This is an automatically translated article.
Newborns like to be held when they sleep, when they put them down, they cry is a common and very difficult problem for many parents. This is largely due to improper parenting. So what should parents do to solve the situation of babies being held while sleeping?
1. How does infant sleep work?
To handle the situation that babies like to be held while sleeping, we need to understand the physiological sleep of babies at this stage.
From birth to less than 1 month old (also known as infancy) is the period when babies spend all day sleeping. The time the baby is awake is only when breastfeeding (babies usually feed about every 2 to 3 hours).
The reason babies need to feed so many times a day is because the stomach area of babies is small, so they get hungry very quickly. At the same time, at this stage, the baby still does not distinguish between day and night time, so there will be babies who sleep a lot during the day and wake up more at night. Normally, a baby's daytime sleep time is about 8 to 9 hours and about 8 hours at night.
As they get older (about 3 months old or when the baby is about 6kg weight), they gradually get into the habit of sleeping through the night (from 6 to 8 hours) and don't wake up as much as before. Parents may not need to wake up their baby to breastfeed like before, but note that they should not let their baby sleep for more than 3 hours without feeding, to avoid hunger.
Some more special cases such as premature birth, low birth weight or gastroesophageal reflux disease ... may need to breastfeed more often, about every 2 to 2 and a half hours to ensure enough energy for body.
The stages of infant awakening vary widely. Many babies wake up still lying still and open their eyes. After that, the baby began to make limb movements and appeared more alert. Usually the last stage is when the baby bursts into tears. Therefore, the best time to breastfeed is before the crying phase. Crying is a baby's way of showing his mother that he is hungry. Some babies show other signs like looking for the breast or putting their hands in their mouths. If you let your baby burst into tears without feeding, he may get a little upset and refuse to feed. At this time, the mother should have gestures to soothe the baby to hold the baby close or wrap the baby in a towel.
2. Why do babies want to be held when they sleep?
Entering the period from 6 to 8 weeks old, parents can already teach their babies how to sleep on their own. It's best to put your baby to bed when you notice signs of sleepiness but make sure the baby is still awake. How to teach your baby from 6 to 8 weeks after birth is extremely important.
Some mothers have a habit of letting their children lie in a hammock or cradle, preferring to hold their baby while sleeping, accidentally creating a bad habit. At that time, the situation that the infant likes to be held when sleeping or asks to lie in a swinging hammock causes a lot of trouble for parents.
Một số trẻ sơ sinh thích bế khi ngủ khi bước sang giai đoạn mới
Experts recommend that parents should not give their children bad habits such as holding, rocking or giving a pacifier to comfort their baby to sleep. Instead, parents should create some other habits such as singing lullabies, listening to soft music, patting the bottom or scratching the head... But it should be noted that children will get used to that habit and parents need to I have to do it before I fall asleep. Therefore, parents should choose habits that are both suitable for their children and feasible for them.
If you are still impatient to let your baby sleep well but still want to limit the situation of babies asking to be held while sleeping, parents can hold their baby until they fall asleep and then put the baby down on the bed, but absolutely do not let the baby sleep on the bed. my hand. Many mothers because they love their children and let their children sleep in their arms have created a bad reaction, when they put them down, they cry and ask their mothers to hold them to sleep.
Newborns are like a blank sheet of paper, parents who want their children to sleep well should not miss the time when they can teach them the right sleep habits. Children's sleep is both important for their comprehensive development and for the mother's health.
Many mothers have children who wake up a lot at night, refuse to sleep, and fall into a state of sleep deprivation. Since then, the mother is not physically and mentally strong enough to take care of her child comprehensively. Therefore, parents should try to apply appropriate methods of coaxing the baby to sleep, to avoid the phenomenon that babies like to be held while sleeping and affect the health of both mother and child.
3. Some notes on teaching babies to sleep on their own
3.1. Limit rocking when sleeping Many babies ask to be held while sleeping or have to rock continuously to fall asleep due to the wrong habits of their parents. In which, it is very common for the child to lie in a rocking cradle or swinging in a hammock continuously. Parents should note that it is possible to swing slightly when the child has just fallen asleep and immediately stop this action when the child is asleep, not creating a habit that makes the child ask to swing the hammock continuously to fall asleep.
3.2. Do not practice letting your child sleep in a hammock The habit of letting your child sleep in a hammock is very common in Vietnam. Newborns don't know what a hammock is unless the parents put the baby in it. This creates a habit of hammock addiction, having a new hammock to sleep and it is difficult to give up. At an older stage when the baby can roll over and crawl, lying in a hammock causes another dangerous problem, when the baby wakes up without an adult beside, it is very easy to fall or have an accident. Therefore, to ensure the best, parents should think carefully before deciding to let their children sleep in a hammock.
Cha mẹ nên khắc phục tình trạng trẻ sơ sinh thích bế khi ngủ và thích nằm võng ngủ
3.3. Set a schedule Parents should establish a timetable for the activities of the child's day. In it, determine when to breastfeed, when to bathe, when to sleep and try to do them correctly to create a daily routine for your child. Before going to bed, parents can wipe the baby's body with warm water, massage, listen to soothing music or sing a lullaby to help the baby sleep more comfortably.
Every day, parents often maintain these "procedures" in the right sequence and timetable to create a beneficial reflex for the baby
3.4. Create a suitable sleeping environment Your child's sleep will not be good if the bedroom is too hot or too cold. Parents should create and maintain the infant's room temperature between 28 and 29 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the bedroom needs to be ventilated but not too drafty. Therefore, absolutely do not let the fan blow directly on you or let your child lie down in the air conditioner's airflow.
Next to the bedroom, especially when using air conditioning, parents should let their children wear overalls, wear socks to keep the blanket warm, limit the amount of blankets that cause heat. In addition, parents must try to keep diapers dry so that their children can sleep the best.
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