The sleep-wake cycles in early childhood are very different from adulthood. It may happen that a newborn sleeps for a longer time than an older child. However, sometimes, this may cause some concern for parents. In this article, we look at every one of the causes behind language in babies and how to comprehend if there is a fundamental issue.
How Much Do Newborns Sleep?
To feel good, a newborn baby needs more hours of sleep than an older child, a teenager or an adult; the situation in which the child sleeps for many hours, both during the day and at night, can be a source of concern for new parents, but, as we will see, it is not always a reason to be alarmed.
Each child has their own specific needs and may feel the need to sleep for more hours to obtain the same level of rest compared to another child who sleeps less. In cases where the newborn, even if very small, does not wake up at night or falls asleep at the breast, these are more than everyday occurrences, and there is no need to worry or hypothesize any problems of medical origin.
Specialists from the Rest Establishment, one of the leading worldwide associations examining the connection between rest and wellbeing, have assessed that babies need a normal of 14 – 15 hours of rest a day, arriving at 18 hours in the primary long stretches of birth. Life. After the first months and up to six years, however, approximately 11 – 13 are needed. The average hours of sleep needed per day begins to drop dramatically with the start of school. From age 6 onwards, 10 – 11 hours of sleep a day are sufficient.
If the baby maintains his weight, eats adequately and has regular urination during the day, even if he sleeps a lot, there is no reason to worry. The important thing is to never intervene by forcing a newborn to stay awake who, instead, shows the need to sleep. Running against the norm, it is likewise bad to compel a kid to rest who, running against the middle, has zero desire to sleep.
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Newborn Who Always Sleeps: When To Worry?
Non-concerning factors that can be associated with excessive sleep in children are:
- Physiological growth, which consumes the child’s energy
- Colds or temporary ailments
- Recent vaccinations
- Non-restorative sleep
- Nasal congestion
- The room where the baby sleeps is too hot.
However, it is necessary to ask the pediatrician for information if the child shows these signs :
- He does not wake up to eat at least 8 times a day, especially during the first weeks of life
- Appears weak and poorly reactive to stimuli
- Has difficulty sucking while breastfeeding
- Often causes inconsolable crying
- Following physiological weight loss, they struggle to gain weight back or continue to lose it
- Shows signs of dehydration, such as little urine output or dry mouth
- Has yellow skin or eyes
- Has other symptoms of discomfort, such as fever or excessive irritability
- Shows excessive drowsiness and lethargy during waking hours.
Situations that could predispose a newborn to show these signs are:
- Being brought into the world with a below-the-norm weight
- Having had to go through a difficult labor and birth
- Having taken medications immediately after birth
- Have difficulty latching on to the breast
- Being born prematurely.
In the latter case, i.e. when a newborn comes into the world prematurely, he may also show symptoms such as:
- Respiratory difficulties
- Cardiac problems.
It is also essential to focus on the issue of dehydration, as it represents a frequent event in children who sleep excessively. Breast milk, made up of approximately 80% water, is the only source of hydration for the little one. It’s a given that if the infant doesn’t awaken to eat, the gamble of lack of hydration is genuine. Here are the signs to understand if a child is dehydrated :
- Urine appears darker in color than normal
- The frequency of urination is reduced
- The oral mucous membranes appear dry (touch the tip of the tongue with a finger)
- Crying occurs without the emission of tears
- The eyes appear sunken
- There is a sudden loss of body weight (5% greater than the initial weight)
- The youngster shows little interest in the exercises he is usually enthusiastic about
- There is a sunken fontanel
- The heartbeat may be too fast (tachycardia) or, on the contrary, too slow (bradycardia).
What To Do If The Newborn Always Sleeps But Is Fine?
If you notice that the newborn sleeps all day, it is essential to evaluate the state of comfort in the room where he rests. In particular, you need to ensure he is not too hot, which could lead him to increase his sleeping hours. It is brilliant for the room temperature to stay between 18 and 20°C and for the youngster not to be covered unreasonably.
In such a manner, rather than the exemplary covers, settling on a camping bed with a suitable load for the season is better. Furthermore, since excessive sleep can also be caused by poor sleep quality, it is advisable to make sure that there are no noises capable of disturbing rest. Finally, even falling asleep in close contact with the reference figure could help the child to calm down and enjoy a shorter but restful sleep.
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