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Soft, gorgeous newborns welcome parents to gently rock and feed them to sleep. This pleasurable experience is very rewarding and can work well for the first few months, but sleepytime can later develop into a bit of a nightmare! You may find yourself becoming mentally and physically exhausted – and at a loss as to why your precious angel won’t lay her head down for long during the day and will then wake continually throughout the night.
Researchers are still learning what happens during sleep, but we do know some things contribute to how sleep patterns are developed and how sleep is, of course, not a luxury, but a biological necessity for babies’ health and wellbeing and the functioning of bodily systems.
Cycles and phases
Sleep is divided into cycles, which are made up of different phases. When babies fall asleep they enter an active phase of sleep (REM sleep) and then progress to a deeper phase (NREM), before lightening into an active phase again. Babies have more REM sleep than adults, which is why they are often noisy sleepers who are easily roused.
The ability to sleep from one cycle into the next can be interrupted for various reasons, and it’s often these switch-over times where problems occur. The inability to sleep past one cycle creates the pattern of short sleeps, or catnapping.
But newborns who only sleep for short periods will start to sleep for longer periods as they get older, because the length of sleep cycles grows with age. A newborn’s sleep cycle is about 20 to 30 minutes in length, for older babies it’s 40 to 50 minutes, for preschoolers around 75 minutes and for adults 90 minutes.
Also, an internal biological clock, our ‘circadian rhythm’ governs how we move in and out of sleep and wakefulness during a 24-hour period. Because this rhythm takes several weeks to develop, some newborns have their nights and days mixed up, making their sleep even more wonky! You can help bub develop this night-and-day rhythm by waking her at regular intervals to feed during the day and leaving her to wake naturally overnight. Making sure she gets plenty of natural light during the daylight hours and that her room is kept dark at night will also help.
Hungry tummies
Another key reason why little bubbas wake frequently is because of the need to feed. Newborns need to be fed at frequent intervals both during the day and night. If you’re breastfeeding, this regular offering of the breast is also important in the early weeks to help establish a good milk supply. From six weeks of age, you may choose to breastfeed your baby at three- to four-hourly intervals during the day (if you’re bottle-feeding, bub will need to feed slightly less frequently), using self-settling sleep techniques rather than feeding to sleep to get your baby down and to then re-settle her.
Return to the womb
If your newborn is unable to fall asleep on her own, she may benefit from comforts similar to those she experienced in the womb. Create a womb environment of warmth and security with cuddles and swaddling. Mimic womb movement with rocking and swaying and re-create womb noises by playing white noise. Help your baby avoid becoming overtired by giving her a breastfeed or a suckle on a dummy if she is still not settled after 10 minutes.
If bub is still not settling using these measures, there may be other causes to consider, such as reflux pain, a poorly tolerated infant formula, digestive discomfort or hunger if you are breastfeeding and have an unbalanced diet. Your angel may also be overtired or overstimulated.
Babies who are comforted to sleep by external womb-like pleasures can be weaned off them by four months of age, which is when babies tend to start becoming more settled on the whole. This can be done by putting bub in her cot when she is settled but not totally asleep. Fade out womb noises and reduce top-up settling feeds or the use of a dummy. You may also want to leave an arm out of the wrap so your baby can suck her fist at around three months.
Growing older
From four months of age, brain development can be the cause of night wakefulness. Waking itself isn’t typically the problem – it’s usually how bub has (or hasn’t, as the case may be) learnt to fall back asleep. Mum or Dad may be needed to reinsert a dummy, offer a feed or rock bub back to sleep.
Babies older than four months who catnap during the day and wake frequently overnight may also be showing signs of being overtired, hungry or ill. It could also be something as simple as teething that’s the problem, or your little one may be too excited practising new abilities, such as rolling, to have a good sleep.
Sleep is individual and some babies will function well and be happy on less sleep than others. You’ll know if catnapping with some night-waking is adequate if your baby wakes happy and remains in good spirits and alert until her next sleep time. If she wakes tearful and is demanding attention 15 minutes after waking from a nap, she is tired and has not had enough sleep.
Ask our expert:
WHEN TO MOVE BABY TO HIS OWN ROOM
Q: It’s amazing how fast new babies grow! Our son is about to outgrow his bassinette and so we’ll be moving him to a cot in his own room. How can we help ease this transition for him?
Penelope, via email
A: The time for this move is different for every baby and every parent. There is no right or wrong age, providing you are all ready for the change. Bub’s age will determine how you approach the situation, but the change can be made easier if you have the room set up similarly to your own room, which he is used to sleeping in. For example, if the window was behind his head or the door on his right in your room, try to match this in his own sleep space. Prepare this a few weeks before the move and play in there together during the day. Establish pre-sleep rituals before the move and continue these when you start in the new environment. Be confident – your littlie is more adaptable than you think!
WHEN TO CUT NAILS
Q: My little bubba is scratching himself with his nails. What’s the safest way to cut them? (A friend bit her child’s off!) And how can I stop him from scratching his beautiful face?
Marlie, Coffs Harbour NSW
A: Babies’ little nails grow fast and so scratching is a common problem. Biting or ripping your child’s nails off is best avoided as this can result in paronychia (an infection of the nail bed), but cutting your bub’s nails is a two-person job! Which tool you choose depends on whether you are comfortable using scissors or clippers, and you can get baby versions of both. Scissors for cutting babies’ nails are small with blunted tips and clippers are small with curved blades, and some even have soft protective strips and illumination. If you find the thought of cutting or clipping too stressful, cover your son’s hands with mittens, socks or the built-in fold-over cuffs of long-sleeve bodysuits.
Researchers are still learning what happens during sleep, but we do know some things contribute to how sleep patterns are developed and how sleep is, of course, not a luxury, but a biological necessity for babies’ health and wellbeing and the functioning of bodily systems.
Cycles and phases
Sleep is divided into cycles, which are made up of different phases. When babies fall asleep they enter an active phase of sleep (REM sleep) and then progress to a deeper phase (NREM), before lightening into an active phase again. Babies have more REM sleep than adults, which is why they are often noisy sleepers who are easily roused.
The ability to sleep from one cycle into the next can be interrupted for various reasons, and it’s often these switch-over times where problems occur. The inability to sleep past one cycle creates the pattern of short sleeps, or catnapping.
But newborns who only sleep for short periods will start to sleep for longer periods as they get older, because the length of sleep cycles grows with age. A newborn’s sleep cycle is about 20 to 30 minutes in length, for older babies it’s 40 to 50 minutes, for preschoolers around 75 minutes and for adults 90 minutes.
Also, an internal biological clock, our ‘circadian rhythm’ governs how we move in and out of sleep and wakefulness during a 24-hour period. Because this rhythm takes several weeks to develop, some newborns have their nights and days mixed up, making their sleep even more wonky! You can help bub develop this night-and-day rhythm by waking her at regular intervals to feed during the day and leaving her to wake naturally overnight. Making sure she gets plenty of natural light during the daylight hours and that her room is kept dark at night will also help.
Hungry tummies
Another key reason why little bubbas wake frequently is because of the need to feed. Newborns need to be fed at frequent intervals both during the day and night. If you’re breastfeeding, this regular offering of the breast is also important in the early weeks to help establish a good milk supply. From six weeks of age, you may choose to breastfeed your baby at three- to four-hourly intervals during the day (if you’re bottle-feeding, bub will need to feed slightly less frequently), using self-settling sleep techniques rather than feeding to sleep to get your baby down and to then re-settle her.
Return to the womb
If your newborn is unable to fall asleep on her own, she may benefit from comforts similar to those she experienced in the womb. Create a womb environment of warmth and security with cuddles and swaddling. Mimic womb movement with rocking and swaying and re-create womb noises by playing white noise. Help your baby avoid becoming overtired by giving her a breastfeed or a suckle on a dummy if she is still not settled after 10 minutes.
If bub is still not settling using these measures, there may be other causes to consider, such as reflux pain, a poorly tolerated infant formula, digestive discomfort or hunger if you are breastfeeding and have an unbalanced diet. Your angel may also be overtired or overstimulated.
Babies who are comforted to sleep by external womb-like pleasures can be weaned off them by four months of age, which is when babies tend to start becoming more settled on the whole. This can be done by putting bub in her cot when she is settled but not totally asleep. Fade out womb noises and reduce top-up settling feeds or the use of a dummy. You may also want to leave an arm out of the wrap so your baby can suck her fist at around three months.
Growing older
From four months of age, brain development can be the cause of night wakefulness. Waking itself isn’t typically the problem – it’s usually how bub has (or hasn’t, as the case may be) learnt to fall back asleep. Mum or Dad may be needed to reinsert a dummy, offer a feed or rock bub back to sleep.
Babies older than four months who catnap during the day and wake frequently overnight may also be showing signs of being overtired, hungry or ill. It could also be something as simple as teething that’s the problem, or your little one may be too excited practising new abilities, such as rolling, to have a good sleep.
Sleep is individual and some babies will function well and be happy on less sleep than others. You’ll know if catnapping with some night-waking is adequate if your baby wakes happy and remains in good spirits and alert until her next sleep time. If she wakes tearful and is demanding attention 15 minutes after waking from a nap, she is tired and has not had enough sleep.
Ask our expert:
WHEN TO MOVE BABY TO HIS OWN ROOM
Q: It’s amazing how fast new babies grow! Our son is about to outgrow his bassinette and so we’ll be moving him to a cot in his own room. How can we help ease this transition for him?
Penelope, via email
A: The time for this move is different for every baby and every parent. There is no right or wrong age, providing you are all ready for the change. Bub’s age will determine how you approach the situation, but the change can be made easier if you have the room set up similarly to your own room, which he is used to sleeping in. For example, if the window was behind his head or the door on his right in your room, try to match this in his own sleep space. Prepare this a few weeks before the move and play in there together during the day. Establish pre-sleep rituals before the move and continue these when you start in the new environment. Be confident – your littlie is more adaptable than you think!
WHEN TO CUT NAILS
Q: My little bubba is scratching himself with his nails. What’s the safest way to cut them? (A friend bit her child’s off!) And how can I stop him from scratching his beautiful face?
Marlie, Coffs Harbour NSW
A: Babies’ little nails grow fast and so scratching is a common problem. Biting or ripping your child’s nails off is best avoided as this can result in paronychia (an infection of the nail bed), but cutting your bub’s nails is a two-person job! Which tool you choose depends on whether you are comfortable using scissors or clippers, and you can get baby versions of both. Scissors for cutting babies’ nails are small with blunted tips and clippers are small with curved blades, and some even have soft protective strips and illumination. If you find the thought of cutting or clipping too stressful, cover your son’s hands with mittens, socks or the built-in fold-over cuffs of long-sleeve bodysuits.
The Facts About Catnapping