Sleep is an important part of your baby's development
Date :
Monday, May 24 2010
Source:
Autourina Mains
Three important components to sustain life are food, water and SLEEP. Without adequate sleep, the body can develop multiple health problems. While most adults need 6-8 hours of sleep per day, babies need at least 18 hours of sleep a day plus naps (especially newborns). As your baby grows he’ll require less sleep.
Sleep plays a vital role in your baby’s growth and development. It may seem like your newborn is doing nothing but sleep, but that is actually what he/she needs to be doing. A lot of sleep for your newborn is demanded by her/his rapid growth. Babies double their weight within the first six months of life. Your baby’s body goes from not being able to hold his head up at birth to almost sitting by six months. That is because while your baby is sleeping her body is producing growth hormone at rapid pace. Since babies use their senses (vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch) to learn about their world, keeping those sense alert is imperative. The brain works all day and sleep allows it time to rest and regenerate (although it is still working while the baby sleeps but in a different mode).
Good, healthy sleep increases brain power much like exercise increase muscle power. Sleeping well increases alertness; it relaxes the mind and the body and prepares the baby for learning. Without adequate sleep, optimal alertness which is needed for growth and development is not achievable. In order for the baby to learn, he/she has to be alert and have the attention span to learn new information. Sleep is needed for:
- Physical developments (Develop muscular system, develop skeletal system, Limbs, hair, nails, new skin, etc.)
- Cognitive growth (Thinking process, problem solving)
- Physical health
- Alertness and readiness to learn new information
- Social/emotional development (Tired babies are not very social)
Sleep can improve certain memory functions (brain development). Babies who have enough sleep are wide-eyed and looking around, calm, attentive, absorbing everything and socially pleasant (interact with adults and other little ones). ALWAYS keep safety at the top of your list:
- If the baby is sleeping longer than 4 hours during the day, wake the baby for feeding
- Don’t put anything in the crib that may block the baby’s breathing (plush toys, pillows, extra blankets, or other toys)
- Check for latest crib recalls
- To decrease chances of Sudden Infant Death, place the baby on his back rather than tummy
- Letting your baby get too tired is not a good idea. When overtired, babies may have trouble falling asleep, so keep a consistent schedule.
The first couple of month of your newborn’s life, you and the baby are trying to adjust to a new schedule and the baby may not be sleeping through the night, but by the second or third month the baby should be sleeping through the night. Make sure to get enough rest so you can maintain your health as well. I use to take a nap in the afternoons with my baby so that I could remain alert and be at my optimal functioning level. My naps lasted thirty minutes but they were just enough to rejuvenate me. So…don’t feel guilty for taking a little afternoon siesta, enjoy it while you can!