Newborn babies do a lot of sleeping, about 18 hours each day. However, a newborn baby’s sleeping pattern is different from that of adults. Newborn babies spend only 20% of their sleeping time in a deep, sound sleep. The rest of the time they drift in and out of sleep, which means that by the time you put your newborn baby down and try to take a nap, they will be awake and crying again.
Newborn babies do a lot of sleeping. In fact, although you may not get much sleep during this time, your newborn baby spends about 18 hours of each day doing just this. However, a newborn baby’s sleeping pattern is different from that of adults. Newborn babies spend only 20 percent of their sleeping time in a deep, sound sleep. The rest of the time they drift in and out of sleep, which means that by the time you put your newborn baby down and try to take a nap, they will be awake and crying again.
Some newborn babies have their days and nights mixed up: they sleep during the day and want to play at night. This is a carry-over from their days in the womb. During pregnancy, the unborn baby is most active when the mother is at rest, usually at night; they slow down when their mother is up and moving around, usually during the day. A mother’s active motions soothe the unborn baby and help them to rest. After birth, some newborn babies continue this pattern, much to the dismay of their overtired parents.
Try to understand your newborn baby’s perspective on the sleep issue. Newborn babies have shorter sleep cycles and more frequent periods of light sleep than older babies. They are prone to waking up every hour or so, and once awake, they sometimes have trouble going back to sleep. Also, newborn babies have needs for feeding, burping, diaper changing, and playing that must be met 24 hours a day; it doesn’t make sense for them to sleep for long periods of time yet.
Tips for making sleep time easier
Here are a few tips for making sleep time easier:
- Keep things cozy: Many newborn babies do not like the large, vast space of a crib. Try using a cradle or bassinet for those early weeks, to make your newborn baby feel cozier. Just make sure that the mattress is firm and there are no pillows or loose blankets that could smother your baby. You might also want to try swaddling your baby by wrapping them snugly.
- Control the temperature: Newborn babies do not like a room that is too warm or too cold. Also, overheating is dangerous for your newborn baby.
- Keep them moving: Movement tends to soothe newborn babies and help them to sleep. Try rocking, patting, or swaying them to music.
- Try some background noise: Background noise can be quite comforting to newborn babies. Soft music or white noise from a fan can be very soothing.
- Don’t deny the daytime naps: You may be tempted to keep your newborn baby awake during the day, even when they want to sleep, so that they will sleep “better” at night. This approach will not work, because it will make your newborn baby overtired. An overtired baby has more problems sleeping than a well-rested one. Still, if your newborn baby is mixing up their days and nights, you can try limiting the length of their naps and keeping them active when they are awake.
- When your newborn baby wakes at night for a feeding, try feeding them in a darkened room, and throughout the feeding, burping, and diaper changing, keep your talking and stimulation to a minimum. When your baby wakes for a day feeding, increase the light, conversation, and stimulation. This will help your newborn baby learn that nighttime is a sleepy time and daytime is fun time.
Sleep and sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby less than one year old, which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation and autopsy. Babies who succumb to SIDS do so in their sleep. To help prevent SIDS, the Canadian Paediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other medical associations have made the following recommendations:
- Put your baby to sleep on their back, not their side or tummy.
- Avoid soft mattresses, bedding, and pillows.
- Do not smoke during pregnancy, and do not expose your baby to second-hand smoke after they are born.
- Avoid overheating your baby.
- Keep your baby in your room.
The debate about co-sleeping
Sleeping with your baby in bed is a controversial topic. On one hand, it makes breastfeeding at night much easier, which provides a great health benefit to your baby. Night-time breastfeeding is more common in babies who co-sleep, and this leads to an increased milk supply. Babies who co-sleep with their mothers tend to cry less and are generally more content at night.
On the other hand, some studies have shown that co-sleeping is hazardous and increases the risk of SIDS. As a result, the Canadian Paediatric Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other medical associations recommend that babies be put to sleep in a crib, bassinet, or cradle in the same room as the mother. The baby can be brought into the bed for nursing or comforting, and then returned to the crib, bassinet, or cradle for sleeping.
The debate rages, as other researchers feel that the studies mentioned above have not explained the whole picture. They indicate that usually when a co-sleeping baby has died of SIDS, there have been other risk factors present such as parental drug use, sleeping on the tummy, or sleeping on unsafe surfaces such as couches or waterbeds.
If you do decide to co-sleep with your baby, here are a few precautionary measures:
- Put your baby to sleep on their back.
- Make sure your mattress is firm and flat, and that there are no gaps between the mattress and headboard where your baby can get stuck.
- Remove any fluffy pillows, heavy comforters, or soft bedding that could interfere with your baby’s breathing.
- Do not co-sleep with your baby on a couch, waterbed or armchair.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not co-sleep if you have taken medications or other substances that could impair your alertness.
- Do not co-sleep if you are excessively tired.
- Do not let your baby co-sleep with other children, and do not bring your other children into your bed if you are co-sleeping with your baby.
A note about premature babies and sleeping
Premature newborns should be put to sleep in different positions to avoid plagiocephaly, or an abnormal asymmetrical head shape. Although more a cosmetic issue than anything else, plagiocephaly is caused when the skull bones are moulded by carrying weight more on one side or in one place such as the back of the head. Preterm infants should sleep on their backs or may be propped up on their sides. Try to alternate between these positions during sleep time. Premature babies should also get lots of “tummy time” when awake.