Baby health guide
Healthy sleep
In the first weeks and months of life, your baby will learn to adjust to the day-night cycle and develop regular sleeping and eating times.
The need for sleep can vary considerably from child to child. As with us adults, there are also "long sleepers" and "short sleepers" in babies.
There are babies who only need ten to twelve hours of sleep, while others sleep up to 20 hours.
Sleep recommendations for the 1st year of life:
Experience shows that the current sleep recommendations are the right way to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
- Always lay your baby on its back to sleep. The side sleeping position is not recommended because the baby could turn onto its stomach during sleep.
- Make sure that there is no smoking at least in the bedroom - a complete ban is even better.
- If possible, put your baby in its own bed in your bedroom.
- The bedding should be spartan:
- Sleeping bags are preferable
- If you do use a duvet, please fold it under the mattress at the foot end - the child should only be covered up to the chest
- use a mattress for the cot that is not too soft
- Do not give your baby a pillow.
- The room temperature should be around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius when sleeping.
Precaution
An important prerequisite for healthy and restful sleep is that your child is healthy all round.
The best way to make sure that your child is developing in a healthy and age-appropriate manner is to regularly attend the U1 to U9 screening examinations. >>more