Baby is breastfeeding and sleeping
Release time : 03/09/2025 09:30:01
Did the baby fall asleep while sucking? I'm afraid many mothers have encountered this situation, especially newborn babies.
In fact, many babies exhibit the habit of sleeping while nursing. Often, they start snoring even before they have taken a few sips of milk.
There are two main reasons why babies sleep while feeding. The first is physiological drowsiness, and the second is pathological drowsiness.
Babies who are overly sleepy due to various reasons also require different measures to address.
Why does my baby fall asleep while breastfeeding? Some babies often fall asleep during feeding. New mothers often find this a very concerning issue. In fact, falling asleep while breastfeeding is a common problem for many mothers. Don't worry too much about it.
It is a common occurrence that babies fall asleep while nursing. It's not a completely quiet sleep, as they wake up easily when the nipple or breast are removed from their mouths.
Generally speaking, the newborn's brain cortex is excitable and the process of neural activity is weakened, so it is easy to be tired and enter a state of sleep.
The younger you are, the more time and frequency you sleep. This is why we often see newborns sleeping for basically 20 to 22 hours a day, except for feeding, diaper changing, and bathing.
As we grow older, the cerebral cortex develops, excitatory activity increases, and the sleep time required gradually shortens.
Therefore, babies usually sleep when feeding on milk usually occurs in younger babies.
Nursing is a labor for the baby. In addition, the baby is snuggled in her mother's arms during nursing, and the environment is warm and comfortable, making it easier to fall asleep.
Mothers don't have to worry too much about this phenomenon, but they need to know that after all, sleepiness is not a good habit, so it is still necessary to improve the baby's easy to fall asleep during nursing through the right way.
There are two main reasons why a baby sleeps after feeding, which are divided into physiological drowsiness and pathological drowsiness.
The two situations lead to different responses to the baby's feeding and sleeping.
What exactly are physiological sleepiness and pathological sleepiness? As new parents, the first thing you must understand is your baby's physiological functions and sleep patterns.
Babies aged 1-3 months need 18-20 hours to sleep a day;4-6 months old, 16-18 hours to sleep a day;7-9 months old, 14-16 hours to sleep a day;10-12 months old, 1 - 3 -15 hours to sleep a day.
If you can't master your baby's daily sleep pattern and feed your baby when she is sleepy, the baby will fall asleep easily.
In addition, any disease that can cause a decrease in central nervous system excitability can cause children to eat less milk and become sleepy.
Therefore, parents also need to pay attention to whether the baby falls asleep easily after feeding due to pathological reasons.
In addition to observing the baby's sleep patterns, it is also necessary to observe other physical abnormalities in the baby, whether the developmental status and mental state are good.
If there are no other abnormalities aside from feeding and sleeping, then one generally does not consider it a disease-induced dependency on food or sleep.
The harm of baby sleeping and eating while breastfeeding is not serious, but it is also a very bad habit.
Mothers should take measures to correct this phenomenon as soon as possible when they notice it in their baby.
The harm of feeding and sleeping while breastfeeding is also not small, especially for newborns need to be vigilant.
Babies who nurse and sleep may suffer the following negative effects: 1. This can lead to dental caries in the primary teeth. Since the secretion of saliva during sleep reduces the oral cleaning function, and since breast milk remains in the mouth for an extended period, it can destroy the structure of the primary teeth.
To avoid such sequelae, one can let the baby suck on a warm water bottle after breastfeeding and then clean the mouth with a little bit of warm water.
2. When babies are easily choking due to their inability to protect the airway when they are unconscious, the assistance of the oropharyngeal muscles is insufficient, which cannot effectively protect the airway opening and can lead to milk entering and causing a risk of choking.
3. Influenced by baby's appetite, as the milk in the stomach is gulped in during a drowsy state, and there is no sense of hunger when the baby is awake, they may not be interested in food. This can lead to an increased tendency to reject milk.
4. Develop a passive mental state; humans seek out things because they have needs, and hunger drives them to eat. Similarly, babies need to be hungry to develop better appetites.
If it is easy to fall asleep every time you eat milk, your baby will be passive in this process. Such a habit will naturally be detrimental to the baby over time.
What should I do if my baby sleeps while feeding? In fact, when nursing in the mother's arms, the baby will indeed enjoy a good sleeping environment and therefore fall asleep easily.
But sleep at this time is often not completely quiet sleep, and the mother can easily wake up the baby.
What should I do if my baby sleeps while feeding? Simply put, when you pull out the nipple or pacifier, the baby will wake up naturally.
But from a more scientific perspective, babies need to be treated differently according to different circumstances.
During the neonatal period, the baby fell asleep after taking a few bites, and may eat again after a while.
In such situations, mothers need to be patient. Once the baby falls asleep, put them down; when they wake up and have a demand for feeding, feed them again.
It is imperative not to place the nipple in the mouth, to prevent the milk from entering the trachea and developing negative sucking habits.
If the baby is slightly sleeping, do not forcefully shake the baby to breastfeed. Breastfeeding should be based on need.
If the mother feels that the baby has stopped sucking, she gently moves the nipple or turns the nipple, and the baby will continue sucking again, so she can continue feeding.
When necessary, mother can also lightly pinch the baby's earlobe or pat his cheeks and feet to give him some awakening stimulation, extending the period of excitement and ensuring that he gets enough milk.
How to Avoid Babies Sleeping While Eating? Obviously, babies sleeping while eating is harmful to their bodies, so mothers must learn how to correct this bad habit.
How to Avoid Babies Snoring While Sleeping? The Method Is Really Simple! 1. Understand the Baby's Sleep Routine, Feed When Appropriate Some mothers do not know the baby's sleep and feeding habits, even when the baby is sleeping, they forcefully shake awake to feed, or when the baby is full, they forcefully feed them. These are bad behaviors.
If the baby only falls asleep during feeding, you can gently move the breast cup to ensure the baby gets enough milk before he/she falls back asleep. This helps establish good feeding habits.
2. The size of the nipple hole should be appropriate for breastfeeding.
In order to prevent their babies from choking, some mothers choose to feed them with special holes. This will make the baby spend a lot of effort to eat a little bit of milk, so he will fall asleep when he is "exhausted".
Therefore, the mother needs to check if the size of the teat hole is suitable. When you tilt the bottle over, milk drips out drop by drop from the teat hole, indicating that the size is appropriate.
3. Don't fall asleep while feeding. Sometimes during the feeding process, especially at night, the mother falls asleep while feeding, and the baby will soon fall asleep with the nipple in his mouth! In this way, the baby will lack the constant stimulation of sucking during feeding. Over time, the baby will easily form conditioned reflexes and fall asleep after taking a few sips of milk.
Moms should avoid such situations and pay attention to feeding techniques, so as to establish good habits for babies.
The medical part covered in this article is for reading and reference only.
If you feel unwell, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately, and the medical diagnosis and treatment will be subject to offline diagnosis.