Sleeping Conditions Sleeping Conditions Swaddling the Baby Babies may sleep up to 23 hours a day during the first month after birth. Their need for sleep then gradually decreases. For safety and comfort, a baby should sleep in a specially designed crib.
Most cribs have sides with bars that can be lowered and raised by an adult.
Any wider and the baby's head could become entrapped. Babies should be kept covered in their cribs to avoid chills. Most infants like to turn their heads toward the lightest part of the room. But a baby's head may become flat- tened on one side if it is always turned in the same direction. To avoid this problem, babies should be turned head to foot at every other bedtime.