Baby sleep needs: What are they?
Today’s topic is all about baby/child sleep needs, what they are and what they say about our children’s’ sleep.
The term ‘sleep needs’ refers to a child’s unique need for sleep and the length of time they’re able to stay awake for within a wake window. These so called sleep needs can also be explained as sleep requirements that are recommended for children based on their age which are measured on a wide spectrum from low sleep needs to high sleep needs. A baby/child’s sleep needs and where they fall on the scale vary greatly based on their age, their overall sleep and their threshold for staying awake.
Understanding your baby’s sleep needs and where they fit on the sleep needs spectrum will ultimately take out a lot of guesswork when trying to figure out when to put them down for naps and bedtime. It can be very frustrating and confusing trying to figure it out, especially as a first time parent navigating your child’s sleep. I know it would have helped me tremendously when I had my first. You have this expectation of what infant sleep ‘should’ look like, you follow all the sleep charts and recommendations to a T and you are left feeling really frustrated and confused when baby is just not falling asleep - that’s because most charts don’t mention the wide range of sleep needs that exists within those requirements.
My own children fell on opposite sides of the sleep spectrum; some even fell somewhere in between (yes, it’s totally possible!) My first born son who is nearly 9 years old was always on the lower end of the spectrum and if only I knew it then. He never took long naps, was rarely overtired, always able to handle being awake WAY past his wake window and he was always up early and ready to party with a smile on his face. At one point when he was a toddler, I was concerned because he would go days without a nap and still not be ready for bed at his usual bedtime and I was worried that he wasn’t getting enough sleep. But looking back now, he got just enough for what his body needed; not too little and not too much and he was still within normal range for his age. He still has pretty low sleep needs.
Then came my second son who could not be any more different than my first. He was the complete opposite when it came to sleep needs. He was and still is a very high sleep needs child. He took very long naps and he held onto his second nap for longer than I would generally recommend to my own friends and clients, he got cranky and overtired very quickly and he needed an early bedtime - he is 6.5 and he still goes to be early and he tells me when he is feeling tired and done for the day (and if you’re wondering why that’s relevant, I mentioned it because that’s unusual for a 6 year old! They will usually do anything they can to hide their sleep cues and stay up late).
My next two, who I won’t go too much into detail about because I can imagine that you got the gist by now, fell somewhere in the middle of the sleep spectrum and were/are pretty average with their sleep needs. Their bedtimes and naps pretty much followed the general guidelines of sleep recommended for their age, they woke up at pretty average times and dropped naps according to when all the books and charts said to expect changes in their sleep.
As you can see, all children need sleep, but lower sleep needs babies fall on the lower end of the sleep spectrum, while high sleep needs babies fall on the higher end of the sleep needs spectrum (i.e., they all require different amounts of sleep). Now that you hopefully have somewhat of a clearer understanding of what these sleep needs are, let’s dive in a bit more…
Low sleep needs vs. high sleep needs: Low sleep needs:
Simply put, low sleep needs babies typically don’t need as much sleep in a 24 hour period as high sleep needs babies do, and are able to function with the minimal amount of sleep recommended for their age. Low sleep needs children usually take shorter naps, they’ll likely drop naps on the earlier side and they also they have a high threshold for staying awake and can handle longer wake windows (a period of wakefulness between sleep). They also tend to require a later bedtime and maybe even wake up a bit earlier than your average Joe.
High sleep needs:
The opposite is true for high sleep needs babies who tend to require more sleep to function properly throughout the day. They typically take longer naps, keep their naps till a much later age and have difficulty transitioning out of those naps. They generally can’t handle long wake windows and become overtired and overstimulated very easily. A high sleep needs baby needs a lot of sleep, and they usually meet all the sleep requirements recommended for their age and sometimes even more. They have a small threshold for staying awake for too long and usually have much shorter wake windows than low sleep needs babies. They usually have earlier bedtimes and may even sleep in in the morning.
Here are a few things to consider when determining where your child falls on the sleep needs spectrum:
Does your baby/child consistently take short naps and wake up refreshed and rested? Or does she consistently take really long naps?
Can he handle himself during the day with minimal or no sleep or does he pass out and have meltdowns halfway through the day until bedtime?
Does she gravitate toward an earlier or a later bedtime?
Does he get overtired and cranky quickly and have shorter wake windows or can he stay awake for long periods of time and handle very long wake windows?
The conclusion:
Being able to recognize which category your child falls into (high vs. low sleep needs) can be extremely helpful when trying to figure out your child’s specific body clock and sleep personality. Recognizing the differences will help you best determine your child’s sweet spot for naps and bedtime, their threshold for staying awake and of course down the line when they’re transitioning out of naps. Getting to know your child’s sleep patterns will allow you to meet their sleep needs to ensure they have a functioning schedule and getting optimal sleep.
Just remember that it’s ok if one child needs more sleep while another seems like they can stay up till midnight without blinking an eye - that’s why there’s such a wide range.
Lastly, if you are concerned about your child’s sleep and unsure whether or not they are meeting their sleep requirements or possibly not meeting them at all, always refer to your pediatrician to rule out anything that could be affecting their sleep.