How much sleep does a baby need?

Parents often think little about their baby's sleep while expecting a baby. In the first few days after they come home, they experience their child's rhythm and how well the little one can sense the alternation of day and night. Frequent falling asleep often surprises new moms and dads.

Sleep needs can vary greatly. Newborns are still able to take short naps and are awake for only a short time. It is also common to get tired and fall asleep while breastfeeding. Until your newborn is 2 months old, he will only sleep for half an hour to an hour, and by the time he is one year old, he will only sleep twice during the day.

Sleep concerns usually focus on the quantity and sometimes the quality of rest. The fears are usually unfounded. Sometimes, parents perceive their baby to be sleeping little and for short periods of time due to their own fatigue. Sleep disorders can cause even greater uncertainty, but experience shows that these problems often resolve within 1-2 weeks at most.

Is the baby getting enough sleep? 

You can tell from your child's basic behavior whether the amount of sleep he needs is adequate. The generally established values ​​provide a good basis, but you should always take into account the physical and mental well-being of the baby. Your baby may sleep a little less than average, but still feel good, energetic and there are no problems with his eating.

What does a baby look like when they get enough sleep?

A balanced and rested little one may wake up groggy after sleep, but they will soon become active and watch the admiring gazes.

If he sleeps little, he becomes tense after waking up, gets tired quickly, is cranky, and cries, just like when he is tired.

Regular sleep deprivation can lead to health problems, so if you experience this, contact the appropriate specialist who can help you find out what may be behind the problem. A table summarizing your baby's sleep needs can also be useful in such cases. If your baby's total daily sleep needs are well below the average value, then the problem needs to be solved.

Sleep patterns change occasionally 

 A baby's development brings about continuous changes in their sleep needs and habits, and this is natural. While a newborn baby sleeps up to 6 or more times during the day and night (and these are mostly short naps with periods of wakefulness lasting 30 to 1 hour), a child approaching the age of one only sleeps about 3 times a day and can stay awake for 5 hours.

During development, you may experience small or large changes, sometimes suddenly, from one day to the next. These may cause some difficulty at the time, but think of them as natural stages in your child's development, as this is how they gradually develop into longer periods of wakefulness. Frequent, shorter daytime naps will slowly be replaced by 2, then 1 sleep per day.

(Source: Early Childhood Program , Kismamablog )

Every child's sleep habits are different. 

This is something that parents with multiple children often experience. While one child would listen to several bedtime stories in a row and stay awake for a long time, another senses early that it's time for sleep and goes to bed on their own. Some wake up early in the morning on their own, and some are real little sleepers.

The quality of sleep babies get can also vary. Those who are really deep sleepers don't even move, while those who are more alert startle at every little sound.

Sleep problems

 Almost every parent experiences a period when their baby's previously well-functioning sleep habits suddenly change. At this time, the little one becomes more fussy and impatient, which their parents want to fix as soon as possible and establish a routine and calmness for the nights and days.

There are countless sleep difficulties that can arise in a baby's life, and we will now mention the most common ones.

Days and nights are changing

When a baby wakes up at night and stays up for several hours, it's actually like morning has arrived for them. Parents often notice that their baby's sleep is like a reversal of days and nights. This can be an extremely tiring time for adults, as it leads to insomnia at night.

The living organism has biological processes that repeat themselves according to a 24-hour daily rhythm. This is called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm of the newborn is not yet fully developed - although the rudimentary ability to do so begins to form in the last weeks of pregnancy - and therefore the proper rhythm of days and nights may be disturbed.

Since the day and night rhythms usually become balanced by 2 months of age at the latest, if you notice a similar problem, you can be reassured that this is only temporary. You can help by creating a day and night routine for your little one - with more active, bright days and quiet, dark nights - so that he will more easily develop his own rhythm.

(Source: ParentBaby )

Crying at night 

Not every time your baby wakes up crying in a frighteningly loud voice, there is a serious problem. Since your baby can still communicate his needs to you through his voice, he will also communicate minor things in this way. Hunger, teething, arousal to noise, or even separation anxiety can be the underlying causes.

However, there are cases when it is worth or necessary to consult a specialist. If the baby is sick, for example, has a fever or suffers from regular stomach pain.

Not getting enough sleep

If your baby is sleepless, the first step is to look at your daily routine, your daily rhythm, which should apply to your life as well as your child's. It is inevitable to reorganize your own days so that they can fully adapt to your little one's rest time.

When we introduce a new system into our everyday lives, we need to dedicate the right amount of time to it, which can take a few weeks, but it's worth it. During this time, the family's – and especially the baby's – rhythm will develop. After that, we just need to be careful not to change the daily routine for any reason, as this could cause disruption. If we are traveling or if our grandparents have their little grandchild sleeping over, we should still carefully follow and adhere to the important rules that have already been well-established and familiar.

Having trouble falling asleep

This may be a given, but we can still try to help the situation. Sleep rituals help your little one relax. Usually, the evening bath and darkness mean that rest is approaching for him. Certain bedtime routines - such as a soothing bath - create a natural expectation for sleep in your baby and gradually deepen his relaxation.

We can read a bedtime story, sing a song. This way we create a safe environment in which the little one can relax and transition more easily into the sleep phase. Some babies fall asleep quickly in a certain familiar sleeping position .

It is worth keeping well-established habits as long as possible, as they help a lot in undisturbed rest. If there is any change in the daily routine, consistency is still important, as the already well-established schedule can be upset in a few days. 

Specialists for sleep problems 

If you notice a sleep problem that you cannot solve yourself, feel free to contact a specialist! Several of our healthcare institutions (such as the Early Childhood Eating and Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic of the Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute and other private institutions) can provide effective help, with a detailed examination if necessary.

We can also seek advice if we want to prevent sleep problems or, in the case of twins, to arrange for siblings to rest together.

Nowadays, there is no problem related to a baby that we can't handle on our own. A baby's emotional state, balance, and rest are just as important as their physical health, and we can seek professional help in almost every situation.