Many of us are convinced that babies should be sleeping through the night by three months, but this isn’t always true. There are many myths surrounding sleep, and it is often hard to distinguish what’s fact and what’s fiction. In a recent article in The Guardian, parenting expert Charles Schaefer shared the five most common myths about baby sleep and explained why they’re often incorrect.
The first myth about baby sleep is that sleep causes baby sleepiness. In actuality, newborns are naturally very sleepy, and will sleep for up to 18 hours a day. The sooner a baby is put to bed, the more likely it is that they will sleep through the night. Changing this myth can be dangerous, and could result in your child losing valuable sleep. Instead, try to adhere to your child’s natural rhythms and stick to it.
– Your baby doesn’t sleep through the night. Babies sleep for 20 minutes at a time. But they don’t wake up completely. Sometimes they only jerk, sigh or vocalize, and then go back to sleep again. This means that they’re getting more sleep than they need. Regardless of how you choose to handle your little one’s sleeping habits, it’s important to understand how your baby’s body works.
– Your baby doesn’t sleep because they’re tired. The truth is, babies don’t sleep because they’re tired – they sleep because they’re well-rested. This is why babies spend up to 18 hours of the day sleeping. The more tired they are, the less likely they are to sleep. And the more often they sleep, the better they’ll do. So don’t worry, your child will be happy and healthy!
– The main thing you need to know about baby sleep is that you don’t need to worry about your child’s sleep. It is completely normal to feel exhausted, but it’s not a cause of sleepiness. In fact, a baby should sleep about 18 hours a day if they’re well-rested. Nevertheless, there are several myths that can keep your baby from sleeping soundly at night.
– Most newborns experience two types of sleep: quiet and deep. The former is a danger and can be harmful. It’s hard for babies to wake up during quiet and deep sleep. And it is very difficult to wake up your baby from a deep, quiet sleep. Moreover, you need to provide plenty of oxygen to your baby during this phase of life. Hence, it is essential to understand the science behind sleep.
– Most newborns don’t lap into deep sleep. The majority of their sleep cycle consists of about 20 minutes of quiet, but the rest of the time, they’re in a REM state. A baby in REM stage is harder to wake up. So, a lot of parents think they can’t wake their child up after this stage. They’re wrong. They’re only trying to avoid their baby’s crying because they’re scared they’re not sleeping well.
– A newborn doesn’t lap into deep sleep. They spend the majority of their day in quiet and active sleep cycles. A typical newborn can sleep for up to 18 hours a day. Ideally, a baby should have at least nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each day. If you want your baby to sleep through the night, you can use the REM cycle to your advantage. If your newborn is overtired, he or she won’t be able to wake up.
In addition to myths about newborn sleep, many people don’t know that babies are not sleeping for the same reason they aren’t in deep sleep. In fact, they spend their entire day in REM and quiet stages. When your baby is overtired, he or she will be more likely to sleep more than a rested one. However, while REM sleep does not require a nap, it does mean that your baby needs a lot of rest.
