Babies sleep better in Cots

Babies and sleep

Babies are all different. Even from a young age some babies will require more sleep than others.

They will also have different sleep patterns. Some will like frequent naps whilst others will sleep for longer periods. A lot will depend upon how hungry they are, or whether or not they are teething.

Some mothers like to sleep with their baby because they think that it helps bonding. It can also be more convenient if breast feeding is required in the middle of the night. Co-sleeping, or sleep sharing, can, however, be difficult for the adults (mother and father) who may not get a good nights rest.

It is often a lot easier for your child to go to sleep if they associate specific actions with sleep. They will get used to various different events that lead up to sleep time. Going to bed is one such action.  

It becomes much more of a routine if your baby has their own cot or crib.

Choosing a Cot

As with most things to do with babies, what you expect to be a simple straight forward task can be quite daunting because of the large number of options that are available. This is certainly the case when choosing a cot for your baby.

Moses baskets

Babies often start off sleeping in a Moses basket or baby sleeping basket which usually comes complete with their own foam mattress.

Moses baskets can rest on the floo,r or some are made to fit on a stand which can be adjusted to a more convenient height.

Cots

Most baby cots are made from wood. They are usually stained or white but can be found in almost any clour.

Some cots have dropsides. These slide down so that the side of the cot is lower, which can make it much easier for the Mother to put the baby in or take him out. After the child has been put into the crib the side can be raised back up so that the baby is secure.

The top of the side of the cot is often covered in plastic. This can then act as a plastic teething rail. A lot of babies like to stand on their cot mattress and gnaw at this teething rail.

The mattress base in many cots is height adjustable. The base of the cot starts off at a high level, so that it is easy to get at the child, but as he grows it can be lowered to allow him to pull himself up without running the risk of him calambering out.

Before buying a cot make sure that it satisfies the current BS EN 716 safety code.