Schedule and routines
Routines are difficult to establish with a new baby. You may feel as if your life revolves around the insatiable needs of your baby.
- Babies are individuals with their own temperaments.
- Babies younger than six months are not usually on a consistent schedule.
- The newborn sleeps 9–18 hours a day, with 6–8 sleep periods. The sleep and awake-alert periods will increase slowly. Click here to learn more about the six states of sleep and wakefulness.
- Discourage sleep of more than four hours during the day, to encourage longer sleep at night.
- Try to guide your baby into a reasonable schedule that suits the needs of the whole family.
- Breast milk is more easily digested than formula, which often results in shorter sleep periods between feeds.
- Successful breastfeeding and a good milk supply are enhanced by demand- feeding.
- Demand-feed until your milk is fully established.
Day/night routine
- Let your baby sleep where all the action is during the day – Do not close curtains, etc.
- To encourage your baby to sleep longer at night:
– Feed her promptly when she cries.
– Do not talk
– just do what you have to do.
– Do not turn lights on.
– Do not play with her.
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