BABY'S SLEEP: WHAT STAGES AT WHAT AGE?
For young parents, the question of baby's sleep is very often at the heart of discussions. How many hours a day should he sleep? At what age will he sleep through the night? What are the rhythms and times of sleep? We explain everything to you so that you can better understand your baby's sleep needs and how they change as he grows.
Baby's sleep: cycles that gradually become more complex
In babies, sleep cycles are shorter than in adults: about 50 minutes compared to 90 minutes. Initially, the nature of the cycles is very simplified, and then it evolves with age. This explains why babies' sleep is sometimes difficult for parents to understand!
- From birth to 2 months: falling asleep - restless sleep - calm sleep;
- From 2 to 9 months: falling asleep - REM sleep - slow wave sleep - deep slow wave sleep. REM sleep is when dreams occur.
- After 9 months: falling asleep - very light slow wave sleep - light slow wave sleep - deep slow wave sleep - very deep slow wave sleep then REM sleep. The cycle is becoming more and more like that of adults, it is complete and will gradually lengthen.
The stages of baby's sleep between 0 and 3 years
From birth to 3 months:
Although each newborn has its own needs, an infant sleeps on average 20 hours a day. Sleep cycles are short, around 50 minutes, irregular and composed of only 2 phases: restless sleep then calm sleep.
Restless sleep accounts for 60% of sleep time: you can observe your baby moving his arms and legs or making mimicry, but do not hold him in your arm, he is in restless sleep and will fall asleep on his own! Your baby wakes up every 3 hours, mainly to feed, and does not distinguish between day and night. This explains the many night-time awakenings! To generate less fatigue, some parents choose to co-sleep for the first few months.
Between 3 and 6 months:
Your toddler sleeps between 15 and 17 hours a day and is beginning to distinguish between day and night. This is the right time to gradually introduce a bedtime ritual around 7-8pm depending on how tired he is. The cycle remains short but the sleep periods become longer and with the appearance of REM sleep, your baby will start to dream.
This is also the beginning of naps: often one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the early evening. As your baby now weighs around 5 kg, he has sufficient reserves to go several hours without eating. He can therefore generally start to "sleep through", i.e. sleep for 5 to 6 hours at a time. But some babies still wake up to drink at night and this is perfectly normal!
Between cycles, your baby will have a short period of wakefulness.
Between 6 and 12 months:
By now your toddler is sleeping about 14 hours a day, always with at least 2 naps. Most babies are able to sleep through the night for 8 to 12 hours. Of course, this is a general rule and some babies will not sleep through the night at this age.
Around 8 months, sleep can be disturbed by what specialists call "separation anxiety". The baby finds it very difficult to separate from his parents and to stay alone in his bed, which can make it difficult to fall asleep.
This is a normal stage of development: be patient and listen to your baby, it will eventually pass!
Between the ages of 1 and 3:
Sleep duration decreases further to 12 to 13 hours around the age of 3.
Around 18 months, the morning nap disappears. Night-time awakenings become increasingly rare and sleep rituals are very important, to build up the rhythm and structure of sleep.
And never forget that each baby learns to sleep at his own pace.
Be patient, attentive to his needs, trust yourself and everything will be fine!
