"Sleep no more to all in the house!"
(From William Shakespeare’s "Macbeth".)
One of the biggest adjustments new parents make is adapting to their newborn’s sleep schedule. Even though new parents expect to be sleep deprived during the first few months of their baby’s life, the reality can be somewhat overwhelming.
Bleary-eyed new parents look forward to the day when their baby transitions to sleeping more than two to three hours at a time. As in all areas of childhood development, some babies take longer than others to develop a regular sleep schedule.
Newborns sleep an average of 14-18 hours per day. Babies between 6 and 12 months old sleep about 13-14 hours per day, and toddlers between 1 and 3 years tend to sleep 10-14 hours per day.
Adults spend about six hours in deep sleep and two hours in light (REM) sleep, usually in one uninterrupted nighttime period. When we’re in a light sleep cycle, we may wake up momentarily - but, unlike babies, we know how to go back to sleep. Babies have twice as many light sleep cycles as adults, more light sleep than deep sleep, and their overall sleep cycles are shorter.
The challenge for some parents is not necessarily getting their children to go to sleep, but helping them learn to put themselves back to sleep once they have woken up. When a child learns to do this, parents are relieved from the constant disruptions in their own sleep.
Most babies at about 4 months of age or 16 pounds are able to sleep eight hours or more without a feeding. They will usually wake up several times during this period. Some babies are able to soothe themselves back to sleep, some are not.
Parents and caregivers can help babies learn how to fall asleep, or back to sleep, on their own. Babies can be tremendously resourceful at developing methods for self-calming by using blankets, stuffed animals or their own babbling.
The most effective strategy parents can use to help establish healthy sleep habits is to establish bedtime routines. Routines in general help children understand what to expect and give them a sense of security.
But sticking to routines can be challenging, especially if parents are sleep-deprived.
Success comes when parents are able to determine a routine that is simple and that they - and any other of the baby’s caregivers - can agree upon. Lynne Reeves Griffin, RN, M.Ed, in her article "Whose Bedtime Is It Anyway?" identifies several key strategies to help smooth you and your child’s transition into healthy sleep habits.
At every age: Use lights to make distinctions between day and night.
Be more playful during the day, and less so at night.
Keep your child calm in the evening to avoid over-stimulation.
Watch for signs that your child is tired, and then put her to bed.
Always place your child in the crib on her back to sleep. (Important for babies under 1 year of age.) Keep the bedtime routine simple.
Avoid a pacifier at bedtime. It is something your child cannot retrieve if she loses it in the crib.
Don’t put your child to bed with a bottle, as dental problems may result.
Work with your partner and caregivers to establish routines that both of you can follow consistently.
Don’t rush to pick up your child if you hear her wake up. Sometimes she will use her voice to settle back to sleep after a partial awakening.
Sleep when your child sleeps, especially when your baby is a newborn. Sleep patterns will not be predictable, so take your sleep when you can get it!
Learn what you can expect of your child, based on her age.
A task force of The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) , the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) offer the following recommendations for infant bedding:
Place your baby on his/her back on a firm, tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards.
Remove pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, stuffed toys, and other soft products from the crib.
Consider using a sleeper as an alternative to blankets with no other covering.
If using a blanket, put your baby with his/her feet at the foot of the crib.
Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, only as far as the baby’s chest.
Make sure your baby’s head remains uncovered during sleep.
Do not place your baby on a waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface to sleep.
If you have concerns about your child’s sleep patterns, talk to your primary health care provider.
Peggy Small-Porter is the executive director at the Richie McFarland Children’s Center in Stratham. E-mail her at psmallporter@richiemcfarland.org. Seacoast Newspapers and RMCC provide this column as a public service.
