This week of learning was all about the mechanics of sleep presented by well qualified sleep science experts. One of the professionals we learned from is Dr. Laura Gainche Ph.D., a sleep-scientist, geneticist and founder of Science For All Women. She took the time to present helpful visuals on sleep stages, their duration, what actually takes place, and when does the infant brain begin to transition to adult sleep stages.
One fundamental point Dr. Gainche started with is that “Scientists use the scientific method to reduce uncertainty and get closer to the truth. They accept that they will never fully reach it. A scientific fact is true at a certain point in time and is bound to evolve.” I really loved this because it reinforces why its important to become empowered with your own knowledge-set using recent data and proven conclusions. This is one of the reasons why I am thrilled to be learning and sharing this certification experience with new families and I plan to stay actively involved in this network for continual learning.
Sleep is a critical need in order to recover from the wakeful day and allow our brain and body to regenerate. Research on sleep deprivation in children shows a weight gain risk due to impacts of cortisol, growth hormones and their autonomic nervous system and pathways. Children with less awakenings during sleep had a positive effect on cognitive and motor development. More sleep between 12-18 months also seems to promote better executive functions at 26 months and even until 4 years old.
Adult sleep has 4 stages, while infant sleep has 2 stages. Adult sleep is comprised of these stages:
NREM1: very light sleep, wakefulness with closed eyes, lasts about 10 minutes, about 5% of night.
NREM2: light sleep, brain waves continue to slow, lasts about 25 minutes, about 50% of night.
NREM3: deep sleep, lasts about 45-50 minutes, about 20-30% of night. Role: body repair, regeneration of muscles, tissues. Stimulate growth and development, boosts immune function and builds up energy.
REM: muscles are paralyzed except eyes and lungs, lasts about 10-60 minutes, about 25% of the night. Most dreaming occurs during this stage. Role: Learning and memory and event consolidation, development of the central nervous system.
Infant sleep in only has two stages:
Stage 1: active sleep stage. From around 6 months active sleep shifts gradually into REM sleep and brain activity progressively begins to look adult-like.
Stage 2: quiet sleep stage. Around 6 months their quiet sleep stage starts to enter into more of a NREM like sleep but it is very gradual; it takes longer than a month for example.
Adult-like sleep features begin to appear between 2-9 months post-full-term. The timing of this is very individual to the baby.
It may take 15-20 minutes to fall asleep. More physical activity can lead to less lead time to fall asleep while sedentary activity is associated with a longer lead time to sleep. By physical activity, it could be as simple as carrying babe outside for a walk. Also keep in mind when well-rested infants may take longer to fall asleep.
It is important to know that 20-30% of children experience awakenings the first 2 years. There can be brief arousals/awakenings at the end of each sleep cycle. This is not necessarily a bad thing for your babe. If your babe externally awakens between cycles, the benefit of being within arms reach is typically your prompt and comforting touch can help babe fall right back into the next cycle.
With all of this being said, total sleep needs and timing is very individual for babies and adults. There are average total sleep guidelines but it is more important to be in tune to your babe and understand their signs of what is good for them. Also related, is how do we support a good night’s rest? My past blog articles all have contributing factors around sleep. I have many more weeks of articles to share and we’ll come full circle on that loaded question. Sweet Dreams!
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