Adapted from Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep by Dr. Jodi Mindell and content from the baby care experts at JOHNSON'S®
When you have a new baby, you may start to wonder who invented the phrase sleeping like a baby, after you realize your newborn has no intention of sleeping more than four hours at a time. During the first weeks, you should respond to your newborn quickly ? in about 30 seconds to a minute. Most newborns are unable to settle themselves back down.
Your newborn baby may awaken for many reasons, but most often because he is hungry or needs to be changed. As you get to know your baby, you'll know when and how quickly to respond.*
* Sleeping Through the Night - How Infants, Toddlers and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night's Sleep, by Dr. Jodi Mindell. (HarperCollins Publishers, 2005)
Sleep Safety
To lessen the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) always put your baby down to sleep on his back, not his tummy. A baby should sleep on a firm mattress, with no fluffy or loose bedding, no stuffed animals and no pillow.*
* American Academy of Pediatrics
Getting Baby to Sleep - Establish a Before-bed Routine
Babies are comforted by routines. You may wish to begin to establish a before-bed routine even at this tender age. For example, try regularly giving your newborn a warm bath, a feeding or a rocking session before bed. Also, a gentle, soothing massage can help to relax your newborn for easier sleep. You can use JOHNSON'S® baby products as part of your bathtime and baby massage routine. A nightly routine that includes a warm bath with JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME BATH®, a baby massage with JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME LOTION®, and quiet time is clinically proven to help babies fall asleep easier and sleep through the night better. The products are formulated with NATURALCALM™, a unique blend of patent pending essences that has been tested and proven to have relaxing properties.
