Putting Baby to Sleep

A sound and comfortable sleep is very important for the growth and development of babies. In fact, unless baby is in some discomfort or is hungry, he tends to sleep most of the time. The more a baby sleeps during his early stages, the better his physical and mental development will be. Just be careful to protect him from being exposed to mosquitoes, direct drafts and sunlight.

Note: The best position to put your baby to sleep is either on his back or side as these positions have proven to dramatically reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is a term generally used to reference the symptoms of sudden and unexplained death in infants (between one month to one year of age) that occur most often during sleep.

Precautions to Take when Putting Baby to Sleep:

As your baby grows, he’ll tend to roll over in his crib. Use triangle-shaped cushions or rolled up blankets for support which will help keep your baby on his back or side.

• Use only light blankets if required, instead of a heavy one (during winters) and ensure that baby’s mouth and nose do not get covered. Using light blankets will help you keep a check on baby’s temperature and prevent him from becoming overheated.
  
  
• Do not use insulators like crib bumpers, sheepskin or leather products.
  
  
• You can put a baby monitor in the crib to alert you whenever your baby cries.
  
  

However, putting the baby on his belly for a couple of minutes a day when he’s awake is equally important. Try introducing your baby to this position in the early stages, as this will help him exercise his neck and trunk muscles and prevent his head from flattening. To give him extra support, you can tuck in a light rolled blanket under his chest with his arms placed over the roll.