Appropriate sleep routines

Why age appropriate sleep routines are important
Article written by Jacqui Flint

Before listing some of the benefits of an age appropriate sleep routine, let’s first establish what a sleep routine is.
Sleep routine – A baby is getting enough sleep during the day according to his age

– The day naps occur at roughly the same time every day
It is important that the routine is age-appropriate for then you are working in conjunction with your baby’s natural bio-rhythms.

Some benefits of an age-appropriate sleep routine:

-When your baby sleeps his body produces a hormone called Serotonin which makes him physically grow, thus he should meet certain milestones
-A baby who has slept well during the day and at night, is a well rested, happy and content baby, and the spin off of that is a parent who is well rested, happy and content
-A baby who has slept well will eat well and have good, quality awake time

Below is a table listing the number of day naps a baby should have.

Newborn to 2 months 5
2 to 4 months 4
4 to 9 months 3
9 to 18 months 2
18 to 24 months 1

Note: One nap = 1½ hours

Tips:

– Always put your baby down awake or drowsy
-If he sleeps with a dummy or special object, only give it to him when he goes to sleep
-Set the stage for sleep, i.e. allow 5 minutes of quiet time before putting him down to sleep

True or False

– If my baby sleeps too much during the day he won’t sleep at night. False. Sleep induces sleep
-If my baby doesn’t sleep well during the day he’ll be exhausted by the end of the day and will sleep well at night. False. If a baby hasn’t slept well during the day he’ll be overstimulated, probably hyperalert, and will battle to fall asleep and remain asleep

So moms and dads, no matter the age of your baby, sleep plays a vital role in his life.