Sleeping
Babies
How
much does a newborn sleep?
A newborn may sleep anywhere from
Why
do they wake up so often?
Newborns simply do not sleep in the same way as older children and adults. They
spend a much higher portion of their sleep time in “light” sleep from which
they’re easily aroused, and less time in very deep
sleep.
This
frequent waking may actually help to protect babies from SIDS.
Newborns
also need to eat often. Breastfed babies who are sleeping with their parents
may want to nurse as much as every hour and a half. Breastfed babies sleeping
in another room may need to nurse every three hours. Formula fed babies may
feed every 3 to 4 hours.
Where
should baby sleep? At
night time, newborns may share a bed with their parents, or may sleep in a
“sidecar”, cradle, or bassinet in their parents’ room, or may sleep in a crib
in a separate room. Studies and government data suggest that about 1/3 of
American children always share their parent’s bed, 1/3 occasionally sleep with
parents, and 1/3 never sleep with parents. (World-wide, the majority of
cultures expect babies to co-sleep in the same bed with other family members)
For
naps, babies can be put down in a crib, or can sleep in whatever room their
parents are in.
The
important factor in where a baby sleeps is safety: a sleeping newborn should be
put on his back, on a firm surface, with only a light sheet or a blanket to
cover him. For more on safe sleeping, see: AAP
recommendations, First Candle
Recommendations for Reducing SIDS Risks, Guidelines for Co-sleeping.
Co-sleeping. Co-sleeping, or the family bed, or sleep-sharing all
refer to circumstances where one or both parents sleep with the child.
How does it affect sleep patterns? Bed-sharing infants
wake more frequently, spend more time in light sleep than deep sleep. They
nurse twice as often (average interval: 1½ hours between feedings), for three times
as long per bout. But they rarely cry, and they sleep for a longer total time
than solitary sleepers. (Mothers who sleep with their babies
tend to get at least as much sleep as mothers who sleep without them.)
Benefits for Baby: Babies are born with immature
nervous systems. When an infant sleeps with an adult, the adult’s body may
serve as a cue or trigger to help the baby regulate temperature, breathing, and
arousal patterns.
Cautions: Babies should not co-sleep on soft mattresses,
including waterbeds; infants should not sleep with an adult who is under the
influence of drugs or alcohol, or smokes cigarettes.
Solitary Sleeping. Refers to babies who sleep in cribs or
other infant beds, typically in a separate room from their parents.
How does it affect sleep patterns? Solitary infants wake less often,
and spend more time in deep sleep. (Although this sounds easier on the parents,
it may be less healthy for the babies: SIDS risks appear to be related to
babies who sleep deeply and are unable to arouse themselves.) They nurse less
often during the night: average interval between feedings is 3 hours. However,
the total amount of time that they (and their parents) spend sleeping per night
tends to be less than babies who co-sleep. When they wake up, they may have to
cry loudly or for a longer time in order to be heard, and may be harder to
settle down after waking than a co-sleeping child.
Long-term
Effects of Sleeping Location
Since
many people wonder about the long-term effects of infant sleeping location on
children, these effects have been examined in a few studies. Researchers have
found that planned co-sleepers tend to have higher self-esteem, less anxiety,
and better behavior in school. Solitary sleepers may be harder to control, have
more tantrums, cope less well with stress, and may be more dependent. Reactive
co-sleepers, in other words, those whose parents only took them into their beds
on “bad nights” may tend to have more long-term sleep struggles, due to this
inconsistency.
Compiled by
Sources: Our
Babies, Ourselves, by Meredith Small. “The Anthropology of Babies” lecture
by Meredith Small,
For more
information on sharing sleep, see The Baby Book by William Sears.
For lots more
on what infant sleep, sleep safety, and co-sleeping safety, see Powerpoint slides from my presentation for La Leche League of Washington Conference 2006.
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