Sleep, Bathing, and Massage

• Babies spend 23 hours sleeping. 
• 1 year olds need naps and 12 hours of sleep. 
• 2 year olds only meed 1 nap in the afternoon. 
• Quanitity and quality of sleep are important. 
• Sleep affects all aspects of life. 
• Understanding why we sleep is the first step in developing baby sleeping habits. 
• According to Davis, Parker, and Montgomery (Martin and Berke, 2007), sleep can be defined as quiet, active, and intermediate. 
• Quiet sleep or Non-Rem has small muscle movement and ryhtmic breathing cycles. 
• Active sleep or Rapid eye movement has sucking motions, twitches, and smiles.
• Intermediate sleep cannot be defined as neither active nor quiet sleep.
• To put baby to sleep, there must be:

  Calming movement

  Gentle sound

  Feeling of security

  Full tummy

  Soothing smells
• Baby was lulled in the womb by the movement of the mother.
• Baby was used to hear quiet sounds in the womb like mother's heartbeat, rumbling of stomach, and voice.
• Baby was used to curled up in light space.
• Big crib might make baby feel insecure.
• If baby sleeps before having full stomach, change the position, tickle the toes, and rouse it.
• Baby finds mother's scent comforting. She can put a hankie on her shirt for a while then put it in the crib.
• Baby must be put to bed awake so it learns how to sleep by itself.
• When baby is sleepy, put it in crib on its back.
• If baby cries before sleeping, don't go to it for a few minutes.
• If baby cries, go to it after a few minutes then stroke it, but don't pick it up right away so it doesn't become dependent.
• When baby is calm, leave. But if it cries again, don't go back longer than last time then calm it again.
• If baby cries at night due to pain or discomfort, repeat the visiting cycle of leaving and going back after a while.
• Close windows before baby's daily bath on cold weather.
• If you have no bathing table, use a clean mat spread on a clean floor.
• Put basin with lukewarm water in front with soap, face towel, and cotton balls on the right.
• Steps in bathing baby


  1. Wash face with face towel

  2. Remove clothes and wrap with bath towel

  3. Rest back baby head on left palm and press thumb and middle finger to slightly folded ears

  4. Kneel to support baby buttocks on lap and left arm supporting body

  5. Right hand soaps the hair, rinse, and pat dry

  6. Lay baby on mat, unwrap towel and soap the body

  7. Put right hand under buttocks to get the left thigh

  8. Put baby in basin

  9. Wrap the baby

  10. If baby is girl, dip cotton ball on cooled boiled water and pass it lightly using a downward stroke through the vaginal opening

  11. Genital organs must be cleaned every after urination and bowel movement

  12. Clothe the baby and put diapers
• Gentle touch signifies love and affection.
• Choose a quiet warm spot and rub oil on hands to start a massage.
• Sleep patterns are consistent on babies and children of same stage of development.
• Give sponge bath when umbilical cord is still attached.
• Give tub bath only if umbilical cord is dried and peeled off.