How does a baby's sleep cycle work?

You wake up in the middle of the night because your baby needs your attention. Before you know it, you're rocking and soothing your sleepy head. As a new parent, nights can be incredibly tiring. How exactly does this happen? What's going on in your little one's sleeping brain? In this article, you'll learn exactly how a baby's sleep cycle works and why it's so difficult to link two sleep cycles together. 

As always, I want to start by emphasising that every baby is different. What works for one baby might not work for another. The information in this article is mainly useful for gaining a general understanding of how a newborn baby's body and brain work, so that you can better understand your baby. 

Moving from the uterus to bed

In the safe womb, your baby had no awareness of day or night. The womb provided a constant environment, where your baby received few stimuli and simply woke up sometimes and napped at other times. Now, in your world, they are confronted with a new rhythm. It can take quite some time before your baby gets used to this! Because a baby cannot yet adapt to you in the beginning, you will have to adapt to your child. You will naturally notice when your baby needs feeding, attention, or sleep. 

A baby's sleep cycle

What exactly does a baby's sleep cycle look like? Unlike adults, a baby's sleep cycle only lasts about 45 minutes. It's like a short sleep adventure where they go through 4 different sleep stages: light sleep, slightly deeper sleep, deepest sleep, and dream sleep (REM). This is different for adults. We go directly from light sleep to deep sleep and then spend about 20 minutes in REM sleep (dream phase). So, your baby goes through multiple stages, and what's more, the stages are shorter.

As the baby gets older, that cycle grows to around 50 minutes. That is also when you notice that your baby is getting better at linking those sleep moments together, meaning they can sleep for longer periods without waking up. It's only when your child is 1 year old that the sleep cycle begins to resemble that of an adult. Even then, the cycle lasts for a shorter duration: around 60 minutes. Some studies conclude that a sleep cycle doesn't fully proceed as we are accustomed to until the age of 5.

Linking sleep cycles

To sleep through the night, you need to link sleep cycles together. Connecting these sleep cycles is still a bit of a puzzle for babies. Babies often wake up after one cycle and have trouble transitioning smoothly to the next. That explains those short power naps. A new cycle begins again with light sleep, which means your baby will wake up more quickly. This is also because babies often move a lot. They can't link the cycle properly and then wake up. The ability to link these cycles develops over time. So, the best thing you can do as a parent is to be patient! Your baby really needs time to learn this.

Tip! Enter the room quietly 5 minutes before the end of a cycle. If your little one wakes up a bit, they will feel safe and might fall back asleep. Try to limit your little one's movements as well, so it becomes easier to link cycles together.

Tips for better sleep

Unfortunately, there are no tips or products that will make your baby sleep better straight away, but you can create the optimal conditions! Here's how:

Cosy sleeping environment

Ensure a cosy and snug sleeping environment. Keep the room dark, as this can aid in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Consider choosing calming sounds or white noise to help your baby relax.

2. Wait a moment when waking up

If your baby wakes up after a nap but doesn't cry, give them a few minutes to fall back asleep on their own. Sometimes they just need a little time.

3. Create a bedtime routine

This could include a calm bedtime routine, such as a warm bath, reading a story, or playing gentle music. A routine helps your baby understand that it is time to sleep.

4. Learning to fall asleep by yourself

Your baby is likely to fall asleep on top of you more quickly than in their cot. Nevertheless, your baby needs to learn to fall asleep by themselves. Let your little one get used to this gradually. Place them in the cot, but stay with them at first. Place your hand on their head or tummy so they feel safe with mum or dad nearby. Try to gradually increase your distance, step by step. For example, first sit next to the cot, and at a certain point, remain in the room but at a distance. Give them the feeling that you are always close by, so they slowly develop the confidence to fall asleep on their own.

Tip: with it NUNKI fitted sheet Can you recreate the safe and trusted feeling of the womb in bed. The elastic fabric provides pleasant pressure on your child's upper body, making them feel secure and relaxed, and fall asleep more easily. The sheet cannot come loose, meaning your child will be woken less often.

Every baby is different

When it comes to your baby's sleeping habits, patience is key. Every child develops at their own pace. Understand your baby's needs and use the tips to make it easier, contributing to better sleep for both your little one and yourself. Remember that there's no one-size-fits-all solution in the world of parenting. It's a bit of trial and error to discover what works best for you and your baby. Good luck!

Lots of love,

Frederieke