author is a consultant neonatologist and pediatrician, Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru)
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