{"id":334,"date":"2020-11-28T12:31:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T12:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/134.122.102.56\/SAND\/uk\/?post_type=waf&p=334"},"modified":"2022-11-10T11:10:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-10T11:10:22","slug":"understanding-your-babys-sleep-patterns","status":"publish","type":"waf","link":"https:\/\/path-perinatal.eu\/uk\/waf\/understanding-your-babys-sleep-patterns\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding your baby’s sleep patterns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Coping with broken sleep and feeling sleep deprived is one of the toughest aspects of becoming a parent. This is even harder if you already have a child or children.

It helps if you can have realistic expectations of how babies sleep and of yourself in the early weeks and months.

Lack of sleep can affect your mental health and ability to cope, so getting rest and sleep when you can is an essential part of looking after yourself. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Newborn sleep patterns<\/strong><\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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At birth, newborns experience a huge transition from being aquatic inside the womb to becoming air breathers in the big wide world outside.

They have been part of you for 9 months and are familiar with the sound of your heart and other internal body sounds. Some babies may be tuned into your daily rhythms and are less active when you sleep but some may not be.

Newborn babies need to feed little and often. Feeding and sleeping every 2 to 3 hours is quite normal. If they are very tiny they may need to feed more frequently.

Babies are all different, so observe your baby and be guided by their cues and individual needs.

As they grow and mature they will start to sleep for longer stretches at night, and may start to sleep for 3 to 4 hours at a time, or even longer if you are lucky.

By 12 to 16 weeks their sleep begins to consolidate and they sleep for much longer stretches at night time.

From 3 to 4 months old they start to produce the sleep hormone melatonin \u2013 this is light sensitive so keeping rooms dark and quiet at night and nap times will help them to sleep better.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Your baby\u2019s body clock<\/strong><\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the early weeks and months you can start to help your baby get used to a day and night pattern. This will help to regulate their body clock (circadian rhythm).

These internal rhythms respond to light and darkness and regulate important aspects of bodily function such as:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n