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Baby Sleep Patterns

During the first three months of life, a baby's sleeping patterns are quite different from those she will experience the rest of her life. A newborn sleepswhere from twelve to eighteen hours every day, but this is not unbroken slur:Her small stomach capacity and her round-the-clock need for nutrients tcher rapid growth essentially guarantee that her life will consist of ongoing th -or four-hour cycles of feeding, wakefulness, and sleep. Like it or not, two or 1.feedings will be on the nighttime agenda for the first several weeks.

Furthermore, the patterns of brain activity during sleep are unique in a new-experience cycles of two different types of sleep—rapid eye movement, and non-REM—throughout the night. During REM sleep, the dreams are manifested by movements of the eyes. We may twitch, roll, or thrash, and we may be more ease -if the bed is cold, the bladder full, or the environment noisy. There is less movement, deeper andg, and increasing relaxation of muscles when we pass throughin repeated cycles throughout the night. Adults spend about one-abeir sleep time in REM sleep and the rest in non-REM.

Babies also manifest these types of sleep but spend equal time in each, alternating every thirty minutes. During non-REM, or quiet, sleep they will appear very relaxed, breathing regularly, and moving very little. During non-REM or- quiet, sleep they will appear very relaxed, breathingregularly, and moving very little, During REM or active sleep, they seem to come to life, moving arms and legs, changing facial expressions, breathing. less regularly, and perhaps making a variety of sounds. They may be experiencing their first dreams during these periods.

Adults and children older than about three months pass through the increasing depths of non-REM sleep before they enter a REM phase. But newborns reverse this pattern starting with a period of REM sleep before moving into non-REM phases. As a result, the new baby who has just fallen asleep may be easily awakened for twenty minutes or more, until she moves into her non-REM phases.

This accounts for those character-building situations for some parents in feel they are dealing with a little time bomb with a short fuse. A fed,in:arently tired baby fusses and resists but finally succumbs to sleep after prolonged cuddling and rocking. But when placed ever so gently into the cradle or crib, she suddenly startles and sounds off like a fire alarm. The cycle and over until everyone, baby included, is thoroughly exhausted andThe problem is that this baby isn't getting past her initial REM phase,ns to be one who is easily aroused out of it. If all else fails, the prob-y will resolve itself by the age of three months, when she shifts gearsnon-REM sleep first.

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