Infant sleep is an important period for their growth, crucial for mental state and physical health. In the first few months, infants aged 1-3 months require about 18 hours of sleep per day, while babies aged 4-6 months need to ensure 15-16 hours of sleep duration. A baby’s dream world and sleep pattern follow two stages similar to adults: rapid eye movement (REM) shallow sleep and non-REM deep sleep, experiencing 5-7 such cycles each night. Babies may wake up and cry easily during transitions, even in a quiet environment.
Comparing a baby’s sleep journey to a bus ride: from bedtime preparation (about 30 minutes) to slowly entering the first downhill of deep sleep (lasting 50-70 minutes) when the baby is most relaxed and less easily disturbed. Then moving into the peak of activity (70-90 minutes), where the baby’s nervous system becomes excited, possibly learning and memorizing information received during the day. Entering a calm sleep valley (100-130 minutes) before entering the REM phase (130-150 minutes), where the baby may make sounds or be startled awake by dreams. Finally, the journey ends, the baby regains physical and mental energy, ready for the activities of a new day.
Babies of different ages have different sleep needs, from 16-18 hours in the first week of birth, gradually reducing to 10-11 hours at one year old, with daytime naps. It is worth noting that prolonged nighttime lighting may disrupt the baby’s circadian rhythm, affecting sleep quality. Therefore, helping babies adapt to a dark environment for sleep, following the natural day-night changes, is particularly important for cultivating good sleep habits.
