Sleep
During those first 6 weeks babies need a lot of sleep! Most babies don't sleep longer than 2~4 hours at a time & can be a wake for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. A bedtime would be around 9.30~11pm. As the weeks pass the time a wake increases & the settling for bedtime can slowly move too. In the first year babies sleep upto 18 hours a day.
Over stimulation through the day can result in baby having too little sleep, or sleeping when they would be feeding due to being over tired. Babies need feeding when they need it in those early weeks~which is generally often as they only have tiny tummies. When overtired baby becomes more difficult to settle.
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How Baby Massage Can Help
Introducing a gentle, warming massage as part of a bedtime routine can help to calm & relax both baby & parent.
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Massage as part of a betime routine can help with the transtion to being more awake during the day & sleeping longer at night.
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Babies who are regularly massaged in the evening are found to produce higher levels of Melotonin, which is the sleepy hormone.
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levels of the stress hormone Cortisol are lowered, therefore baby relaxes enabling baby to settle calmer.
