In the first 12 months, babies' sleeping patterns change significantly with their developing circadian rhythms.
Circadian rhythms regulate sleep-wake cycles along with hormone release and body temperature. It is like the body's internal clock. And rhythms are influenced by other factors such as light, darkness, and feeding patterns.
The circadian rhythm starts developing in babies after birth. They are yet to produce the sleep hormone (known as melatonin), the internal body clock is yet to be synchronized with the day and night cycle, and other factors disrupting longer sleep like frequent feeding.
Sleeping pattern at different ages looks like below,
0-3 Months: Baby sleeps around 14-17 hours a day
> Daytime sleep of 6-8 hours and nighttime sleep of 8-9 hours
3-6 Months: Baby sleeps around 12-16 hours a day
> Daytime sleep of 4-6 hours and nighttime sleep of 9-10 hours
6-9 Months: Baby sleeps around 12-15 hours a day
> Daytime sleep of 3-5 hours and nighttime sleep of 10-11 hours
9-12 Months: Baby sleeps around 12-14 hours a day
> Daytime sleep of 2-4 hours and nighttime sleep of 10-12 hours
The circadian rhythm development timeline can be like the below,
0-6 weeks: Most of the time goes into sleep, but during this time, the baby's sleep cycle is irregular with no day and night distinction
6-12 weeks: During this time, the body responds to light cues, and sleep periods become longer at night time.
3-4 months: This is the age when circadian rhythms start working and produce the sleep hormone
6 months: From this age, the baby's sleep becomes more predictable. Baby develops a sleep schedule with day and night cycle and sleeps more in the night.
Role of Parents to support healthy sleeping pattern.
> Give exposure to natural daylight environments
> Keep room dark at night with a dim light only if it is required
> Completely avoid screen time for babies, especially in the evening and night, and keep the environment quiet
> Create a bedtime routine for 6-8 weeks with a specific time for the baby and try to maintain a wake-up time.
> Prefer nighttime feeding in low light with negligible activity for a longer and calm night's sleep
> After a certain age when the sleep cycle is more mature, set a routine for daytime naps to avoid late evening awkward sleeping pattern
> Maintain feeding intervals during the day time in a way to support longer night sleep
> Let baby sleep in the bed when drowsy but awake to promote self-soothing, which allows them to learn self-soothing
Quality sleep is important, and it contributes to a baby's overall growth and development.