It is not necessary to wake a baby for feedings unless you have been advised to do so by your baby s physician. However, do not let a newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks. Some premature babies need more frequent feedings and must be awakened to eat. Watch for changes in your baby s sleep pattern. If your baby has been sleeping consistently, and suddenly is waking, there may be a problem such as an ear infection.
Some sleep disturbances are simply due to changes in development or because of overstimulation.
Never put a baby to bed with a bottle propped for feeding. This is a dangerous practice that can lead to ear infections and choking. Babies, like adults, have various stages and depths of sleep. Depending on the stage, the baby may actively move or lie very still. Infant sleep patterns begin forming during the last months of pregnancy - active sleep first, then quiet sleep by about the eighth month.