According to Healthy Children, babies can sleep up to 16 hours a day. Sleep allows babies to process all that they have observed and experienced while awake. Allowing your baby to spend enough time sleeping is important for her development. Ensure her sleeping habits and sleeping environment are safe and well-suited to her individual needs.
Safety
Your baby's safety while sleeping is just as important as her safety while awake. According to Kids Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends always putting your baby to sleep on her back in order to reduce the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. You should also avoid putting anything soft, such as stuffed animals, blankets and pillows, into your baby's crib or bassinet because they pose a suffocation hazard if your baby rolls over and gets them over her face. Kids Health also recommends removing your baby's mobile once she is able to stand up to prevent strangulation, and to remove anything, such as window blind cords, that is within your baby's reach if she does stand up.
Time
It is important to ensure that your baby spends enough time sleeping during each 24-hour period so that she stays healthy and continues to develop normally. Healthy Children reports that newborn babies sleep for an average of 16 hours each day, 6-month-old babies sleep for a little more than 14 hours each day and 1-year-old babies sleep a little less than 14 hours each day. Your baby may sleep a little less or a little more, but the important thing to remember is that your baby needs quality sleep in order to remain healthy. Several of these hours will be spent napping during the day, and Healthy Children recommends establishing routines to signal to your child that it is nap time so your baby is able to fall asleep and stay asleep. Routines at bedtime are also important, reports Kids Health, so your baby knows it is time to go bed.
Comfort
An uncomfortable baby is unlikely to fall asleep and stay asleep. Kids Health recommends ensuring that your baby's bedroom is not to hot or too cold because this will prevent her from sleeping well. If it is cold, you can use a blanket. Healthy Children suggests the "feet to foot" method. You place your baby in her crib with her feet at the foot of the mattress. Cover her with a blanket and then tuck the blanket underneath the crib mattress to keep her from getting tangled in it. If it is warm, you can put her in light clothing to sleep. Kids Health also recommends leaving your baby's door open so she can hear you as she falls asleep because this can make her more comfortable being away from you. Leaving a light on can also make your baby more comfortable as she falls asleep.
