There are few things more concerning to parents than SIDS and the possibility that their baby might just stop breathing. New parents frequently check their baby’s breathing during sleep and it’s not uncommon to hear a parent say they just wanted to make sure the baby was “still breathing.” This is a normal reaction for a parent and not totally unwarranted. Luckily, there are things parents can do to reduce the risk of SIDS and ensure their baby is sleeping in a safe environment with low risk factors.

No Blankets

As much as you want to wrap your baby up in a blanket, avoid this risk! You can keep baby plenty warm in pajamas and by setting the temperature around 68 degrees. Your baby may be small but they are comfortable in the same amount of clothes you are. Try to resist the urge to over bundle baby with blankets.

Firm Mattress

Babies who sleep in cribs should have very firm mattresses. This is very important and old, used mattresses that are not sufficiently firm should be avoided. Don’t use any mattress that could put your baby at risk.

Safe Sleeping Environment

Make sure your baby is sleeping in a safe place. That means if he is on a grown up bed, ensure there are bed rails, pillows, or something that will keep baby from falling. A good idea is to place the mattress on the floor if baby will be co-sleeping. Do not use pillows, blankets, toys, or anything that could suffocate baby. Avoid anything that could strangle baby, too, like blind cords and the like.

Back to Sleep

Always place your baby on his back to sleep. Many babies prefer to sleep on their stomachs; however the risk of SIDS for stomach sleeping is 10 to 15 times higher than back sleeping. Because of this parents should be vigilant about placing baby on his back to sleep.

These are just a few tips to help you keep baby safe while sleeping. Follow them and you will reduce the chance of something happening to your baby significantly.

If you have a newborn then you are certainly looking for the most information to help you keep baby safe and developing properly. One thing you will want to focus on is safe infant sleep positions. The reason it is so important for babies to sleep in a recommended position, i.e. on their backs, is because studies have shown that babies that sleep on their backs have a 10 to 15 times reduction in dying from SIDS. Reducing this risk factor is huge and parents should ensure that baby only sleeps on his back.

Some parents argue that their baby doesn’t like to sleep on his back or that he gets better sleep on his stomach. That may be true because many babies find that stomach sleeping is more comfortable. However, it is not safe and not recommended. Another argument is that stomach was actually recommended by pediatricians 20 to 30 years ago. That is true and many parents followed this advice. However, despite the fact that many children survived does not make up for the fact that some babies didn’t. There is no arguing the research and facts that infants are safer sleeping on their backs so simply make it happen for your little one.

There are various places for your baby to sleep. This could be in a bed, crib, cot, bassinet, sidecar arrangement, swing, and others. Make sure wherever your baby sleeps that he is on his back and that there is nothing that could strangle or suffocate him. If your baby has acid reflux or any other problems that makes back sleeping incredibly difficult for your infant or impossible then you should speak with your pediatrician about the safest sleeping options.

Ensuring a safe sleeping environment for baby is of utmost importance and parents should work hard to ensure that baby is safe.

Infants need a lot of sleep to help them develop and mature. When a newborn comes home from the hospital parents should expect them to sleep 16 to 18 hours per day in stretches of 30 minutes up to three hours. Babies wake up a lot to be fed, changed, or cuddled. New parents are unaware of the sleep schedule their new baby will be on and have no idea what to anticipate. However, babies will sleep off and on throughout the day and night for the first six weeks or so of life. This is an important time in an infant’s life because they are developing their central nervous system, which will eventually let them sleep for longer stretches when fully matured.

Sleep is an important time for infants to mature neurologically. When born, an infant’s brain is not completely developed and during sleep the brain begins to develop over time. Even if your baby is not sleeping all night long the brain will begin to develop and mature. By the time your baby is 6 months old he will be sleeping approximately 12 hours at night and napping about three to four hours during the day. The first few months are difficult because babies are not able to regulate how much they sleep or when they sleep, they simply sleep.

The most important thing parents of a newborn can do is allow their infant to get enough sleep and respond to them as soon as they cry. You cannot spoil an infant less than six months of age and sleep training at this age is not an option because your baby needs you. Sleep training may be convenient for parents who need sleep to function, however what’s best for the baby is to be held, cuddled, and loved no matter what time of the day it is. Parents who need more sleep than their infant is allowing them should consider napping during the day, alternating nights, hiring a part time caregiver, or asking friends and family members for help.

Ask any parent what temperature their baby’s room should be and they will probably say a number in the 72-75 degree range. However, this is actually quite warm for a baby’s room and not only do baby’s sleep better in cooler temperatures, but they are also at a lower risk for SIDS by sleeping in a room that is between 61º F and 68º F. Babies should never be placed in a room with space heaters that are close to their crib and hot water bottles, electric blankets, or other heating devices should not be used in baby’s crib. Shockingly to many parents, overheating is considered to be one of the major issues with SIDS so it is preferable for baby’s room to be a little too cool than too warm. If a lightly clothed adult is comfortable then the room is an appropriate temperature for baby to sleep.

Dressing Baby for Bed

Dressing baby for bed should take several things into consideration including temperature, strangulation, and flammability. That means clothing should be tight fitting and made of non flammable fabric. Loose fitting pajamas are not recommended because they could suffocate baby not to mention catch fire more easily.

Thermometer

Consider hanging a thermometer in your baby’s room to gauge the temperature. Sometimes what the thermostat is set on is not the temperature in every room in the house. That way you can tell if your baby’s room is cooler or hotter than the thermostat and can adjust the temperature accordingly.

Keep in mind, too, that if your baby is sweating there is probably a reason for it. Take off a layer of clothing or a blanket and see if he is more comfortable. Remember, too, that if baby is hot the only way he can express this is by crying. Don’t always think that crying means your baby is hungry or tired.

New parents often wonder how long they should let their baby cry at night before picking her up. There is the idea that responding immediately will spoil the child and the idea of letting an infant cry helplessly for her mother is heartbreaking and difficult for any parent to enforce. So, what’s right and how long is enough to leave an infant crying helplessly? There are actually quite a few different methods that experts propose to help with this situation and they range in extremes.

For example, there is the “cry it out” method that simply lets baby cry by herself with mom or dad periodically checking in to offer comfort but never picking the baby up. This particular method recommends that the parents extend the amount of time between each visit to baby so baby is alone for progressively longer periods of time until she finally learns to sleep on her own.

Then, there is the approach that infants need instant reassurance and letting them cry until they give up causes psychological damage and can actually cause baby to lose trust in his parents. Some parents find the idea of lettering their newborn cry helplessly unacceptable and will pick their baby up immediately.

You can’t spoil an infant under six months old by holding him or picking him up at the very first whimper. In fact, this can actually create a stronger relationship between mom and baby that will allow baby to become more independent faster due to his confidence that mom will always be there.

So, the answer to your question about how long you should let baby cry at night is this: however long you are comfortable with. If you can’t stand to let your baby cry for more than five seconds then pick her up right away and offer comfort. If you prescribe to the idea that baby’s should be more independent and learn to self soothe and can handle listening to baby cry helplessly for extended periods of time then you may want to try the Ferber method. Every family is different and has different needs. As a result, parents should use the method that works best for them and their child.