Understanding Baby Sleep Patterns

Getting used to having a newborn baby can be difficult for parents

. The most problematic adjustment for most parents can be getting accustomed to baby sleep patterns. It's no secret that a new parent can expect many sleepless nights, so understanding what type of sleep their baby will be getting might help parents to realize what these first few months will be like.

A newborn baby, for the most part, does little more than sleep and feed. This keeps mother busy with breast-feeding and diaper changes around the clock. Baby sleep patterns for the first 3 weeks should be a total of 16-20 hours of sleep every day. Since they will only sleep for about 2 hours at a time, this means parents will only be able to take short naps for the first three weeks, or will need to sleep in shifts. At 3 weeks, baby will begin sleeping 16 to 18 hours per day, perhaps sleeping for longer periods. At 6 weeks, the baby will sleep even less, around 15 to 16 hours a day total. This means parents could expect to sleep a little more at this age.

The age of four months means baby will be sleeping 9 to 12 hours at night plus 2 naps during the day. Parents will rejoice as baby sleep patterns finally allow them to have a full night's sleep. Over the next few months, baby will continue to have more stable sleep patterns and give parents a much-needed break from interrupted sleep. These baby sleep patterns are necessary for baby to get the food and comfort she needs to develop normally. Making sure to understand what to expect at different stages can help prepare the new parents for the sleep they will be able to get as baby grows.

Understanding Baby Sleep Patterns

By: James Lunden

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