Sleep
Every Infant is born with a rhythm of sleep and wakefulness that was established during pregnancy in relationship to the mother’s daily cycles. These patterns are generally out of sync with the mother’s activity; an infant often sleeps in utero when her mother is active and moves about when her mother is resting. Once born, the infant’s cycle of sleep is gradually oriented to include longer periods of nighttime sleep and longer periods of daytime activity and will be generally established by the age of four months (Brazelton & Sparrow, 2006).
Over time, the infant will learn how to put herself to sleep following the brief periods of waking that occur during the night and will eventually sleep for periods of eight to ten hours a night. This pattern can be interrupted by temperament, issues related to separation, and spurts of development. When a child has acquired a new skill, such as learning to crawl or walk, or is teething, often sleep will be disrupted as the child integrates her experience.
If a child is wound up, over-stimulated, or excited, she will also have trouble falling and even staying asleep. In this state, it becomes hard for a child to self-regulate. Parents can help their children learn to calm down and prepare themselves for the transition to sleep by implementing a calming, ritualized bedtime routine before a child becomes overtired.
See also:
Co-Sleeping
Television
For further reading:
Touchpoints, by T. B. Brazelton, M.D., & J.D. Sparrow, M.D.