Apr 29 2008
“Sleeping Like a Baby”
This timeworn phrase is reinforced whenever we behold a baby in deep, relaxed sleep. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could sleep like that?
Well, not exactly.
During the first three months of life, a baby’s sleeping patterns are quite different from those she will experience the rest of her life. A newborn sleeps anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours every day, but this is not unbroken slumber. Her small stomach capacity and her round-the-clock need for nutrients to fuel her rapid growth essentially guarantee that her life will consist of ongoing three- or four-hour cycles of feeding, wakefulness, and sleep. Like it or not, two or three feedings will be on the nighttime agenda for the first several weeks. Continue Reading »
