Which sleeping position is best for a newborn?

The sleeping position of newborns is also a concern of parents. Generally, children's sleeping positions can be divided into three types: supine, side, and prone. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is best for newborns to alternate among these three sleeping positions.

1. Supine sleeping position

Advantages of supine position:

1. Parents are usually accustomed to letting their babies sleep on their backs, which allows them to directly observe the facial expressions of their babies.

2. The baby's brain is low and flat when sleeping, forming the so-called "square head and big face". The baby's internal organs are under less pressure, and the baby's limbs can move freely.

Disadvantages of supine position:

1. It is not good for the baby's breathing. Due to gravity, the throat will block the airflow from freely entering and exiting the trachea. Once the airflow resistance increases, the baby will have noise (snoring) when sleeping on his back, causing breathing difficulties. It is not suitable for infants and young children who have difficulty breathing.

2. Babies are prone to vomiting. Food that flows back from the stomach to the esophagus will accumulate in the baby's throat after being vomited out. It is not easy to be discharged from the mouth, and it is easier to choke into the trachea and lungs, which is dangerous;

3. During the neonatal period, the baby's head has not yet taken shape. If the baby always sleeps in one direction while lying on his back, his head will become flat, affecting the beauty of his head shape.

4. The more vulnerable side of the baby's body is exposed and is prone to catching cold. In addition, newborns are psychologically insecure and not easy to fall asleep as they are new to the world.

2Side sleeping position

Advantages of side sleeping:

1. The side-lying position can relax the muscles of the whole body, so that the baby can get enough rest and improve the baby's sleep time and quality.

2. Let the baby lie on his right side, which will help the food in the stomach to enter the intestines smoothly. Even if milk regurgitation occurs, vomit in the mouth will flow out from the corners of the mouth instead of flowing into the throat and causing suffocation.

3. Lying on the right side can avoid heart pressure.

4. Sleeping on the side can reduce your baby's snoring. Snoring is mostly caused by the vibration of throat secretions and soft tissues. Sleeping on your side can change the position of the soft tissue in the throat, reduce the retention of secretions, make your baby's breathing smoother, and prevent snoring.

Disadvantages of side sleeping:

1. If you always sleep on your side, it is easy to cause asymmetry of the two sides of your face, a crooked and flat head, or "protruding ears", and it may also cause strabismus;

2. It is not easy for the baby to maintain a side-lying position;

3. Sleeping on the left side can easily cause vomiting or milk regurgitation.

3. Prone sleeping position

Advantages of prone position:

1. Sleeping on your stomach will not affect the development of the chest and lungs. On the contrary, it will help the growth and development of the thorax and lungs. Because the baby's chest presses against the bed when lying on his stomach, the bed will give a reaction pressure which just massages the baby's thorax, can increase the baby's lung capacity, promote the development and maturation of the respiratory system, especially for newborns who are less than one month old.

2. If the baby vomits, the milk will flow out from the corners of the mouth, so there will be no risk of suffocation due to vomitus being inhaled into the trachea. Therefore, many countries like to let children sleep in a prone position.

3. When the fetus is in the mother's womb, it is in a curled-up position with its abdomen facing inward and its back facing outward, so sleeping in a prone position can easily make the baby feel safe. This posture is the most natural self-protection posture. It makes it easier for babies to fall asleep, thereby reducing crying and improving sleep quality.

4. When lying prone, the face should be facing downwards and the back of the head should be facing upwards. This will not cause deformation of the head and will make it easy to shape a perfect head shape.

Disadvantages of prone position:

1. It is not easy for parents to observe the baby's skin color and expression;

2. Babies and saliva are easy to swallow, causing saliva to flow out;

3. The mouth and nose are easily blocked by external objects such as bedding, causing breathing difficulties;

4. The baby's limbs are inconvenient to move;

5. When sleeping on your stomach, your chest and abdomen are close to the bed, which is not conducive to heat dissipation and can easily cause your body temperature to rise, or cause eczema due to the accumulation of sweat in the chest and abdomen.