The short sleep cycle of a newborn
A sleep cycle consists of different sleep stages. In adults, the sleep cycle is around 90 to 120 minutes, during which we go through four sleep stages: light sleep, deeper sleep, deepest sleep and REM sleep. Like adults, babies also have a sleep cycle, but it is much shorter: around 45 minutes. It can also take babies a lot longer to reach deep sleep. This is the why, for example, your baby falls asleep in your arms, but when you put him or her in bed, he or she wakes up immediately. Your baby is still in the light sleep stage.
Adults are able to put together several sleep cycles, so that we do not wake up immediately after one cycle. But this is different in babies, who are not yet able to link sleep cycles, which means that they often wake up after one sleep cycle, i.e. after around 45 minutes. We refer to these as naps. Naps are very normal for babies, who need time to link together these sleep cycles so that they can sleep for longer stretches at a time.
Newborn won’t sleep during a leap
At around four to six weeks of age, your baby will experience his or her first developmental leap. This leap can affect your baby’s sleeping habits. During the first leap, your baby comes into a world full of sensations. When going through leaps, babies seem to have a difficult time achieving a calm deep sleep. This may be because during a leap, babies spend a relatively longer time in REM sleep in order to make new brain connections. Not surprisingly, your newborn may wake up at the slightest noise or movement. After all, he or she is in the light sleep phase and everyone wakes up easily during this stage. Give your baby the opportunity to reach deep sleep. If this is only possible on the reassuring lap of mum or dad, give him or her that opportunity.
Good to know: 90% of parents experience sleep deprivation after having a baby. It’s not your fault. It’s not your baby’s fault. Your baby’s sleep needs and yours simply collide naturally.
