SLEEP CYCLES
Newborn sleep cycle
Learning about sleep cycles can help you understand your child's sleep needs and steer you towards implementing an age-appropriate routine.
In newborn babies there are just two stages in the sleep cycle, these are rapid eye movement (REM) and deep sleep. During REM sleep you may notice your baby twitching, their eyes might move around under their lids and their breathing might accelerate. During deep sleep your baby will be very still and quiet.
You will probably find that regardless of which of these stages your baby is in they will sleep soundly irrespective of environment and length of sleep.
4 month plus sleep cycle
At around four months old your baby's sleep starts to look more like yours as it develops into a four-stage cycle. During this transition your baby will experience lighter stages of sleep, may wake more easily and, if they are not able to self settle, a baby that was once a 'good sleeper' may appear to regress.
Without support or guidance you may find that this adjustment period can last anywhere up to six weeks, however, our gentle sleep plans enable you to managed these adjustments quickly.
The good news is that during this transition you may also find that your baby begins to sleep for longer periods during the night and shorter periods during the day.
our top tips for getting your child to sleep
Schedule
surroundings
surroundings
Implementing a daily routine with regular waking, meal, play and nap times will make your child feel secure and will help develop their understanding and expectations of daily life.
We recommend doing the same things in the same order each night e.g. bath, book, bed. This will act as a cueing system in your child's brain and they will know that sleep is coming at the end of it.
surroundings
surroundings
surroundings
Your child's sleep environment should be dark, quiet and kept at a temperature of about 16 to 20C. Blackout curtains can be used to help block out daylight and white noise can be a good way to drown out disruptive sounds.
Ideally you want your child to understand that it is a place to sleep and not play. As such, we recommend removing toys from reach before bedtime or keeping in an alternative space.
self-soothing
self-soothing
self-soothing
If your child regularly wakes in the night then self-soothing is key to them being able to re-settle and sleep independently.
This can be difficult for both you and your child but with the proper guidance and support self-soothing can be established quickly and consistently using gentle methods.
screens
self-soothing
self-soothing
You should turn off all screens at least 1 hour before bedtime in order to reduce the amount of blue light your child is exposed to. Blue light from screens can suppress the sleep hormone, melatonin, and delay sleepiness. Whereas, keeping lights dim encourages melatonin production and causes your child to become sleepy and relaxed.