Your infant's sleep habits will certainly affect your lifestyle, so you will probably want to do what you can to influence his or her sleeping patterns. Bear in mind that a newborn has no concept of night or day and can eat only enough to satisfy hunger for 3 or 4 hours at a time. This means that round-the-clock feedings are going to be the rule for at least a few weeks. However, you can teach baby that nighttime is for sleeping by practicing the following guidelines:

Establishing nighttime sleeping patterns

• Most babies will sleep just about anywhere when they are tired, but do your best to avoid bright lights and loud noises around your sleeping child.
  
  
• When baby awakes at night, avoid overstimulating him or her. Keep the lights low while you feed and/or diaper baby, and put him or her right down to sleep when you are finished. Avoid playing.
  
  
• If baby tends to awake too early, consider putting heavy shades in his or her room to block the morning sun.
  
  
• Keep baby awake as much as possible during the day. If baby is napping more than 3 or 4 hours in the late afternoon, wake up him or her for a period of play.
  
  
• If baby is breastfeeding, you might try extending the feeding period before bedtime to prevent awaking due to hunger.
  
  
• As baby gets older and can take in more food at a feeding, he or she will probably sleep through the night.
  
  
• If baby isn't sleeping through the night by 3 months of age, engage him or her in active play during the late afternoon and early evening.
  

Helping baby get back to sleep

• Gentle, continuous stimulation will often coax a baby back to sleep. Try patting, rocking, or walking baby.
  
  
• If baby is just squirming or fussing, don't make the mistake of thinking he or she is wide awake. These activities may just signal a period of light sleep.
  
  
• If baby does awaken and starts to cry, remember that even 15 to 20 minutes of crying won't hurt him or her. Just be certain that the crying isn't due to hunger, pain, or wetness.

Remember that the first few weeks are the hardest. As mentioned, many babies will start to sleep through the night by the age of 3 months. It's also common for babies to have periods of very good sleep followed by periods of poor sleep. This can be due to growth spurts that increase food needs or, in an older baby, teething problems.

For more information about your infant's sleep habits, talk to your health care professional.

Keeping baby safe during sleep

• Child care experts recommend that infants be put to sleep on the back or side, rather than on the stomach.
  
  
• This recommendation may not apply if your infant was born prematurely, tends to vomit excessively, or has any health condition that could make him or her susceptible to airway blockage. Check with your health care professional if your child falls into any of these categories.