As any new parent will know, the better your baby sleeps, the better you sleep! Here are some tips to remember to promote a good night's sleep:
- Place your baby on their back
- Do not let anybody smoke in the same room as the baby
- Do not fall asleep with your baby on the sofa
- Keep your baby's cot in your bedroom for the first six months
- Do not share a bed with your baby if you or your partner are smokers, have been drinking alchohol or taking drugs or medication that makes you drowsy or you are excessively tired
- Place your baby in the "feet to foot" position with bedding tucked in and covers no higher than the shoulders
- Do not let your baby get too hot (or too cold)
- Position a room thermometer above the cot and check the room temperature from time to time
- Establish a bedtime routine and keep to it. Baby will eventually understand that after, say, a bath, feed and story that it is time to sleep!
- If you need to attend to your baby in the night, keep lights low and noise down so that baby drops off again quickly.
- Do not use a 2nd hand mattress for a new baby, even if it is only siblings that have used it before. Always buy a new mattress for a new baby.
