Most newborns do just a few certain activities in their early months such as breastfeeding, pooping and sleeping. An average newborn needs almost 16 hours of sleep. Rest of the day, they either eat or poop. You will see that most newborns don’t follow a proper sleeping schedule in the first few months, but gradually a pattern seems to develop in their sleep and wake cycles. For many new parents, the sleeping hours of a child may be worrisome because of the irregularities in their pattern. It is important to remember that every child is unique in his needs, which is why habits of some children vary from others.

When Do Babies Stop Sleeping So Much?

A newborn will continue to sleep for an average of 16 hours per day or up until 3 months of age. They will not, however, take this sleep in a straight row. Infants tend to sleep more during the night and wake up every 4 to 6 hours to be fed. As time passes, they may start sleeping for longer hours throughout the night. As your baby turns two years old, he would prefer a continuous nighttime sleep to daytime sleep and their sleeping hours will shrink to about 12 hours per day.

Babies Natural Sleep Rhythms

The sleep-wake cycle in babies is mainly dependent upon their hormonal levels and core body temperature. When babies have high levels of adrenaline and raised temperature, theystay awake; similarly, when the levels of adrenaline and temperature are low in the body, the baby goes to sleep. This balance is a part of the biological clock also known as the circadian cycle, which helps maintain a sleep and wake pattern in synch with body hormonal levels and all associated changes.

Other Mother's Answers

Answer 1:

"I've read a book of Dr. Harvey Karp---The Happiest Baby on the Block. And he explains something concerning about the baby's alertness. It is said that a baby tends to be asleep in the beginning 2 weeks, when the baby passes that period, he will be more alert and be awake more easily."

Answer 2:

"Babies may vary from each other, and their sleep patterns are also different. Some other moms told me that their baby may be alert in deep nightwhich is similar to the routine in the womb. Also, my doula says that babies can develop a similar sleeping patter with the womb routine.

My little princess come to the world when she was around 37 weeks. In the first week, she slept through almost the whole day. But, until one day, she began to wake a lot and turn to be alert to look at things around her. During this process, parents need to keep in mind that take care of yourself and spare some time for you own."

Why Do Babies Need So Much Sleep?

After figuring out the question: when do babies stop sleeping so much, many new parents may wonder how the baby can sleep so much time. However, there are some reasons for such long periods of sleeping. They may include:

• Natural requirements: A baby needs almost 15 hours of sleep per day, this pattern is seen in almost all the children;and marks the slow transition from uterine life to the post-natal life.The nap time may range from 3 to 4 hours per session.
• Growth: Children undergo many metabolic changes in their body, which makes the babies become tired and sleepy more easily. During sleeping, babies perform the metabolism process.
• Feeding: For a child in feeding, the baby spends a lot of its time in gaining energy for growth, and that is why the baby gets tired quickly and usually sleeps after being fed.
• Unfixed pattern: Most children have altered sleep cycles. Most babies tend to stay asleep all day and wake up at night at irregular intervals only to bother mommy. Obviously there is not much you can do at this stage. Slowly and gradually you can incorporate healthy sleeping habits in the babies to live a more functional lifestyle.

Common Myths of Baby Sleep

Keeping the Baby Awake During the Day

The playtime for most children lies between 1:00 to 4:00 am, which is the worst time for any parent to be playing with their children. To solve this problem, many parents try to keep their child awake during the day with the hope that they will stay asleep during the night. Unfortunately, this is not true, even if children are kept awake during the day, they will still wake up during the night with a grumpier mood.

To fix the baby's sleep in a pattern of day and night sleep, keep the light of their room dim during the night, even if they are awake. Also, keep down any loud noises or activities. It may take a child up to six weeks to recognize day and night.

Sleeping Hours at Night

Every child has a unique pattern when it comes to sleeping at night. Some children start sleeping for long hours in the early months after their birth, while others may take months to get into a habit of sleeping at night. This is a very stressful time for parents, especially mothers who can barely catch up on their sleep or other house chores. However, it does not stay that way forever!

Tips to Reduce SIDS

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a fairly common occurrence in young babies due to poor reflexes and inability to turn and twirl. Here are some tips that are suggested by AAP to reduce the risk of SIDS in children.It is highly recommended that mother continue tobreastfeed your infants up to six months of age.
• Get your child vaccinated, studies have shown that immunization can reduce the risk of SIDS by 50%.
• If your child is diagnosed with a condition such as gastro esophageal reflux, consult your doctor before raising the head level of his crib.
• Minimize the use of infant seats, carriers or swings when putting the child to sleep as the posture might obstruct his airway.
• Avoid using special mattresses, wedges and positioners to decrease chances of SIDS.
• To reduce the risk of strangulation, place cribs and bassinets in hazard free areas also ensures that they do not have cords or wires attached.

Remember each child has special needs and therefore has different developmental patterns. Follow the suggested methods discussed in this article to help ease this adjustments.