How much sleep a newborn baby needs, according to science – BBC REEL

00:05:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA3mD8JLFdQ

Summary

TLDRThe video addresses common myths about baby sleep, highlighting that sleep needs vary significantly among infants. It dispels the notion that all babies require the same amount of sleep, that waking at night indicates insufficient sleep, and that strict sleep schedules are necessary. The speaker emphasizes that waking can be protective for babies and that there is no evidence linking night waking to poor development. Parents are encouraged to focus on their baby's individual needs rather than conforming to generalized sleep guidelines.

Takeaways

  • 🛌 Babies have varied sleep needs, not a one-size-fits-all amount.
  • 🌙 Waking at night can be protective for infants.
  • 📅 Strict sleep schedules may lead to frustration for parents.
  • 🔍 No evidence links night waking to poor development in babies.
  • 😊 Focus on your baby's happiness and family's coping, not strict guidelines.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:30

    The speaker, a mother and science journalist, discusses common misconceptions about baby sleep. She highlights that not all babies need the same amount of sleep, as research shows significant variation in sleep duration among infants. Professional guidelines recommend sleep ranges rather than strict schedules. Additionally, waking at night is normal and can be protective for babies, as it helps them meet their needs. Strict sleep schedules are not necessary, and responsive feeding is more beneficial. Lastly, concerns about sleep affecting development in babies are unfounded, as studies show no significant links between sleep patterns and later development. The speaker reassures parents that if their baby is happy and the family is coping, there's no need to change their approach to sleep.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • Do all babies need the same amount of sleep?

    No, sleep needs vary widely among infants.

  • Is waking at night a sign that a baby isn't getting enough sleep?

    Not necessarily; waking can actually help protect babies.

  • Should babies be on a strict sleep schedule?

    No, strict schedules may not be best, as sleep needs vary.

  • Does not sleeping through the night affect a baby's development?

    Research shows no significant links between night waking and later development.

  • How can I tell if my baby is getting enough sleep?

    Observe your baby's behavior; if she's fussy, her sleep needs may need adjusting.

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  • 00:00:00
    how is she sleeping
  • 00:00:02
    if you're a new parent you've probably
  • 00:00:04
    been asked this question again and again
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    after all sleep is important and let's
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    be honest if the baby's not sleeping
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    the rest of the family probably isn't
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    either
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    I'm a mother I'm also a science
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    journalist and so when I had my little
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    one I decided to look a little bit more
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    deeply at some of the ideas that I heard
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    bandied about so much on social media in
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    baby books and in conversations with
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    other parents
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    here are four of the most popular
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    misconceptions I found one common myth
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    is that babies all need the same amount
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    of sleep for example 12 hours at night
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    and three hours of naps
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    the science doesn't back this up one
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    study of four to six month olds for
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    example found that the babies slept an
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    average of 14 hours and 24 but that's
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    the average if you compare the baby
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    getting the most sleep to the baby
  • 00:01:08
    getting the least sleep there is an
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    eight hour difference that's part of why
  • 00:01:14
    professional bodies like the American
  • 00:01:15
    Academy of sleep medicine recommend
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    ranges instead for example 12 to 16
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    hours in 24 for a baby under one year of
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    age
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    and they don't recommend schedules or
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    even how much sleep should come at night
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    versus during the day
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    infants simply vary too much for those
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    kinds of guidelines myth two if babies
  • 00:01:40
    are waking at night they're not getting
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    the sleep they need not only is this
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    false but waking actually helps protect
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    babies
  • 00:01:49
    first there is a caveat if your child is
  • 00:01:52
    waking frequently over a long period of
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    time it's worth getting a medical
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    assessment to rule out any health issues
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    but Healthy Babies wake too
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    All Humans wake between sleep cycles
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    as adults we normally fall right back to
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    sleep but babies can't meet their own
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    needs whether that's for feeding or
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    emotional regulation so they often
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    arouse more fully and more often one
  • 00:02:17
    study found that three-month-olds woke
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    anywhere from zero to 15 times per night
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    and it doesn't always improve as quickly
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    as many of us would like a different
  • 00:02:28
    study found that babies woke on average
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    the same number of times throughout
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    their whole first year that can be tough
  • 00:02:35
    on families
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    but we can take some Solace from the
  • 00:02:39
    fact that in babies waking is a good
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    thing
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    researchers are finding more and more of
  • 00:02:45
    a link between a lack of arousal in
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    sleep and SIDS sudden infant death
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    syndrome
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    prematurely pushing a baby towards
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    longer deeper sleep it seems can
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    increase the risk
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    waking helps protect them myth three
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    babies need to be on a strict schedule
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    ideally including seven to seven
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    nighttime sleep if you take this idea as
  • 00:03:11
    gospel in the earliest days you are
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    setting yourself up for real frustration
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    that's because the physiological
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    processes that tell us when it's time to
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    sleep like melatonin excretion don't get
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    going until at least 8 to 11 weeks of
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    age but even in older babies a strict
  • 00:03:30
    schedule may not be best
  • 00:03:32
    for one thing feeding and sleeping are
  • 00:03:35
    often linked and the research shows that
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    for the majority of infants feeding
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    responsively in accordance to a baby's
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    hunger cues is far better than by the
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    clock as for the seven to seven schedule
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    there's no scientific evidence behind it
  • 00:03:51
    many cultures around the world don't
  • 00:03:53
    follow it and if you have a baby whose
  • 00:03:56
    lower sleep needs you might just find
  • 00:03:59
    that a 7 PM bedtime leads to a 4 AM wake
  • 00:04:02
    up
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    myth four this might be the biggest
  • 00:04:06
    worry for parents that if babies don't
  • 00:04:08
    sleep through they're being set up for
  • 00:04:11
    poor development
  • 00:04:13
    it's easy to see where this idea came
  • 00:04:15
    from
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    a lack of sleep or fragmented sleep has
  • 00:04:19
    been associated with a higher risk of
  • 00:04:21
    things like ADHD
  • 00:04:23
    but that's in older children the same
  • 00:04:27
    links have not been found in babies one
  • 00:04:30
    Canadian study looked at 6 and 12 month
  • 00:04:32
    olds and then saw how they were doing at
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    three years of age
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    it found no significant links between
  • 00:04:39
    sleeping through the night and later
  • 00:04:41
    development
  • 00:04:43
    other research Bears this out
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    so how do you know if your baby is
  • 00:04:48
    getting enough sleep look at your baby
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    if she's fussy maybe sleep needs
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    tweaking but all else being well you
  • 00:04:56
    probably don't need to worry here's what
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    I took from all of this as a new parent
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    if any of these ideas work for you great
  • 00:05:05
    if they don't you're not alone and the
  • 00:05:08
    good news is that if your baby is happy
  • 00:05:11
    and your family is coping you don't have
  • 00:05:14
    to change a thing
Tags
  • baby sleep
  • misconceptions
  • sleep needs
  • night waking
  • development
  • sleep schedule
  • parenting
  • infants
  • SIDS
  • hunger cues