Is it normal for my baby to sleep little?

Sleep is vitally important for child development. Not only because the organism needs rest, but rather, because during this time processes occur crucial metabolic processes such as infant growth, body weight regulation, and development cognitive. Therefore, it is normal that one of the biggest worries for all parents is their baby's sleep, and seeing that the little one does not rest as it should, distresses many.

Each baby is different, therefore, there are many reasons why a newborn can get little sleep. Before delving into the article, we would like to clarify that each child will acquire sleep habits at a given time, some after a few months and others almost two years of age. It is not a reason to judge yourself as a parent, it simply means that above all we must be patient and understanding.

In this regard, It is important to know the sleep patterns of a newborn, since the answer to all questions can be hidden there. Therefore, in today's article, we will talk about the sleep patterns of babies, and of course, We will discuss what parents or primary caregivers can do to help them fall asleep. Read on to find out.

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Sleep patterns of a newborn

For new parents it is often difficult to know how long and how often the newborn should sleep. The first weeks of your baby's life are a period of adaptation, therefore, it is common for them not to have a schedule established and many confuse the day with the night, they think that they must be awake during the night and sleep during the day.

It's too soon to expect regular sleep patterns, so it's crucial to keep an eye out for your baby's cues. As a general rule, newborns sleep about eight to nine hours during the day and about eight hours at night. Most babies do not sleep through the night until they are three months old.

However, as we discussed earlier, this varies considerably and some babies don't sleep through the night until they are almost a year old. What is clear is that as they grow, their bodies need less and less time to recover energy and sleep hours are naturally reduced.

Newborns wake up many times

Anyone who has a newborn around will have noticed the number of times they wake up. It is normal. In fact, during the first months, the baby will fall asleep and wake up at any time of the day and of course, at night. Young babies have small stomachs and must wake up every few hours to eat.

In most cases, the baby will wake up to eat about every three hours.. However, how often you eat will depend on what your food is and your age. As parents or primary caregivers, it is extremely important to watch for sudden changes in sleep habits. of the newborn, since they could be an indication of illness or a sudden increase in hunger due to a growth phase accelerated.

What are the different phases of alertness of a newborn?

It is curious that newborns have different degrees of alertness while awake. When a newborn awakens at the end of a sleep cycle, we speak of a quiet alert phase. At this time, the baby remains very calm, but awake and attentive to the environment. During the quiet alert period, babies may observe or gaze at objects and respond to sounds and movements.

This phase usually progresses to the active alert phase, in which the baby is attentive to what she hears and what she sees, and is actively moving. After this phase, a crying phase follows. The baby's body moves aimlessly and she may cry vigorously. Babies can easily become overstimulated during this crying phase.

To calm him down, it is recommended to hold him in your arms or wrap him in a blanket. Also, it is best to feed babies before they enter the crying phase. During the crying phase, the baby may become very upset and refuse the breast or bottle.

Why does a baby sleep less than normal?

There can be many reasons that explain why a newborn sleeps less than normal. For this reason, we list some causes below:

1. Frequent intakes during the day

Many parents or primary caregivers consider that every time the baby cries, they should be fed, therefore, they breastfeed many times throughout the day. The problem is that the baby's body adapts to being fed continuously and being close to its mother on a regular basis., so when night comes it is difficult for them to sleep at once and they usually wake up several times to ask for food and be in their mother's arms.

2. Very long daytime naps

Most babies sleep for many hours throughout the day, but as they get older naps get shorter and nighttime sleep gets longer. However, if the baby takes too long naps during the day, it is normal that when night comes he is hardly sleepy. In these cases, it is common for the baby to have trouble falling asleep or to wake up several times throughout the night.

3. uncomfortable sleeping position

There are babies who need to find their favorite position to rest well. In these cases, it is common that if the baby is in an uncomfortable position, she cannot fall asleep and / or wakes up several times at night because she cannot sleep well. Something as simple as putting a pillow or blanket on it could solve this problem..

4. Being a high demand baby

This term refers to those newborns who are characterized by being very active children who need continuous stimulation and, consequently, sleep little throughout the day. They typically take very short naps, 15 to 30 minutes, and require little sleep at night to replenish energy, so they may take a while to fall asleep or wake up several times in search of attention. In short, they only sleep when they are very exhausted.

5. ongoing illness

Another of the most common and basic causes for a baby to sleep less than normal is that he is sick. Both a chronic or transitory illness or even, in incubation, symptoms of general malaise or specific discomfort can keep a baby from sleeping.

6. emotional disturbances

Anxiety, irritation or fear are some of the most common emotional states that influence falling asleep in children. In fact, if the baby is restless, it will be difficult for her to fall asleep and, if she does, it is likely that she will wake up several times during the night or that she will not have a deep sleep.