How do I know if my baby is getting enough sleep?
How do I know if my baby is getting enough sleep?
By doing a quick Google search, you’ll likely find a few ranges broken down by age. Let’s take a look at what the National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics say...
In a 24-hour period (including naps):
Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
Infants (4-11 months): 12-16 hours
Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours (or up to 15)
If your baby is falling into this range, you can typically feel confident that your baby is getting what they need. But in addition to the recommended hours of sleep, you should also be on the lookout for these indicators:
Does your baby wake up happy? Typically, babies who wake up very cranky do so because they don’t feel fully rested
Does your baby have a good appetite? Sometimes babies lose interest in food and other activities when they are overtired.
Does your baby engage with you and others well? Often, babies who aren’t getting enough sleep suddenly have a glazed-over look and will have a hard time engaging fully with others.
Does your baby have a generally happy disposition? While some babies are happy even with lack of sleep, it is more common for babies to be mistakenly labeled as colic when truly they are overtired. Just as adults are typically in better moods when well-rested, babies need their rest to feel their best!
Are you following the proper awake windows? If your little one doesn't show obvious sleep signs, it's extra important to follow awake windows and make sure they're not too long. Keep in mind that these might vary depending on how long of naps your baby is taking and how rested they are from night sleep.
Does your older baby sleep (mostly) through the night? If your baby (not newborn) is waking up several times per night and having trouble falling back asleep, they are likely not experiencing the deep sleep they need to feel fully rested. In order to help night sleep consolidate, there are several areas you need to address first, such as sleep crutches, sleep environment, and nutrition. Additional tips can be found in this article.
Does your baby take consistent naps that are at least 1½ hours? If your baby isn't getting the sleep they need during the day, or taking long enough naps, then it is likely they are going into bedtime already overtired, leading to a cycle of sleep deficit, which can also lead to early wake-ups. Aside from making sure you are following appropriate awake windows, it is also important to follow a consistent routine and have a good sleep environment.
Does your baby take less than 30 minutes to fall asleep? If your baby takes a long time to fall asleep, it is actually possible that awake windows are too short and there needs to be more sleep pressure built up. However, it is also possible that you've missed your child's sleep window, which can cause cortisol levels to rise and melatonin to suppress, leading to a very awake and overstimulated baby! Sometimes it is just trial and error to find your baby's sweet spot with timing of naps/bedtime.
But why is it such a big deal for my baby to get enough sleep?
Learning: During sleep, our brains are “constantly repackaging neurotransmitters.” These neurotransmitters are important in proper brain development and learning. As pediatric sleep psychologist W. David Brown says, “Little children learn at a rate that will never again be achieved in the rest of the life cycle … and if they’re not getting an adequate amount of sleep, they simply cannot learn up to that par.” Basically, the amount of sleep that your little one gets can have irreversible effects on their learning.
Attention span: Sometimes toddlers and children who seem like they have ADHD are actually just sleep-deprived. Lack of sleep can cause an inability to focus in children (and adults!).
Obesity: Sleep also affects our appetite-controlling hormones. Without enough sleep, our bodies think we're hungry when we really aren't - a large contributor to obesity. A lack of sleep usually makes children (and adults) too tired to exercise, so with a bigger appetite, less physical activity, and higher insulin levels (also caused by short sleep duration), it’s a recipe for weight gain, causing obesity as early as age three.
Emotional health: A study showed that after just two nights of poor-quality sleep, children did not find as much pleasure in things they were known to love. They also had trouble remembering details of happy memories or things they had done. Another study, although not focused on babies, shows that for each half hour less of sleep that a kid gets at age 6, they have a 22% higher chance of showing emotional disorder symptoms at age 8.
Based on the recommendations and the questions at the beginning of this article, is your baby getting enough sleep?
If not, we can help with that! Feel free to contact us, try our online sleep courses, or check out one of our sleep guides.
Related articles:
How much sleep does your child need?
These are the alarming dangers of sleep deprivation
Sources:
Healthline
NBC News
Neurology Advisor