The best infant and toddler health and nutrition practices start as early as you begin to bottle feed your baby. Creating a baby on solids at a very early age has long been considered the “bad” way to provide a baby because of possible digestive problems and the long time to digest formula. In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of parents switching to a breast milk-based infant formula, and this trend is not likely to reverse itself. Bottled milk can be hard to digest for babies and often has very little nutritional value, especially compared with the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats found in breast milk. One of the critical factors in promoting infant and toddler health is breastfeeding, which has the benefit of being even more economical and offers more robust infant health protection than bottle feeding. Research also shows that exclusively breastfed babies have higher IQs, are less aggressive, and have lower healthcare costs than bottle-fed ones.
In some less-developed countries such as Mexico and Thailand, breast-fed infants have a shorter life span, especially if they were born to mothers who were not exposed to breastfeeding. Other research indicates that breastfed infants for only one year or less are at higher risk of suffering from severe obesity within five years after birth. This is due to their lack of exposure to breastfeeding and the poor nutritional value of the formula in these less-developed countries. It has also been shown that breastfeeding can help babies grow up with a more robust immune system to help them fight off infection and have a lower likelihood of developing illnesses such as autism and allergies. Parents need to go with the habit of fixing a proper sleep schedule for their infants.
One of the greatest dangers for infants in less-developed countries is ear infections. These infections can lead to long-term hearing and sight problems, and studies show that babies who suffer from frequent ear infections have a greater chance of suffering from deafness in their childhood. In these less-developed countries, it is widespread for babies to suffer from ear infections before two. Ear infections can lead to even worse medical complications in infants, such as pneumonia, brain abscesses, and ear mites which can cause infection to the brain and lungs.
Helping Your Baby Sleep Throughout The Night
Making a baby sleep through the night without waking up is a question many new parents ask. When a baby is born, its body is completely inactive during the whole night. They may not even wake up at all if they were surrounded for nine months. The question is how to get your baby to sleep at night. Here are some tips:
- Introduce your baby to going to bed and waking up before six months by making them familiar with going to sleep and waking up at night. This can be done by having them sleep in their crib or baby bed and by giving them a regular pacifier at night. Having your baby familiar with the sound of their bedtime routine can help him or she understand that it’s time to get ready for bed.
- A word of caution, though, when it comes to transitioning your baby from being partially asleep to fully asleep, do not do it before they have already fallen asleep on their own. This can be dangerous because your child may become too dependent on you. So, while it is always best to get your baby used to sleep by themselves, it is always best to start before that point.
- Enroll your baby in a nap setting when they are a toddler. Many babies are comfortable lying down until they are tired or when they have had a nap. While some toddlers prefer to remain awake and play, many will settle back into their bedtime routine after they’ve had a rest. Your baby can fall asleep sitting on your chest, on your arm, or in a baby carrier. Some babies cry for you to hold them, and some don’t care. Either way, get them into a nap setting before you go to bed. It would help if you also used the most comforters and duvets for your kids. It will help if you are looking for the proper dimensions of duvets and comforters for your kids.
- When your baby has gotten used to being asleep in their sleep setting, continue to do the same thing every night. Pick them up at an appropriate time (without upsetting your baby) and place them on your chest or in a baby carrier. Take them in a comfortable direction so that their head isn’t pointed toward anything. Continue doing this until your baby is relatively sleepy. Once your baby is asleep, fall back into bed with your baby. If you had your baby in a carrier or on your chest, your baby would fall asleep watching you.
- Repeat the bedtime routine every day, beginning at about one month of age. As your baby grows, continue with the same bedtime routine, but don’t do it in the mornings. Go to bed simultaneously, read to your baby, and feed them (feeding times vary depending on your baby’s needs and the amount of milk you’re feeding). Continue this pattern every day until they can go to sleep without assistance.
- Most importantly, how to make a baby sleep through the night is to get your baby to fall asleep on their own. There are several ways to encourage this. A great way to get your baby to sleep is to get on your hands and knees and gently rock yourself in place while singing out loud, singing songs, or whispering to your baby. This will help your baby learn to fall asleep on its own.
Conclusion
How to make a baby sleep through the night is the best start in teaching your baby to have a good, restful night of sleep. If you are having problems, your pediatrician may be able to help you with prescription drugs or other solutions to help you get your baby to sleep. Your baby will thank you!
