Welcome to your new baby: Sleep and settling your baby and Safe Sleeping

Sleep and settling your baby

(Welcome to your new baby magazines, pages 22 to 24.)

About sleep

Babies need care 24 hours a day. 

Every baby wakes at night, and most babies wake  a few times a night for the first 6 months.

After this, some babies start sleeping a bit longer, especially for the first sleep of the night. 

Most children don't have 'set' night time sleeping patterns until they are 1 or even 2 years old.

One of your biggest challenges will be coping with a lack of sleep. New babies have no idea of day and night, and most will regularly wake around the clock for feeding, comfort and security. 

Babies do not have the same sleep times as an adult

Just like us, different babies have different sleep needs. You’ll get to know your baby’s needs and notice them change as she grows. 

Help your baby develop a day/night pattern

Here are some ways to help your baby learn the difference between day and night: 

• Play with your baby after day feeds by talking to her, showing her things, or giving her some floor time. She won’t stay awake for very long at this stage. 
• Make sure your baby gets plenty of chances to feed during the day. 
• If your baby seems to have very long sleeps during the day, try to gently wake her a little earlier. 
• Don’t have play time during the night – keep feed times quiet, and settle her straight back to sleep. Keep the lights low and don’t change her nappy unless you have to. 
• Settle your baby to sleep during the day in a room that lets in a bit of daylight and some normal household noise. 

Where should babies sleep?

To protect against Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy, the safest place to put your baby to sleep is in a cot next to your bed for the first 6 to 12 months (see below).

Each sleep time, gently turn your baby’s head to a different side. This will prevent your baby developing a flat spot from spending too much time with her head in the same position.

What do babies sleep in?

Only use a standard cot for everyday use, not a portable cot, travel cot or any inflatable plastic cots. Cots must meet the Australian Standard AS/NZS 2172. It is illegal to sell cots (including second hand cots) that do not meet the Standard. Portable cots must meet Australian Standard AS/NZS 2195.

• There are no safety standards for bassinettes, rocking cradles or toddler beds.
• Your baby’s cot or bassinet should be completely empty, except for the cot/bassinet’s mattress and fitted sheet (see page 24).
• Pillows are dangerous for babies and can cause suffocation, either by the baby turning face down and burying his face in the pillow, or by getting his head under the pillow. Your baby doesn’t need a pillow until he moves into a normal bed (usually at 2 to 3 years). 

Make sure that your baby’s face and head are not covered when he’s asleep. Babies shouldn’t wear hats or beanies to go to sleep.

Wrapping your baby and sleeping bags

Wrapping is a safe way to help babies settle and sleep on their back for the first 2 months.  If you wrap your baby:

• Always place your baby on his back.
• Do not cover your baby’s head.
• The wrap should be firm but not too tight.
• Your baby must not share a bed if wrapped.
• The wrap should be muslin or thin cotton as your baby can get quite warm when wrapped. Do not use bunny rugs and blankets as they can cause overheating.
• Make sure he is not overdressed under the wrap.
• Stop wrapping your baby after the 2 months, and well before he begins to roll as the wrap may stop him from rolling back onto his back.
• An alternative to wrapping is a safe infant sleeping bag. The sleeping bag should be the correct size, with a fitted neck, armholes and no hood. Sleeping bags keep your baby warm and there are no blankets to kick off or cover his head. When using a sleeping bag, make sure that your baby is dressed according to room temperature, and don’t use blankets. 

If you are not using a sleeping bag, your baby may wriggle out of his covers, so he needs to be dressed warmly in cold weather. 

Avoid overheating – as a rough guide, your baby needs as many layers of clothes and blankets as you do. 

Ways to settle your baby to sleep

Some babies drift off to sleep very easily after a feed, or while being held, and then stay asleep for an hour or so. Others need help to fall asleep. Some babies can get overtired and quite cranky, so really do benefit from you helping them to wind down and settle. 

Babies can recognise the pattern of how you put them to sleep. 

Start in the early months – try including a breastfeed, bath, massage, story, special music, a bedtime song, rhyme or a special cuddle. Different babies respond to different things, so try several methods. As your baby gets older, develop a consistent way of settling that she can learn to expect and respond to.

Here are some ways to soothe your baby, though they might not work every time or for every baby.

• Recognise your baby’s early tired signs – make sure she’s not overtired before trying to settle. Signs of tiredness include frowning, grizzling, clenching fists and tense, jerky movements. A tired baby does not easily smile or respond to you. She may even turn away from you.
• If your baby is upset, calm her in your arms and wait until she is drowsy before putting her in her cot. 
• Place her on her back and rock or pat her gently, slowing the rate as she calms. Some babies need patting or rocking until they are fully asleep.
• Some babies settle better if wrapped fairly firmly in a thin cotton sheet (see page 22).
• Sucking is very soothing for babies. Try offering a feed if your baby is hard to settle. Some babies like to suck their thumb or finger and others have a dummy. Try not to use a dummy while you are establishing breastfeeding as your baby needs to do plenty of sucking at the breast.
• A very unhappy baby may respond to movement, such as rocking. Try taking your baby for a walk in the pram outside – a walk around the block will help you feel calmer too. If your baby falls asleep in the pram, you can leave her in there, but don’t leave her alone. 
• Many babies respond well to noise, especially if it is rhythmic or repetitive such as a heartbeat or soft 'shhhhing' sounds. Singing a lullaby can help, even if you can’t sing in tune.
• Hold your baby with her body bent forwards into a ‘C’ shape. This stops her from arching back when crying, giving her the chance to calm down. Hold her in the crook of your arm, let her hang over your arm facing the floor, or let her lie over your shoulder. Then try gently patting on her bottom while you sway or bounce. 
• A deep bath and a massage can be very relaxing for a baby and worth making part of your settling routine. Often babies will have a good sleep after a bath. 
• Young babies often move around and make noises while sleeping, but this doesn’t mean they’re awake or unsettled.

If you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, it's OK to put your baby safely in her cot for a few minutes. 

If possible, speak to a friend, a health professional, or call the Parenting Line on (08) 9368 9368.

See ‘Crying and colic’ and ‘Post natal depression’ for more information and help.

Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy 

Sleeping with your baby

Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy, which includes SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), is when babies die suddenly without warning while they are asleep and where no cause can be found. Sleeping a baby in a safe cot next to the parents’ bed for the first 6 to 12 months reduces the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy. 

• There is a risk of death if babies sleep in the same bed with an adult or child. The main cause is when the bedclothes or a pillow covers a baby’s head. Adult bedding is not safe for babies.
• The risk is higher if parents smoke, or have drunk alcohol or used drugs that cause them to sleep more heavily. 
• Do not sleep on a sofa with your baby. It is very easy for a baby to get stuck between the seat and the back and be unable to breathe.
• Wherever your baby sleeps, you need to make sure he is safe. 

Babies spend a large part of their lives sleeping and this is the only time that you’re likely to leave your baby on his own.

• Sleep baby on back.
• Keep head and face uncovered.
• Keep baby smoke free.
• Provide a safe sleeping environment day and night. 
• Sleep baby in a safe cot in parents’ room for the first 6 to 12 months.
• Breastfeed baby.
• Position baby’s feet at the bottom of the cot.
• Use a safe cot that meets the current Australian Standard AS2172.
• Use a safe mattress: firm, clean, flat (not tilted or elevated), right size for the cot.
• Tuck blankets in firmly or use a safe baby sleeping bag.
• Do not use pillows, doonas, soft toys, cot bumpers or lambs wool anywhere in the cot.
• Do not put your baby to sleep on a water bed or bean bag.

Need help or information?

• Visit Red Nose for more information on safe sleeping. 
• Your local child health nurse
• Your family doctor
• Ngala Parenting Helpline (8am–8pm everyday) 9368 9368