Understanding how many hours a newborn needs to sleep is essential to ensure their healthy development and the well-being of the entire family. However, it is important to remember that each baby has their own rhythm and knowing their sleep patterns can be a great help in this process.
In the first few months of life, babies need many hours of sleep, which changes as they grow and their needs adjust. Furthermore, newborns’ sleep occurs in cycles throughout the day and night, which can be challenging for parents, who face many sleepless nights and need to adapt.
In this article, we will understand why newborns sleep so much, how to establish a consistent sleep routine, the difficulties they face sleeping through the night, and how to create an ideal newborn sleep environment. Continue reading!
Why do newborn babies sleep so much?
In the first months of life, the baby’s body goes through intense transformations, and sleep is essential for their physical development, brain maturation and strengthening the immune system. Therefore, they can sleep up to 18 hours a day, waking up only to feed and meet their needs.
During sleep, important processes take place in the baby’s brain, such as memory consolidation, the development of neural connections and the production of growth hormones. This explains why sleep is so crucial at this early stage, directly influencing the child’s cognitive and motor development.
Furthermore, as your nervous system is not yet fully developed, sleep helps regulate your emotions, preventing you from becoming irritable or agitated. A well-rested baby tends to be calmer and reacts better to external stimuli, promoting calmer development.
It is important to remember, however, that babies’ sleep patterns are different from those of adults. They may wake up frequently to breastfeed, which is natural and is part of the process of adapting to the new environment outside the womb. Over time, these short cycles adjust, and the baby begins to sleep for longer periods.
How to Create a Consistent Sleep Routine for Your Baby
Creating a sleep routine for your little one may seem challenging, especially since they don’t yet have a regulated sleep cycle, as their biological clock is still developing. However, small daily actions help you understand when it’s time to sleep.
One of the first steps is to create a quiet environment, with soft lighting and a pleasant temperature, which contributes to deeper and more continuous sleep. A warm bath or relaxing massage will also help to calm you down before resting.
Furthermore, establishing habits, such as a fixed time for bathing, the last feeding and a moment of relaxation, helps you differentiate between day and night. Adjusting the ambient light throughout the day is also important, as this helps to regulate and reduce nighttime awakenings.
Finally, it is essential to identify signs such as yawning, eye rubbing and restlessness, which indicate that the baby is ready to sleep. With consistency and patience, your little one will adapt to this new routine, providing more peaceful nights for the whole family.
Why do newborns have trouble sleeping through the night?
It is common for newborns to wake up several times during the night, as they do not yet have a well-defined sleep cycle. In the first months of life, sleep is divided into short cycles, generally lasting two or four hours, due to basic needs, such as feeding and changing diapers.
Another factor is that they still do not produce melatonin – the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. As their biological clock is developing, they cannot differentiate day from night, which results in frequent naps and nighttime awakenings.
Additionally, they spend much more time in the light sleep phase, which is essential for neurological development but also makes them more vulnerable to awakenings. Any discomfort, such as sleepiness, cold and external noise, can interrupt the baby’s sleep, which makes longer and more continuous nights difficult.
Remember that each baby has their own rhythm, and even if this process is challenging at first, over time, they will adapt to this new routine. With patience and consistency, they can sleep for longer periods of time at night.
How to create an ideal sleeping environment for your newborn
Creating a suitable environment for your baby’s sleep is essential, especially because in the first months of life, newborns are very sensitive to external stimuli, such as light, noise and temperature. Preparing the environment in which he sleeps well will make all the difference for a more peaceful rest.
Adjusting the lighting is one of the most important steps. During the day, keep the place well lit, but at night, reduce the light as much as possible, using soft, indirect lights – this adjustment contributes to the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps the baby sleep more easily and maintain a healthy sleep. regular sleep cycle.
Controlling the temperature of the environment is also essential, so you should keep it between 22°C and 24°C, to prevent your little one from feeling excessively hot or cold. As you know, external noises can interfere with a newborn’s sleep and, in this case, the use of fans or white noise machines can help create a more relaxing atmosphere.
Finally, the baby’s resting place must be safe and cozy. With a suitable environment, their sleep tends to be more peaceful, which favors their development and ensures rest for their parents.
Conclusion
Sleep is essential for the healthy growth and development of newborns. Although this period can be challenging for parents, understanding the baby’s sleep process makes this phase more peaceful.
Remember that each baby has their own rhythm, and adopting a few simple strategies can make all the difference. Establishing consistent sleep schedules, adjusting lighting, controlling temperature, and reducing stimuli before bed help your baby differentiate between day and night and create a more comfortable environment.
With patience and persistence, they develop more regular sleep patterns, allowing parents to get better rest too. By following the guidelines in this article, the process becomes less exhausting and more pleasurable, benefiting both the baby’s well-being and strengthening the bond between parents and children.
