Although the reason why we sleep is a highly controversial topic, the fact that living beings need it to survive is of no question. The need for sleep starts from day one, and understanding how much a newborn needs compared to a one year old is crucial to understanding how their sleep-wake cycles evolve. Not only do babies need a lot of sleep, but they need it in three hour cycles, between sleeping and feeding (Beuno, & Menna-Barreto, 2016). The evolution of sleep takes place over the first year of life, and many researchers have tried to pinpoint when, and why this change occurs.
In establishing that babies sleep patterns change, it should also be recognized that their parents’ sleep cycles are also affected by the demands of the new member …show more content…
The part that many researchers are becoming more interested in is the effect of sleep on the development of these infants. Food and nutrition has its obvious effects, but sleep seems to be much more ambiguous. Mindell et al. (2015) were some of the researchers interested in this idea, so they conducted a questionnaire from which they concluded that there is no relation between the amount of sleep a baby gets and their developmental outcomes including communication, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, etcetera. The direct impact of sleep is still yet a questionable topic, but knowing that these major developmental outcomes are not affected by sleep can be a comfort to parents who believe their infant lacks …show more content…
The most we can do is watch their development and be sure to seek further help if sleep persists to be a problem for the infant. Caring for a baby can be hard, but knowing that they are able to self-sooth and sleep as much as they need, whenever they need, can be a comfort to some parents. The fact that many parents believe their little one lacks sleep but in reality it is themselves that is lacking normal routine should be a comfort for the newly stressed parent. (Mindell et al., 2015; Sadeh et al., 2015; Teti et al., 2016). The first year of life can be a hard one, for the infant as well as the parent, but once that cycle evens out and the baby begins walking, talking, and their overall personality begins to show, that is when all the sleepless nights finally begin to pay
In establishing that babies sleep patterns change, it should also be recognized that their parents’ sleep cycles are also affected by the demands of the new member …show more content…
The part that many researchers are becoming more interested in is the effect of sleep on the development of these infants. Food and nutrition has its obvious effects, but sleep seems to be much more ambiguous. Mindell et al. (2015) were some of the researchers interested in this idea, so they conducted a questionnaire from which they concluded that there is no relation between the amount of sleep a baby gets and their developmental outcomes including communication, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, etcetera. The direct impact of sleep is still yet a questionable topic, but knowing that these major developmental outcomes are not affected by sleep can be a comfort to parents who believe their infant lacks …show more content…
The most we can do is watch their development and be sure to seek further help if sleep persists to be a problem for the infant. Caring for a baby can be hard, but knowing that they are able to self-sooth and sleep as much as they need, whenever they need, can be a comfort to some parents. The fact that many parents believe their little one lacks sleep but in reality it is themselves that is lacking normal routine should be a comfort for the newly stressed parent. (Mindell et al., 2015; Sadeh et al., 2015; Teti et al., 2016). The first year of life can be a hard one, for the infant as well as the parent, but once that cycle evens out and the baby begins walking, talking, and their overall personality begins to show, that is when all the sleepless nights finally begin to pay