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Do Your Baby’s Sleeping Habits Concern You?
Newborn babies spend most of their time by sleeping or feeding. Sleep is quite essential for newborns to strengthen the memories. Infants frequently learn new things while awake. Proper rest allows them to process things better and be familiar with the new environment.
All moms know that sleep is an essential part of their babies’ growth. It is vital for their physical and mental development. Babies process information when they sleep. It continues throughout the first year because the child learns a lot about the new world.
Millions of moms worry about the sleep time of their newborn babies. They often have questions regarding how the baby should rest. Here, I will answer all those important questions regarding the newborn baby’s sleep timing.
How Long a Newborn Baby Should Sleep?
As we all know, every living being needs rest to live a healthy life. Proper rest improves body condition, metabolism, eliminates fatigue, and promotes growth. The sleep requirements vary at each age. A newborn child would sleep 18-22 hours every day, whereas most of the adults don’t sleep longer than 8 hours!
What If Baby Wakes Up After 2-4 Hours?
Newborns are new to this world and they are not familiar with the day and night concept. Babies know only two things, sleeping and feeding. It is the only routine they are familiar with during the first year of their life. It allows them to develop faster and they slowly get familiar with the new world. Newborns mostly sleep 2-4 hours and then they get hungry. They wake up and mostly cry to get fed!
How Does Newborn Babies’ Sleeping Schedule Change?
Newborn baby’s sleeping schedule changes as the baby grows older. Your baby would need 16-18 hours of sleep when he is three weeks old. The child will sleep 15-16 hours a day after 6 weeks. Sleep time reduces significantly as babies grow older.
A two-month-old baby would sleep 15-16 hours. Babies learn to sleep during the nighttime as they grow older. Your baby would sleep only 12-15 hours a day once he is 1-year old. The rest time will further reduce for 4-5 years old babies. They sleep only 10-12 hours every day.
What if the Newborn Baby Sleeps for Short Time?
Facts we have shared in this post apply to all the babies. Moms know that their baby would spend most of his time sleeping. Newborns eat and sleep and that’s normal for all the newborn babies. However, there are some cases where babies do not sleep for a long time. They take a short nap and wake up. Why does it happen?
If your baby is also following a similar sleeping routine, it can be due to one of the following reasons:
- The baby is hungry!
If your baby is three months old or younger, hunger can be the cause of short sleep. Most of the modern moms take time to decide whether they should breastfeed their baby or feel him. Newborns depend on their moms for regular meals. It promotes quick growth and eliminates the chances of health issues.
Hunger would not be the cause of short sleep for babies older than three months. Old babies get their tummy full before going to bed. Some babies might feel thirsty during the night and they wake up. Therefore, parents should ensure their baby is neither hungry nor thirsty. The baby will sleep calmly for a long time.
- Calcium deficiency!
Many babies suffer from poor sleep problem due to calcium deficiency. You should not take this problem lightly if your baby is not sleeping as he must! The brain autonomic nerves experience increased excitability due to the lack of calcium in the blood. Babies wake up frequently at night and therefore parents also find it impossible to take rest.
You should meet a pediatrician to check whether your baby is suffering from calcium deficiency or not. The doctor will suggest the best treatment if this issue is interrupting your baby’s sleep.
- Hot conditions!
Excess use of warm clothes can also disrupt babies’ sleep. Suppose the room temperature is already high and you have covered the baby in warm clothes, he won’t feel comfy. It is obvious that you want to comfort your baby, but excess use of warm clothes can cause discomfort. The baby won’t be able to sleep longer due to poor heat dissipation issue.
- Immature neurodevelopment!
Some babies cannot sleep longer due to immature neurodevelopment of the brain. It takes time to adjust to a proper sleeping schedule. Baby’s biological clock adjusts slowly with physiological maturity.
- Uncomfortable diapers!
Millions of babies can’t sleep comfortably due to ill-fitting and wet diapers. Excess moisture in the diaper makes babies uncomfortable. Some babies also wake up quickly because they can’t pee in that tight diaper. Parents should choose comfy diapers to ensure the baby is feeling comfy.
- Is it Normal if the Baby Sleeps Too Long?
If there are babies who do not sleep enough to comfort their body, there also babies who sleep quite long. Is it normal for newborns to sleep longer? Yes, it is normal and parents should not worry about it. Your newborn baby would spend 18 to 22 hours by sleeping every day. That sleeping time will reduce gradually as your baby grows up.
Some newborn babies may spend most of the daytime by sleeping. They will wake up only when they feel hungry. Moms feed them and then they sleep again. Such infants wake up during the nighttime for a few hours and then sleep again.
- Should I Worry If the Baby Doesn’t Stay Awake?
There is no need to panic if your baby does not stay awake longer. Let him enjoy that comfy sleep because he needs it to develop and adjust to the external environment. Newborns take time to adjust to the new world. They grow rapidly in their sleep and we have already explained how their brain processes new memories in the sleep.
Even renowned pediatricians agree that babies should sleep a lot in the early infancy period. It is vital for their growth and there is nothing to worry about. Now do not start monitoring your baby’s sleep time. The sleeping time would be different for every child. Your baby may sleep more or less than another newborn baby.
What Should You Monitor During Your Newborn Baby Sleeping?
Stop worrying if your baby is sleeping longer. Focus on other things such as your kid’s growth status. Monitor the way your baby responds to new things, how often he takes the meal, and whether the baby looks happy or not. All these things matter because that’s how you can assess whether the baby is healthy and comfortable or not.
There is an obvious connection between the baby’s sleep time and growth. Quality sleep assures better fitness, better mood, and better health of the baby. You are already familiar with external factors which can affect the baby’s sleep. So, prevent unnecessary noises as much as possible to help your baby in sleeping longer.
Which is the Most Suitable Time for Babies to Sleep?
All the new moms do not know anything about babies sleeping time. They get worried too easily due to lack of knowledge about the newborn’s sleep time. Some mothers worry that their baby isn’t sleeping enough and some worry because their baby sleeps a lot. Moms want to find the best sleeping schedule for the newborn baby. One schedule cannot fit for all because all the children are different.
Should You Plan a Sleeping Schedule for Newborns?
The newborn baby won’t adapt to any schedule you plan for him. In general, he would enjoy 18 to 20 hours of sleep every day. The baby would sleep 15-16 hours after 4 months and about 15 hours after 9 months. A 1-year-old baby would enjoy 13-14 hours sleep every day. That’s how babies’ sleep schedule changes as they grow older.
Newborn babies have nothing to do with the day-night cycle. They sleep whenever they want and they wake up whenever they want. So, you cannot decide on a strict schedule for them. Moms should always be around the newborn baby because he may feed whenever he wakes up. The baby sleeps gradually after having the meal and that’s normal.
When Does a Baby Start Sleeping at the Nighttime?
Your baby will learn to sleep at the nighttime and play during the day time as he grows older. You can teach him the importance of sleeping at night. Keep guiding your child to teach him how and when to take rest. Help him in distinguishing day and night periods so that the baby can adapt easily to a normal lifestyle.
Suppose you want your baby to stay awake and active during the day time, create an environment where he won’t fall asleep easily. Use toys and other means of entertainment to keep the baby active. Create a quiet and calm environment at night so that the baby can sleep easily.
Some babies may adapt to the day-night cycle quickly and some may take longer. That change will occur in your baby’s life and he will enjoy a 10-12 hour sleep during the night time. So, do not worry until you see an unusual sleeping pattern in your baby.
