Sleeping
The number of hours of sleep required each day is not the same for every baby. It depends on the individual baby and on environmental circumstances. Not all babies require the same amount of sleep, and parents should be aware that each baby establishes his or her own sleeping pattern.
It is immediately noticeable that, as the baby’s age increases, there is also an increasing divergence in the average number of hours of sleep each individual baby requires.
Although newborn babies generally sleep for a total of about twenty hours a day, it is usually for three or four hours at a time, between one nursing and the next. By about six weeks of age, a baby usually begins to sleep for longer periods during the night.
At about six weeks of age a baby begins to need less sleep and to enjoy staying awake for a while after being nursed. At such times, lying on a bed, the baby can be encouraged to use his or her eyes. A colorful mobile is useful for this purpose and can also promote movement and exercise.
It is a mistake to believe a baby can sleep anywhere in any surroundings. Like an adult, a baby prefers quite and undisturbed repose. A baby who is frequently carried about from one place to another, bounced around in the car, bumped in stores, or awakened by loud noises in unfamiliar surroundings can develop lifelong sleep problems.
