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Sleeping patterns in the first year of a babies life are forever changing.
During the first year babies sleep patterns will change conciderably. These changes are dictated by their growth, age, and outside stimuation. All babies are different. They all have different growth rates, and each baby is brought
up in different environments. A majority of babies seem to keep good sleep patterns, some have sleep patterns all over the place. Some babies sleep heavy, nothing wakes them and some babies sleep light and are constantly waking up. Illnesses, colic, teething, seperation from parents, changing their environment such as moving buby into a new house/room/bed can change their sleep patterns.New stimultions and situations, when they get their needles ect. An insecure baby will have bad sleeping habits. I'm sure if I sat here long enough I could think of hundreds of things that can influence a babies sleep patterns.
So it's safe to say that since every baby is different, then getting them settled into routined sleep patterns are going to differ for many babies. The trick is to try and try again! Don't give up, try new things. It is a year of learning for both mother and baby. There is no wrong or right ways to settle a baby, just the ways that work!
In many countries babies are kept close to their mothers body for warmth, security, practicality and easy access to feeding for up to 2yrs. This is done by using a wrap type sling that hold buby close to mother. Mothers go about their daily chores/work whilst buby peacefully sleeps contented close to her. New borns definately need to feel the closness of their mothers, and to hear mothers heartbeat and to feel her warmth. As a new born baby grows it's need for that security gets less and less. It's a natural gentle process of weining, over a period of approx 2yrs into the toddler stage. Each month your baby grows, bringing with it constant changes in their feeding, sleeping and awake hours. Sleepless nights are unfortunately part and parcel of mother hood.
In the early 19th century in England, behavoural scientist did a study on babies in a orphanage. They studied the affect of basic needs verses nurturing, In other words they wanted to find out if lack of affection and interaction had an effect on babies growth. The experiment went for 6mths.
20 babies were used in the experiment. Group A: 10 babies , were given no more then the basic needs of survival. Food, toiletry, bathing ect by a group of nurses who were under strick rules that there was to be no interaction with the babies other then their needs. Group A babies were cribbed in a sterile hospital environment. The other Group B: 10 babies were cared for by three serogate mothers, who not only took care of their basic needs but also provided security, warmth, cuddles, play time and motherly interaction in a more homely environment. They was housed with the babies.
At the end of the experiment Group A babies were smaller in body size and weight and were less responsive to stimuli then the group B babies, They were uninterested in the goings on around them where group B babies were alert and inquisitive. Group A babies were more susceptable to colds and were pale and unhealthy in their general health. For healthy developement babies do need interaction and stimulus of a motherly nature.
(October 2006) (
