Baby Sleep & Growth
Sleep is an essential component to the health of a baby. Adequate sleep helps restore energy, build brain connections and aid in a baby's physical development.
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Significance
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The human growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland throughout the day, but approximately 80 percent of the body's growth hormone is secreted during sleep, with the most intense period of release occurring shortly after a baby's deep sleep cycle begins, according to babycenter.com and parents.com.
Time Frame
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Baby growth spurts may last two to seven days and occur at approximately 10 days old, three weeks, six weeks, three months and six months, according to parents.com.
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Amount of Sleep
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A baby under the age of 6 months typically sleeps 16 to 20 hours per day, with sleep divided equally between day and night, according to kidshealth.org. From 6 to 12 months, a baby may sleep approximately three hours during the day and 11 hours at night.
Identification
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Babies who are having a growth spurt may be fussier than usual and have an increased appetite for several days, followed by several days of more frequent and sounder sleep.
Theories/Speculation
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The amount and quality of sleep a baby experiences may be affected by his mother's mood, according to a study conducted at the University of Michigan. Babies born to mothers who were depressed before they became pregnant or any time during their pregnancy are more prone to chaotic sleep patterns, such as insomnia.
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References
- Photo Credit sleep sleep image by Vanessa van Rensburg from Fotolia.com
