The low down on long and short baby naps

The low down on long and short baby naps

Long and short sleeps - what’s the difference?

You may have heard about  your baby having a long sleep or having a short sleep.  What is the difference?  What makes a short sleep and what makes a long sleep and what is the significance?  Here is the low down on long and short baby naps.

Basics of baby sleep patterns

We all have sleep cycles.  Very broadly we go to sleep, have a very short deep sleep and come to a light sleep, then cycle between light and deep sleep through the night. Of course sleep is much more complex than this.  I have just simplified it here to the main points to make it easier to illustrate.

The first sleep cycle is usually the shortest.  You can see the end of a cycle when your little one stirs or wakes up after a certain amount of time that you can usually predict.  For example, people will say “ He only sleeps for 30 minutes, never longer”. This would lead me to think that this particular child’s sleep cycle is 30 minutes.

Newborns often have only short sleep cycles.  They are often only about 20 minutes long.  Newborns may or may not get past the first sleep cycle, that is they may or may not resettle and move into a second sleep cycle.  It is normal for newborns to wake frequently.  As your baby grows and matures, sleep will mature too.

How long is a short sleep?

When your baby only sleeps for one cycle we call that a short sleep or a short nap.  When  your baby sleeps longer and gets into the second cycle, that is a long sleep.  In the second cycle is when your baby gets deep restorative sleep.

A short sleep may be all that your baby needs for this particular sleep time.  Baby sleep patterns for little ones under about 12 months include a number of sleeps each day and some of them may be short sleeps.  The key is to watch your baby’s behaviour,  know the signs and be able to take action in a timely fashion so that your baby doesn’t become over tired.

Newborn baby naps

New parents wonder about baby sleep patterns, whether baby naps are long enough or their baby is ‘catnapping’. This is important to some and not others and is an individual thing. Basically, judge it as you go. Short sleeps may be quite ok for a time, then as your baby matures your baby may start to need longer sleeps. How will you know this?  Your baby will be cranky and not happy when up. Or your baby may wake cranky.

Remember

Short and long naps are part of baby sleep patterns. A short nap is a single sleep cycle and may be all your baby needs sometimes. A long sleep in more than one sleep cycle. A long sleep provides deep, restorative sleep that helps your baby feel great. As your baby grows their sleep cycles grow too. Don’t worry about the number of minutes your baby sleeps, watch their behaviour and adjust their sleep patterns accordingly

For more help with your baby's sleep contact us at leisa@nsyncwithinfants.com