Above all things, do not start your baby’s sleeping habits with the warning “H’sh!” Have the room in which he sleeps as free from noise as your household habits will permit, and do not allow other members of the family to disturb him unnecessarily; but when he is asleep on the second floor do not demand that everybody tiptoe and speak in whispers on the ground floor. Remember that a healthy baby is not a nervous invalid whose “nerves” must be saved in every possible way. Rather take it for granted that he was sent into the world with sound nerves and a normal appetite for sleep as well as food. If your baby does not sleep normally and peacefully, find out why, even if this means calling in the family physician. His restlessness, when he and the rest of the family should be sleeping, is probably due to one of the following causes: First, improper feeding, which causes indigestion. If the baby is being nursed, mother’s milk may not be rich enough and the baby is actually hungry. If it is bottle-fed, the wakefulness may be due to overfeeding. One of the most common forms of improper feeding is frequent nursing in the night. When a baby starts life by being fed three, four, or five times during the night, it develops into a poor sleeper. Second, improper clothing: night clothes that are too tight or that contain too much wool and irritate the skin; bedding that is too heavy, or bedding that is not sufficiently warm, in which case use a hot-water bottle encased in flannel, as described in the equipment for the nursery, Chapter II. Third, foul air. Remember the baby is very sensitive, particularly to gases. The fumes from a lamp, turned low, or from gas, will pollute the air and make the baby wakeful. Fourth, breathing-trouble; due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids, in which case the child is very restless, throwing itself from side to side and often lying face downward. Fifth, nervousness; due to poor training, such as taking the baby from its bed whenever it cries, or keeping the nursery lighted, or romping with the baby just before bedtime. Sixth, acute pain, which causes the child to wake with a sudden, sharp cry. In this case have a physician give the baby a thorough examination. This may be a symptom of scurvy, or even of more serious constitutional disease. Never quiet the child that is restless at night with soothing-syrup or narcotics of any kind. Have the family physician uncover the cause, and remove it. CHAPTER X HOW THE NORMAL BABY GROWS WHAT SHOULD YOUR BABY WEIGH AND MEASURE?—TESTING THE BABY’S MENTAL DEVELOPMENT—HOW SOON SHOULD THE BABY WALK AND TALK?—CRYING, CAUSE AND CURE