To sleep perchance to dream
26 Oct 2010

To sleep, perchance to dream

3 mins to read
From the moment a baby is born, sleep (or the lack of it) becomes a topic of agony and analysis for parents. Stephanie Oley looks at some comfort factors that may be affecting your baby or toddler's sleep.


It's no secret that young babies go hand-in-hand with sleep deprivation. Once bub begins sleeping through, you may find yourself confronted with toddler issues, such as new-found independence, over-stimulation and over-commitment. But some basic rules on nutrition and routine can still go a long way.  

How to ensure enough quality sleep? If there’s one thing naturopaths agree on, it’s the importance of having a consistent schedule. The sleep-wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythms, is regulated by light and dark and begins to develop at around six weeks. By three to six months most infants have a regular cycle.

Baby

Basic needs – Newborns can sleep up to 18 hours per day, and infants aged three to eleven months typically sleep 9-12 hours during the night and have daytime naps. Remember, a baby’s sleep cycles are erratic at first and take time to develop. 

Problems and solutions – Sleep problems can arise from things like not establishing a routine, or being unaware of discomfort factors such as heat, cold or the effects of reflux. Some things to try:  

  • Establish a ritual – Teach your baby that sleep follows a series of activities, such as feeding, bathing and gentle play or reading. Avoid sleep associations that will be hard to maintain later, such as rocking or feeding your baby to sleep. 
  • Settle when drowsy – Learn to spot the early signs of tiredness, such as eye rubbing and lags in concentration, and put your baby to bed when still awake. This will encourage your baby to be a ‘self-soother’.

Toddlers and preschoolers

Basic needs – Children aged between one and three need about 12-14 hours sleep in a 24-hour cycle (including daytime naps). Three to five-year-olds typically sleep 11 to 13 hours each night. 

Problems and solutions – The increasing independence, agility and imagination of toddlers and preschoolers are some of the factors behind bedtime resistance. Some tips:   

  • Ensure active days – Plenty of activity and fresh air during the day will promote good sleep.
  • Have calm, consistent evenings – Keep a cool, dark, quiet bedroom and a consistent bedtime routine. Going through the same motions at night teaches your child to learn the signals for bedtime.
  • Shorten daytime sleeps – Some children stop having daytime naps before the age of two; others nap until they’re four or five. In my experience, I’ve found that you may have to shorten the nap to an hour (or even 30 minutes) or bring it forward if they're simply not tired at bedtime.

Tummy trouble

Blackmores Advisory naturopath Charmaine Sofia says that when it comes to breast-feeding, each mother and baby pair is different. “Some babies can be food-sensitive and react to traces of foods in breast milk. If your baby is sensitive to foods you eat, they may start to become fussy after feedings, cry inconsolably, wake abruptly, and seem generally uncomfortable.”

Drinks are another story, however. Any more than one or two caffeinated drinks per day, and you might find your baby is irritable and has trouble sleeping. “Your baby's body can't easily break down and excrete caffeine, especially in the first few months of life, so over time it may accumulate in their system,” says Sofia.  

Alcohol enters breast milk directly from your blood, and it will be present in your breast milk 30 to 60 minutes after you begin your first drink. As a general rule, it takes two to three hours for an average woman to get rid of the alcohol from one standard alcoholic drink. 

Like older children, your baby or toddler should have a balanced diet rich in whole foods such as lean protein, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and essential fatty acids.  

REM and non-REM sleep

You may also find it helpful to understand a young child's sleep cycles. There are two alternating cycles of sleep: rapid-eye-movement (REM), or light dream sleep, and non-REM or quiet sleep. It’s during the latter that blood supply to the tissues is increased, energy is restored, important hormones are released and tissue is repaired and grown.

A newborn’s sleep is 50 per cent REM and 50 per cent non-REM, with each cycle lasting about 50 minutes. No wonder we’re so anxious to tiptoe around a sleeping infant.  

In a six-month old baby, REM makes up 30 per cent of sleep. Toddlers already have a near-adult sleep pattern, with non-REM sleep occurring every 90 minutes. In adults, REM comprises 20 per cent of sleep and the non-REM cycle occurs every 90 minutes.

Did you know? A child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep

References available on request



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