Getting enough sleep is key to healthy development, for children as well as adults. It's no secret: babies, when they are born, spend a very large majority of their time asleep . Day after day, newborns discover the world, develop, and sleep is a key factor in recording all the information they absorb during their waking hours. Stéphanie, founder of Ouatine & Cumulus, a mother and pediatric nurse, offers a quick reminder of the reasons why baby sleep is essential to their growth.
Sleep helps the brain mature 😴
When babies are born, they need the protection and presence of their parents to survive: we don't walk, we are unable to feed ourselves... This is due to the immaturity of the brain , which gradually matures during growth. Sleep plays a crucial role in the development of young children , as it helps the brain to mature. It is important for physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. But how is sleep organized in a baby?
The different sleep phases in babies ⏲️
Three phases are necessary to create a sleep cycle . During a typical night, which consists of 4 to 6 cycles for newborns, several cycles are necessary for sleep to be considered good . A sleep cycle lasts between 45 minutes and 1 hour in babies and consists of three phases: drowsiness, light sleep, and deep sleep.
- Deep sleep only lasts a few minutes, but it's essential for physical recovery. The body rests and regenerates. It's a phase during which your baby breathes calmly and is completely still. It's also a period during which the brain integrates all the learning that has taken place.
- The longest part of sleep occurs during the light sleep phase; children will have eye movements and may move around in their sleep. This is the phase where dreams occur and brain activity is similar to that of wakefulness. It is important for neurological development.
They may give the impression of being in a waking phase, but remember that as long as there is no real visual contact, this is not the case. It is important to respect the sleep phases and to avoid cutting them off as much as possible so as not to risk disrupting their rhythm. Between the different cycles, a waking phase may occur, which is perfectly normal. Because babies' sleep is very fragile, they may feel a need for comfort or a nighttime snack.
Brain development and motor learning during sleep 🤸
Did you know that certain hormones have an important link to sleep? Indeed, brain development largely occurs while children are sleeping . While they drift off to sleep, their bodies secrete a large amount of growth hormone to stimulate the muscle and bone growth of our little ones.
Sleep also plays an important role in regulating cortisol, the stress hormone, which will be secreted in larger quantities without quality sleep. While it's okay for a night to be less good than others occasionally, it shouldn't become a habit. Because while during the day cortisol helps keep your baby active and alert, in the evening its level must decrease to allow him to relax and fall asleep more easily. If a baby is stressed or agitated before going to sleep, his cortisol level remains high, which can make sleep more difficult, since it also affects the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Creating a calm and comforting environment can therefore help regulate this and promote better sleep.
The importance of sleep is therefore found from a cerebral point of view, but not only, because even if his eyes are closed and his motor functions are relaxed, your baby continues to record and perfect all the movements, all the information he has learned or developed during his waking hours. Little by little, your child will be able to stand upright, by building muscle, and to make sounds that will become words and sentences.
"Day/Night": How to create a sleep routine ☀️ 🌜
During the first few months after birth, your baby's sleep will be divided into two categories : daytime sleep, which consists of various naps, and nighttime sleep. Many new parents have questions about ambient light and noise levels .
“At birth, newborns are unable to distinguish between day and night, so it's important to quickly guide them to learn to do so, in order to regulate their sleep patterns. That's why during naps, you shouldn't plunge your child into darkness: simply dim the lights in the room where your little one will fall asleep. On the contrary, at night, they should be in complete darkness to stimulate the release of melatonin. These rituals will allow your child to create a routine and learn to regulate their sleep. As they grow older, they will feel less need to sleep during the day, the number of naps will gradually decrease, until they disappear completely around the age of 3.”
Stéphanie Chaidron, founder of Ouatine & Cumulus, pediatric nurse and mom
A gentle sleep thanks to Ouatine & Cumulus 👶
At Ouatine & Cumulus, baby sleep is our number one priority! After all, it takes up a very large part of our little ones' daily lives, since they spend between 17 and 22 hours sleeping. That's a lot! We have developed cocoons to meet the needs of babies, so that they feel safe and in the best possible environment to sleep during their first months.
The cocoon creates a reassuring space, able to help your baby drift off into a peaceful sleep, which will bring him all the benefits necessary to grow and develop harmoniously. From birth with the T1 cocoons , up to 6 months with the T2 cocoons or with a sleeping bag up to 18 months, there is always a solution adapted to your child.
>> Discover our T1 cocoons (first few weeks)
