|
|
|
How Do Babies Sleep?
| A baby's sleep pattern will change depending on their age. Generally, newborns sleep about eight to nine hours in the daytime and about eight hours at night. Most babies do not begin sleeping through the night (six to eight hours) without waking until about 3 months of age, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. |
 |
After 6 months, your baby may again have trouble sleeping through the night. This is a normal development stage often called "separation anxiety". They may respond with:
- awakening and crying one or more times in the night
- crying when you leave the room
- refusal to go to sleep without a parent nearby
- clinging to the parent at separation
A baby 's sleep patterns oscillate between what is called "Light Sleep" and "Deep Sleep" - about every hour. It is during the "light sleep" periods that your baby may wake up (depending on his/her state of hunger or discomfort, etc).
Dr. William Sears, baby expert (www.askdrsears.com) describes it this way: "Some "resettlers" or "self-soothers" can go through this vulnerable period without completely awakening, and if they do wake up, they can ease themselves back into a deep sleep. Other babies need a helping hand, voice, or breast to resettle back into deep sleep. From these unique differences in sleep cycle design, we learn that one of the goals of nighttime parenting is to create a sleeping environment that helps babies go through this vulnerable period of night waking and reenter deep sleep without waking up."
| While listening to the Sound Sleep for Babies CD, nearly 90% of babies tested experienced an uninterrupted transition as they moved into their "light sleep" periods. |
The Sound Sleep for Babies CD, (formerly known as the Baby Sleep System CD) can help smooth over the transition between periods of "light sleep" and "deep sleep" while at the same time allowing for a natural stirring as bodily or environmental needs dictate.
With regular use, the Sound Sleep for Babies CD will enable you to establish healthy sleep patterns for your baby that work with your child's own naturally developing sleep rhythms.
Sleep Essentials: Pointers for Parents
(taken from sleepfoundation.org)
Every baby has a distinctive pattern of sleep and waking. As time passes, you'll see that these follow a natural and consistent rhythm throughout the 24-hour day.
- Sleep patterns affect a baby's behavior throughout the day-as well as your baby's health and development.
- A baby's sleep is affected by bedtime routines that parents establish.
- All kinds of outside influences can affect a baby's sleep habits, including illness, stress and any change in routine.
- Sleep patterns change with age and development.
- Parents (and older children) need sleep, too. Try to harmonize your sleep
times with your baby's.
|
