Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-30
b. ANNA STEESEIR RICHARDSON
No 8.
SLEEP

The healthy baby is "a sleepy baby. When a baby
does not want to sleep, when it is restless and wake
full, one Of two conditions exists; either it has been
spoiled and actually trained to be wakeful by d
thoughtless mother, or it is in need Of medical care.
A baby comes into the world sleepy. If weW
and left to his own devices, he sleeps twenty-five
hours out of every twentyfour during the first few
weeks of his life. The mother who interrupts his
slumber to cuddle him or show him off is endangertng
his health, and her future peace of mind.
Take a lesson from puppies and kittens. phey
sleep day and night. Tie wise motherdogs andscats
do not touch or disturb the newborn pets, and yet
she will permit family and friends to break insMpon
the slumber Of the newborn baby Of the household.
Directly a baby has been ushered into the world,
washed dressed and fed, it goes to sleep. Unless
reused for feeding, it Is apt to sleep many hours This
is Natures warning to mothers that new borndbabies,
need just three things, warmth, food, sleep. And for
the future good Of the household, the greatest of
these is sleep and the habit of sleeping. When a
newborn baby is permitted to sleep and trained to
sleep. the family and household routine isanot dis
turbed.
The healthy baby starts life by sleeping three
hours, and then waking to be fed. If the tQNality OF
the breast milk or bottle milk fed him is sustaining
and satisfying, the three-hour interval ia correct.
If the milk is not quite heavy enough, he may wake
at intervals OF two hours and a half, but no baby
should be fed oftener than once in two hours. If he
does not sleep in stretches of two hours. there is
something wrong with his general health tor the quail
ity of the milk he takes.
For two or three months the baby varies this mon
otony of eating and sleeping only by an enforced daily
bath and an occasional crying spell. Some babies
drop right off to sleep after being fed; Others Cry a
little. Moderate crying does not hurt a baby nor
indicate a serious condition. 1t is about the only
form of exercise he has, and, in moderation, is good
for his lungs. But if his sleep is badly broken and
his crying is shrill and prolonged, his digestion is
probably at fault.
If the baby wakes up inside of two hours, and
there is no evidence of ill-health or discomfort, the
mother should let him wait, even if he cries until
the two.hour limit is up. This period ishe can grad
ualy increase to two hours and a half, and then to
three hours.s The healthy baby is easily trained.
OF courseJa dimpled, rosy baby is:a great tempta-
ton to the mother, especially while she is lying rest
fully in bed, with a nurse in Attendance. 1t is so
delightful to snuggle the baby against her, to cuddle
his tiny fists, to smooth his soft'cheek, his silky
hair. But, just the same, every time Baby's sleep is
interrupted by these maternal ~psttings, Mother is
laying foundations for future trouble. When she is
up and about, with no nurse to relieve her, and
household duties to perform, she will wish that she
had trained baby to sleep to the limit of his desires
and inclinations.
At the third month, the baby bsgins to take notice
of what goes on around him and will lie awake a
little longer between maps. If uldisturbed, however,
he will soon drop off asleep of his own sweet will.
At six months he sleeps fronlP6 o'clock to 600,
straight through the night, with Just one feeding at