Waking a Sleepy Baby
Why Wake a Sleeping Baby
Babies are often sleepy during the first week or so, but newborns need to eat eight or more times in every 24 hours. Due to their sleepiness in these first days, they may not awaken often enough to feed. Sometimes once the feeding has begun, they may fall asleep again. Consult your child's provider or one of the lactation consultants available with Lee Health to help you understand when to wake your baby for feedings.
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Breastfeeding Support
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How do I wake a sleepy baby?
Here are a few suggestions for waking your baby. Some work better on certain babies than others. When one stops working try another.
- Undress the baby to his diaper to cool him off slightly
- Rub and massage the baby in various spots:
- Top of head
- Bottom of the feet
- Up and down the spine
- Across the belly
- Up and down the arm
- Change position of the baby from cradle hold to football hold and back again
- Change the baby's diaper
- Talk to the baby
- Try adjusting room lights up for stimulation or down so the baby can comfortably open his eyes
- Apply a cool washcloth to the baby's head, stomach or back. Do not let the baby become chilled. Premature infants chill more easily than term infants.
