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In the first few days after birth, the average newborn will sleep between 16-18 hours daily. By 1 month, newborn sleep averages about 14 hours daily. Newborns sleep in short bouts, typically ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours throughout the day. Newborns also awaken easily. This is because they spend a large portion of their sleep time in “active sleep," a light sleep state characterised by fluttering eyelids; rapid, irregular breathing; occasional body movements; and grunts or brief cries. Adult sleep on the other hand is governed by circadian rhythms that follow a 24-hour cycle. It is heavily influenced by our exposure to light. When we expose ourself to sunlight each morning, we help maintain our internal clock. Even if we are sleep-deprived, morning light exposure helps ensure that we will be more alert during the day than at night. As the day wears on and darkness falls, our body begins to produce less cortisol and more melatonin - which makes us feel drowsy. When we expose ourselves to bright, artificial lighting in the evening--particularly to lights that include the blue part of the spectrum, we delay these changes and may find it harder to fall asleep. Unfortunately newborn sleep is not governed by strong circadian rhythms. Newborn sleep patterns are shaped by the length of time it takes them to feed, digest, and become hungry again. Most infants take about 12 weeks to show day-night rhythms in the production of melatonin. And, overall, babies may take 3-5 months before they “settle" at night (meaning that they sleep for more than 5 hours at a stretch).
New born sleep is erratic and unpredictable. Every baby is different. Most newborn babies don't stay asleep for more than two to four hours at a time, day or night, during the first few weeks of life. Newborns typically sleep 14 to 18 hours a day in the first week and 12 to 16 hours by the time they're a month old. Babies wake often because their sleep cycles are shorter than adults. After about an hour of deep sleep baby will reenter the light sleep stage. During this period any kind of stimulus can awaken baby. Baby will enter this period of sleep every hour or so throughout the night. Most restless nights will occur because baby has trouble getting back to the stage of deep sleep, not because they can’t stay asleep. http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/sleep-problems/infant-sleep-patterns
I feel like my newborn only wakes to eat. There is very little activity time. The only awake time is probably feeding and burping. For my experience the regular timing comes probably about 2 months of age where nap time becomes more predictable. Sleep for babies is generally for brain development so it's always good to sleep more!
On top of what Rose has written, this table can be useful:
On top of what Rose has written, this table can be useful:
thanks