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Baby Sleep Explained

Understanding Baby Sleep and helping your Baby to Sleep for Longer

Many babies will wake up during sleep or at the end of a sleep cycle because they are uncomfortable, too hot/cold, hungry, or if breathing is obstructed. A baby will usually wake up as a survival mechanism; it is a way for your baby to communicate its needs to a parent if its wellbeing is threatened. This is why parents should not feel upset if their baby is not sleeping for long periods. It will take between the ages of 3 to 6 months for a baby to form a more regular sleeping pattern and sleep for 5 hours plus

Generally, a baby will struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep. Some will fall asleep easily and wake up frequently and others will find falling asleep difficult, but once asleep, will sleep for long periods of time. Some parents may find that baby will change from being an excellent sleeper to baby with sleeping difficulties and vice versa. There are many, many reasons why babies may experience sleeping difficulties, however, it is knowing and understanding baby sleep that can be helpful

A baby will experience five sleep cycles and each one will last about one hour. A baby will spend almost double the amount of time in light and active sleep than they will in deep sleep. During the light sleeping phase, baby will relax muscles and experience some rapid eye movement (REM). Baby may move slightly, suck, grimace or twitch during this stage. During the deep sleep phase, your baby will relax its arms and legs and you may see you baby unfold her its fists. Breathing will become shallower and more regular. It is after the deep sleep phase that babies enter the turbulent period of active sleep. It is at this stage that your baby will fuss, grimace and perhaps twitch involuntarily as muscles become tenser. Your babies’ eyes may move in all directions and heart and breathing may become more irregular. However, it is the period between active sleep and the next stage that is the most vulnerable one.

Most babies will whimper when they awaken from a sleep cycle but most will drift back to sleep again quite quickly. If your baby needs a feed of a nappy change, try to keep this as unfussy as possible and settle baby down again as soon as any needs have been met. If your baby is not uncomfortable or in need of a feed then do not pick up, speak, make eye contact, or interact with your baby in any way as your baby will awaken fully from the sleep cycle and will start to form habits that assume you will provide comfort every time that he/she wakes up. Instead, either lay next to your baby (on the floor beside the cot or crib) and close your eyes as your presence will often be enough to satisfy and comfort your baby to encourage them to fall asleep again. If this fails then simply place your hand softly onto baby to comfort him/her until your baby falls asleep again. It will only take a few days for your baby to get used to this a routine and as such, your baby will quickly learn to settle back to sleep again. Rewarding your baby with too much attention at an early age may prolong sleeping problems not just for the immediate future but also into childhood.

Bedtime Routine
Many sleep experts agree that the best method for creating a regular baby sleeping routine is by being consistent with your bedtime practices. What the routine consists of doesn’t providing you apply the same methods every night. Very quickly your baby will learn to associate these methods with bedtime and sleep. It may take a week or two, but once these habits are formed they should remain so that you can establish a longer, deeper sleep for your baby, consistently, every night.

Here are a few tips that may help:
• Let your baby tire itself out
• Try and bath your baby at nighttime so that when your baby gets out, the surrounding cooler air will lower her temperature and promote babies brain to trigger the production of sleep hormones
• Massage the head of your baby
• Read a bedtime story to relax your baby
• Lie next to your baby and pretend to sleep so they are comforted by your presence and can mimic your actions
• Use clothes that are only used at bed time so your baby relates them to bedtime
• Swaddle your baby or place baby in a grobag or sleeping bag to remind baby of the warmth and comfort of the womb.
• Positively reinforce baby with words such a 'Bed time' or 'Night-night' so that your baby associates them with sleep.
• Keep the location and bed in the same place so baby associates the room as a place of relaxation and sleep
• Keep the room dark and quiet to help baby establish the difference between night and day.

Everyone (babies and adults) has a sleep latency period immediately before going to sleep, so do not worry or expect baby to fall asleep immediately. Crying is also normal – in fact it helps to tire your baby so baby can fall asleep more easily.

Articles written by Lucy Day, owner of Insomniastore.co.uk & baby-sleep.co.uk

Insomniastore.co.uk and baby-sleep.co.uk are leading specialist sites for adult and baby sleeping aids and sleep products. If you or your baby cannot sleep then this is the store for you. We offer products for Insomnia, Baby Sleeping, Sleep Deprivation, Stress, Restlessness and Sleeplessness. We also offer products for mum and dad too! Products range from specialist sleep CD’s, oils, lambswool, baby sheepskins, comforters, baby sleeping bags, swaddle blankets, slumber aids & much more