Research-backed
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There was a time when our grandmothers used to say that babies born during the day sleep better at night whereas those born at night are bound to be nocturnal and hence give you sleepless nights. However, there is no truth to these claims except for the fact that all newborn babies, irrespective of the time they are born in, give you sleepless nights!
But the most interesting part is that babies actually sleep a lot. According to the National Sleep Foundation (USA), on an average, newborn babies of up to 3 months old, sleep between 14 – 17 hours; infants who are 4 to 11 months old, sleep nearly 12 – 15 hours, and toddlers of 1 to 2 years of age sleep between 11 – 14 hours (1). These sleep times are considered healthy for a baby whereas any sleep below or above 3 hours of the borderline sleep time is not recommended.
So, if babies indeed sleep so much, why do we face sleepless nights with them around? This is because babies do not sleep for long hours at a time. According to the American Sleep Association, although newborn babies clock a sleep time of up to 16-17 hours, they can only sleep for 2 – 4 hours at one stretch (2). They keep waking up for feeds and poops. Another reason is that babies do not know the concept of day and night. At the time of birth, a baby’s body clock is yet to be established because of which he/she will generally sleep during the day and stay up at night.
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Now that we know the reason behind our sleepless nights, that brings us to the most important question – do babies actually need to sleep for that many numbers of hours? Yes. As per the American Sleep Association, a good amount of sleep is necessary for the development and growth of a newborn, both physically and psychologically (3). The human growth hormone is released when a baby is asleep. So, the longer a baby sleeps means more release of growth hormones.
Also, we tend to assume that babies sleep more since most of it is during the day. Another mistake that most of us commit is comparing a baby’s sleep time with that of adults. We need to understand that a baby’s sleep pattern is different than the adults’. Adults generally have a sleep cycle of 90 minutes whereas babies have a sleep cycle of 50 to 60 minutes only, which makes it unfair to compare (4).
As we all know that a newborn’s body clock isn’t developed at the time of birth, this is because the production of the melatonin hormone isn’t established. The melatonin hormone is responsible for regulating the sleep-wake rhythm in humans. While babies may sleep any time during the day, irrespective of morning or night, their melatonin development also begins to take shape. As babies grow, their body clock is eventually formed and makes them sleep longer hours during the night, helping you catch up on your sleep as well.
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So now you know how healthy it is for your baby to sleep more. Babies have a natural way of adapting to their surroundings. You may, however, help your baby understand the day-night difference by making subtle changes at home like keeping the house well lit and buzzing with activity during the day and dimming the lights and curbing noises at night. But never try to force your baby awake when he/she sleeps during the day in the hopes that it’ll help them sleep better at night. This will only make them tired and all the more restless at night.
Having said that, you need to understand that every baby has a unique sleep schedule. Do not compare your baby’s sleep time with someone else’s baby and worry yourself sick. As long your baby is active during his/her wake time, feeds and poops well, you need not bother.
