Importance of Baby sleep

Importance Of Baby Sleep

The phrase ‘sleeping like a baby’ is commonly used to describe a person sleeping soundly. It originated from what was always known about the way babies sleep – carefree, guileless, and without malice! Babies, spared with the madness and rush of the adult world, can sleep easily and peacefully without worry or guilt. But somehow people seem to have forgotten that even a baby’s sleep can be spoilt! A wet diaper, a hungry tummy, too much light or sound, all can easily turn his/her bedtimes into nightmares. What’s worse, the poor little tot can do nothing about it! Needless to say, she begins to cry, and thus, not only her sleep, but also that of her parents, gets disturbed. Whatever happened to the phrase? Well, let that one be! It is more important for us to know just how important sleep is for your little bundle of joy. For adults, sleep is a way of restocking themselves with the energy to get through the day, but for babies, it is the time their body prepares itself for growth. Learn more about the importance of baby’s sleep and how to ensure that it is sound and deep.


Benefits Of Sleep For The Baby

Just like everyone, a baby’s body, too, needs to relax, rejuvenate and recuperate from all that it does throughout the day. Since a baby’s food mainly consists of milk - which is basically more of carbohydrates and calcium - she may get exhausted very quickly even with a little bit of kicking if she is very young, or after about just ten minutes or so of crawling. It is best that a baby get her full eight hours of sleep every night, and at least one, or even two naps, preferably at regular intervals during the day.
Another reason why babies need to get enough sleep is because it helps them grow. In a baby’s newly formed body, sleep helps the body regenerate lost cells, refresh the brain, and stimulate the growth of hair follicles, fingernails, toenails and even the skin. Studies have, in fact, shown that the regeneration cycle works better and faster when the body is not controlled by the brain – which is when the body and the brain are at rest.

Ways To Improve Baby’s Sleep

Let Her Soothe Herself To Sleep
Most studies on baby sleep conducted by pediatrics and other organizations state that it is best for the baby to be calmed before she soothes herself to sleep. It is best for the parents to let the baby fall asleep on her own and, at best, to put on some soothing music or stay close to her in case she wakes up crying. Letting the baby fall asleep by herself is very important when it comes to preventing sleep difficulties.

My Late Night Snack, Mommy?
You must remember that your baby is maturing as much by day as by night. By the time your child is about three to four months old, she is less likely to wake up too many times in the night if her tummy is full right before she goes to sleep. Thus, to help her sleep undisturbed throughout the night, it is best that you give her a feeding at the same time late every evening, every day – ideally between 10 p.m. and midnight. Feed her, burp her and then put her in the crib or cot even as she is still awake. Researchers have found that feeding her after midnight, however, can actually interfere with her ability to sleep through the night.

Day Is Different, Night Isn’t The Same!
You can teach your baby the difference between day and night. This simply means that your home should be a stimulating place during the day, and a quiet one at night. At night, reduce the amount of noise and stimulation. If your infant is consistently allowed to soothe herself back to sleep and taught the difference between day and night, as well as also given a late evening or early night feeding, most of you will have your baby sleeping at a stretch right through the night at a much earlier age than seen in many cases.




Children Require Much More Sleep than Adults.

Getting enough sleep is of course vital for babies and children, as well.

A newborn infant will sleep between 16 and 20 hours in a 24-hour period.
A six-month-old requires an average of 11 hours a night, plus two daily naps totaling another 3-4 hours
A two-year-old will sleep around 13 hours, including a nap
A four-year-old sleeps from 11-12 hours, including a daily nap
A five-year-old child may or may not need a nap; his or her daily sleep requirement is 10-11 hours.
Six- to eight-year-olds also require 10-11 hours, though they probably no longer need to nap.

If you're not sure whether your child is getting enough sleep or not, the following are probable signs that he or she isn't: they routinely fall asleep in the car when you're driving; you have to wake them up every morning; they're cranky, irritable or lethargic.

Why is it important for children to get enough sleep every day?

As is the case with adults, children need to get their daily requirement of sleep for their body's systems to function at their best. Sufficient rest helps children with physical recuperation and growth; it strengthens their immune systems; it aids brain development; it helps with learning, memory, information processing and other important cognitive tasks -- all important reasons to make sure your young one is well-rested!

How to help children develop good sleeping habits
First, maintain as consistent a nightly routine as possible. A nightly bath, a back rub, a low-sugar bedtime snack, a story, soft music -- something that relaxes the child and announces in a predictable manner that it's time to go to sleep.

During sleep, keep the baby's or child's sleeping area quiet and dark. Refrain from using even a night light where baby or child sleeps. The darker and quieter the room, the better-quality sleep your child will attain.

Some adults think that they or their children will sleep better if there's low-volume music or TV left on during the night. That is not the case at all. When it comes to optimal rest, the brain can best regenerate itself when there are no outside stimuli to interfere with the restorative cycles that it will undergo periodically throughout the night. If the setting isn't dark enough or quiet enough, you may find that you or your child slept enough hours...but will still feel tired or groggy the next day.

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