Infant sleep question. . .

Poppy · August 6, 2020

from a nonparent. I have no experience with babies beyond listening to my friends moan about getting up with the infant multiple times through the night. It sounds relentless and dreadful really. So, why do parents do it? Is a human baby unable to survive the night alone? Will it actually get sick if it isn't fed and changed throughout the night? I don't quite see why the parents can't just top it off with a bottle before they go to bed, then change its nappy and feed it again first thing in the morning. I'm sure it will cry, but a good fan will block out the noise. I'm sure I've raised a daft set of questions, so you can probably see why I'm asking online under the cloak of anonymity instead of asking one of the parents I know.

Rylan10 · August 7, 2020

When my daughter was born, we were told by the nurses that she had to be given a small amount of milk every 3 hours throughout the night, but that only lasts a few weeks as far as I can remember. All babies are different, and we were lucky in that after a couple of months she would sleep throughout the night. I think a good trick is to put them to bed a bit later than normal so they are really tired!

17 Below Zero · August 7, 2020

from a non-parent. I have no experience with babies [?QUOTE]

That's fairly obvious dear.

Is a human baby unable to survive the night alone?

Barely, but yes. Why take the chance, right?

I'm sure it will cry, but a good fan will block out the noise.

So will a muzzle, but since its not a dog........

I'm asking online under the cloak of anonymity instead of asking one of the parents I know.

Good call. LOL

Babies are brand new to this bodily function things, so they do stinky things and loud things. Leave a diaper on overnight and they get rashes or worse. It isn't life threatening, but it's a baby. Does it need to be a life threatening situation to do something for a baby?

I mean no disrepect ma'am, but please remain a non-parent for the time being. The future babies of the world thank you.

lymmo · August 8, 2020

In the first few months, they keep waking up in the night, but after a while, an infant can enjoy longer hours of sleep. Remember that they are used to being in the womb, so it takes a while to get used to the new environment.

ShadowEdge · August 9, 2020

Some parents do just that, Poppy, and some experts actually support it. They call it sleep training and there's more than one method to pick from. Some of the more extreme sleep training methods force the baby to self-soothe by "allowing" them to cry-it-out, while other methods don't, and even more are in between. I think parents mostly reach for it as a last resort when they're incredibly sleep-deprived and can't continue on.

I'm childfree as well and thankful for it, but I often took care of my sister when she was a baby. When she'd wail as an infant, her little face would get red, tears would stream down her face, and her little nose would start to pour. Since you're supposed to lay babies on their back to sleep, I'd be afraid one might choke on tears and mucus if left unattended all night. Babies will often cry for a long time and it's not like they can wipe their faces or roll over to avoid choking. I'd be afraid to ignore the crying.

Snarky-Guru · August 13, 2020

Babies can get diaper rash and suffer from UTI problems if they sit around in a soiled nappy for ages. I think most parents worry about SIDS too, and would find it hard to sleep through the night without checking on their infant.

Poppy · August 15, 2020

@17 Below Zero, I enjoyed your witty reply. I promise that I would procure a baby book and learn the important stuff before bringing a child forth into the world. I used to want to get married and have children. Then I hit the age where my friends were settling down and raising families - and complaining about it all the time! I don't think I want a husband or children now. Dating works just fine.

@Snarky-Guru, I had forgotten about SIDS. Good point!