All humans sleep in cycles. These may change as a child moves toward adulthood, but all human sleep moves through a series of light and deep sleep periods. Infant sleep cycles average 50 to 60 minutes over the full sleep period, according to the University of Michigan Health System. As a child grows, these sleep cycles develop into set patterns. While general sleep cycle estimates exist for various ages, each child develops individual sleep patterns for her bodily needs.
Newborn Baby Sleep Patterns
Newborn behavior moves between stages of quiet and active sleep, fussing, active crying, quiet alert and drowsy waking, according to National Institutes of Health. Until the age of approximately 3 months, human sleep patterns do not stabilize. Instead, cycles of stages occur in random periods lasting between 20 and 50 minutes.
Patterns for Infants Ages 1 to 3 Months
Babies at this age average five hours of sleep at any one time. The sleep patterns of a baby at this stage include longer sleep during the nighttime hours if the child is prepared for sleep at night with calming talk and quiet time in the evening. At 3 months, your baby should consume enough formula or breast milk to sleep for 10 hours each night. This long sleep period is essential for growth and development. KidsHealth states that babies may be worked into a routine that includes two to three nap periods during the day and a six-to-seven-hour night sleep.
Patterns for Infants Ages 4 to 7 Months
As a baby matures to 4 months, a new sleep pattern should become established with a seven- or eight-hour period of night sleep and a minimum of two naps each day, according to KidsHealth. Babies sleep an average of 14 hours a day. This number is an average only, and some babies may require up to 18 hours of rest.
Nap time during this age period ranges from 20 minutes to an hour or more. Naps are important to physical health and brain development and must be a planned, regular part of the day. A nap in the morning and one after lunch is the pattern recommended by KidsHealth.
Patterns for Infants Ages 8 to 12 Months
Your baby's sleep patterns become established by this stage, but problems with sleep may also develop. Problems putting a baby down for a nap or bed may intensify due to separation anxiety and the fact that the child has developed increased awareness of her surroundings; playtime and sitting with family are far more interesting than sleep at this stage. KidsHealth warns caregivers to develop firm sleep traditions that are observed every day for children in this age group. The average sleep time is 13 to 14 hours each day with two one-hour naps. Lack of naps can create behavior problems.
