Protecting baby’s sleep is important. The entire pediatric world advises him, underlining how the baby in the first months of life should sleep near the mother, in the room with the parents.
The proximity has many advantages: it facilitates nighttime feeding and the care of the newborn, transmits well-being and serenity to mum and baby and fosters their bond. And it is certainly an extra safety factor: according to recent studies, sleeping close by 50% reduces the risk of SIDS, the syndrome of death in the cradle, which can affect the baby during the first year of life.
Here are some tips to sleep well (and sure!). Let’s see them together:
1. Do not let the baby sleep in the bed with you
At least during the first few months of life: it may run the risk of suffocating or overheating. Leave it in its cradle: hook it up or place it next to your bed, so that the baby can feel your presence.
2. Make the baby sleep on his stomach
On a flat, rigid surface, with a well-laid back, avoiding cushions or soft and voluminous materials. Breastfeeding cushions are useful if the baby is awake, but should never be used to make him sleep, either in his crib or in his parents’ bed.
3. Do not over cover the child
Avoid blankets or bulky quilts, do not overheat the room and put the cot or cradle away from windows and radiators.
4. Smoking in environments frequented by the child can hurt his health
Do not be tempted by cigarettes, at least when you are at home and keep the air in the room always fresh and clean.
5. Use the soother: another ally to sleep peacefully
In fact, authoritative studies show that the soother during sleep, both nocturnal and diurnal, provides additional protection against SIDS.
* SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment – Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Pediatrics 2011