Why Babies Need Extra Sleep
Did You Know Your Baby Needs Twice the Amount of Sleep Than Adults?
Most parents understand that their babies need to sleep a lot and that quality sleep is important for healthy growth. Here is a bit more information about what’s actually happening developmentally inside and why babies need extra sleep.
Babies need double the amount of sleep that adults need.
First of all babies need twice the amount sleep that adults need. During this magic time when your baby is asleep their bodies are producing growth hormones. So, periods of quality sleep for your baby are no less important than the nourishment they receive.
The amount of sleep a baby gets affects their moods, alertness, and ability to concentrate and to participate in their environment. Studies have highlighted the importance of sleep on the developing nervous system of babies. There are also indications that a healthy immune system depends in part on babies getting quality sleep!
Crying and fussiness are often signals that your baby is overstimulated.
While your baby is awake, every sound and movement are a new experience which requires physical and mental energy. Because babies have not yet learned to block sounds and movements they can often reach a point of overload and do not want to deal with them. Crying, fussiness, arching their bodies, shaking heads etc… these scenarios often signals the need for a nap; the only way your baby can completely disconnect and charge their battery. Sleep offers them an escape from both physical and social overstimulation.
While asleep babies go through two cycles of regular sleep – deep sleep and active sleep. These two modes alternate in cycles of 60 minutes or so during the sleep of the baby. During active sleep (REM sleep – rapid eye movement) you may see the baby twitching, smiling or flipping his eyes and opening them. This is because a huge amount of activity is occurring in the brain. Your baby’s body may be calm, but his mind is very aware.
During deep sleep (NREM or non-REM year), no one knows for sure what’s going on in the mind of the baby. Experts say this is when the deepest part of the brain continues to develop and deepen relationships and connections within the brain. Since babies grow more in the first year of life than any other period in life it’s no surprise that they need double the amount of sleep than adults to support this rapid growth!
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