Pacific Birth Collective
Island of Maui Pacific Birth CollectiveIsland of Maui |
Drowsy:I'm tired! | Light Sleep:I'm dreaming | Deep Sleep:You can lay me down now. |
A baby's sleep cycle is 30 minutes long. This means that around this time, a sleeping baby will start to show signs of waking up or light sleep in the video below. If they experience gentle rhythmic soothing and no stimulation, they can go back to sleep.
An adult has a 90 minutes sleep cycle, so get some help! If parents are not getting at least two full cycles of uninterrupted sleep in a night, things may feel very daunting!
I'm done now, I need calm soothing repetition |
I really need you right now!
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I'm hungry! | Older baby: I'm hungry! | I'm not hungry, I need something else. |
Recognizing a baby's signs and cues can be confusing, especially if a parent is sleep deprived! The following videos of real babies can help us start to recognize six universal signs of baby activity and sleep so that we can start learn to anticipate a baby's needs.
Quite Awake:I'm taking it all in | Active Awake: (moving towards Crying)I love you but this takes a lot of work | Crying: (Overstimulation)There is too much happening right now! |
It takes a lot of energy for a baby to engage and take in all the new sensory information. Recognizing when a baby starts to disengage will help a caretaker transition a baby into a gentle restful sleep.