Unraveling the mystery of infant sleep

How is the sleep of a child different from that of an adult?

Our sleep consists of many successive sleep cycles, each of which has two parts: light sleep and deep sleep. In young children, the duration of light sleep is longer than deep sleep, and the sleep cycle is shorter than that of adults. Each sleep cycle lasts only 30-50 minutes. 

Usually, babies will sleep lightly, twisting, gurgling for up to 20 minutes before falling into a deep sleep. Babies also wake up easily after each sleep cycle. Some babies cry loudly, asking to go back to sleep when they wake up.This makes parents mistakenly think that their children are not sleeping well. Light sleep is completely normal in young children; this type of sleep helps the baby's brain continue to develop during sleep and easily wake up when hungry.

The older the child, the shorter his light sleep will be. From 13 onwards, light sleep only accounts for 20% of sleep time.

How much sleep is enough for children?

Children under 6 months:

Newborns usually sleep 16 hours/day. Babies are unfamiliar with the fact that people sleep at night, so they will sleep and wake up for short naps all day and night.

Each infant sleeps about 40 minutes. Babies usually wake up 2-3 times during the night to feed. A small number of premature or low-birth-weight babies may need to wake up after a period to feed to get enough milk.

From 3-6 months: baby sleeps 2-3 times a day, each sleep is about 2 hours. Babies can stay awake during the night many times, some babies have slept for 4-5 hours at night.

Children 6-12 months:

Most babies start sleeping for 6 hours or more during the night and wake up less often. However, babies usually need at least 30 minutes to fall asleep. 

About 60% of babies wake up only once at night and need their parents to calm them down to get back to sleep. 10% of babies still cry 3-4 times during the night. Baby still has a few naps for 1-2 hours a day.

Waking up at night has to do with fear of separation from parents. This is a typical psychological manifestation of the baby. Children need to overcome this fear to become more independent at night.

Children from 12 months:

From this age, the baby sleeps better. Some babies begin to play with their families and refuse to sleep from around 18 months of age. Still, 5% of 2-year-olds wake up three or more times during the night.

Children from 3 years old:

Children aged 3-5 years need 11-13 hours of sleep at night. Some babies still need an hour's nap during the day. From the age of 5, babies no longer need daytime sleep. Children 6-9 years old need 10-11 hours of sleep at night.

Parents need to recognize the signs of tired and sleepy children to stop playing or get them to bed because if parents wait until they are too tired, it will be more difficult to coax the baby to sleep.

Signs of sleepiness in babies

Newborns usually get tired after waking for 1 to 1,5 hours. Babies often show the following signs:

• Ear twitch

• Hold your hand tight

• Yawn

• Not concentrating, looking dull, far away

• Lightly jerking arms and legs, stretching

• Worried, scowling face

• Thumbsucker

Signs of sleepiness in older children:

• 3-12 months, babies often fall asleep after 1:30-3:00 am awake

• 12-18 months, babies are often sleepy if they skip morning or afternoon naps

Signs of a sleepy baby:

• Stir

• Cling on

• Crying, getting attention

• Bored of toys, fussing when eating

Is baby sleepy or hungry?

Babies may cry or fuss because they're tired, but sometimes it's hard to tell if they're sleepy or hungry. If the baby has been fed within the previous 2 hours, probably the baby is tired. You can give your baby some milk or food when you are unsure. If your baby drinks a little and then continues to stir, the baby needs to sleep.

What to do when the baby is sleepy?

Reduce stimulation

• Take your baby to the bedroom or where they usually sleep

• Put away toys

• Keep quiet and be gentle

• Take down the curtains, turn off the lights

• Can play soothing music

Keep quiet

• Having a quiet time before bed often makes it easier for babies to fall asleep

• You can use this time to cuddle, read a story or sing a lullaby

• Sometimes your baby just needs a few minutes of quiet to relax and get ready for bed, but if your home is often noisy, your baby may need more time to get ready for bed.

If children often have sleep problems or parents need advice on good bedtime habits practice, register with CarePlus to get a doctor's appointment. Visit and consult via the free hotline 18006116 or inbox Fanpage/Zalo CarePlus Clinic Vietnam or register online at the website. Download the CarePlus app for faster scheduling and more convenient calendar tracking!

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