Understanding Newborn and Infant Sleep Patterns

Newborns sleep up to 18 hours daily in short bursts of 2-4 hours. Their sleep isn't yet synchronized with the day-night cycle, leading to irregular sleep patterns for parents.

Infants spend about 50% of sleep in REM (rapid eye movement) phase, which is essential for the extraordinary development happening in their brains during the early months.

Sleep promotes growth. A hormone responsible for growth is primarily secreted during deep sleep. So, those seemingly endless naps are vital for healthy baby development.

Babies typically learn to self-soothe and sleep through the night around 3-6 months. This milestone can vary significantly as it's influenced by temperament and parental interventions.

Establishing a bedtime routine early on can help signal to your baby that it's time to sleep. Consistent patterns like a warm bath, story, or lullaby can ease the transition to rest.

Babies' napping patterns change over time. They start with multiple naps and gradually move to fewer, longer naps. By the age of two, most toddlers transition to one nap per day.

Sleep patterns aren't just biological; they're cultural. For instance, in some cultures, co-sleeping is common, affecting how and when babies sleep through the night.