Babies sleep a lot. Usually between 12 and 17 hours a day. But for most parents of newborns, it never seems like enough, especially at night.<\/p>\n
More sleep is good for parents \u2014 less exhaustion, forgetfulness, stumbling around like a zombie \u2014 and it\u2019s really good for babies. They need all that sleep to grow and develop.<\/p>\n
For parents who think their baby may not be getting enough sleep, new research suggests encouraging more physical activity with your baby when they\u2019re awake during the day to help them sleep more at night.<\/p>\n
Michigan State University\u2019s Janet Hauck researches how physical activity, such as tummy time, affects babies as they grow and develop. As described in a recent article in MSU Today<\/a>, Hauck\u00a0studied a group of healthy 6-month-olds and found that the babies who got the most sleep at night were significantly more active during the day than the babies who slept less<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That includes those who slept less at night but napped more during the day. The nappers still didn\u2019t get as many hours of total sleep as the better nighttime sleepers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe great news is, we know how to increase physical activity and motor skill development in infancy,\u201d Hauck said. \u201cAnd one of the best, tried-and-true ways is tummy time.\u201d<\/p>\n Tummy time is positioning your baby on their stomach for a few minutes at a time. With your supervision and encouragement, it helps them develop their muscles and motor skills.<\/p>\n “Parents who feel their baby isn\u2019t sleeping enough could promote tummy time during the day to boost their baby\u2019s physical activity level,” Hauck said.<\/p>\nTummy time<\/h2>\n
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