Babies have shorter sleep cycles than you do. Most adult sleep cycles last around 90 minutes going from light sleep to deep sleep, and then back to light sleep. An infants' sleep cycle is shorter than an adults, lasting around 50 to 60 minutes, so they experience a vulnerable period for night time waking around every hour or even less.
In their first few months babies enter sleep through an initial stage of light sleep which usually lasts for around twenty minutes or more, then they will gradually enter deep sleep. After about an hour, your baby will re enter the phase of light sleep. They may wriggle around a bit, their eyelids may flutter, and you could notice that their breathing pattern changes. This is the time many babies will wake up.
What you need to keep in mind is that when babies are very young they need you to tend to them in the night. They need you to feed them, change them (I know I wouldn't like to sleep in cold wet underwear!)tuck them back in, and maybe they just need a bit of comforting and reassurance from mum or dad.
I think sometimes new parents can get a little overwhelmed with all the advice on what their baby should be doing. And often you feel like you are in some competition of "who's the better parent." I can tell you now that some parents often exaggerate how long their baby sleeps. And if they tell you something like... their baby has been sleeping through the night since they were 6 weeks old, you know they are either very lucky, or they are lying!
In the first three months, babies seldom sleep for more than four hours without needing to be fed. Little babies have little tummies and as a result need to be fed often. Yet, they usually sleep a total of 14-18 hours a day.
From three to six months, most babies are awake for longer and have more active periods during the day and some may sleep for around five hours at a time during the night. You can expect your baby to wake one or two times during the night. Around three to six months of age you should also see the period of deep sleep lengthen. The lighter sleep and night time waking will start to decrease and babies are able to enter deep sleep more quickly. This is called sleep maturity.
Remember that your baby's sleep habits are more to do with your baby's temperament rather than your parenting skills.
For more Baby and Toddler related articles visit: MyQtBaby.com.
