Everything You Need to Know About Your Newborn’s Sleep Patterns
When you are preparing for your child’s arrival, a common word of advice is that as a parent you will never sleep well again until after the child moves out of the house. But this doesn’t have to be true! With proper guidance and sleep training, your child’s newborn sleep routine will benefit not only them, but mom and dad as well. Here is everything you need to know about newborn sleep patterns and a newborn sleeping schedule to make your nights peaceful!
What are the best newborn sleep patterns to get my child used to?
Generally, a newborn will sleep for the majority of the day. This means typically sleeping for over 17 hours, and this is a good thing so they can build up strength and endurance. It is hard for a child to differentiate the difference between night and day because they are asleep for most of the time, so the easiest way to help them adjust is to keep proper lighting on during feeding times. Your child will wake up a few times during the night to eat, and when they do so make sure the lights are dimmed. Also make sure to keep the lights bright during the day as well.
What are the sleep states of newborns?
In general, there are five stages of sleep and being awake that a newborn will experience.
Stage 1: drowsiness, eyes drooping, they may nod off for a few moments.
Stage 2: light sleep, the baby will move and adjust themselves.
Stage 3: Deep sleep, the child does not move.
Stage 4: Very deep sleep, entering the REM cycle.
Stage 5: Alert phase. This is when they wake up and are silent, very still, and take in the environment around them.
What are some signs of sleep readiness?
Your child will tell you when they are time to sleep with these signs:
Rubbing their eyes
Yawning repeatedly
Being fussy
Not being able to hold your attention, looking away and being distracted.
Refusing to eat
So there you go new parents. Keep these tips in mind and you will be on set to sleep peacefully!
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