Help Your Newborn Sleep Longer, Take a Less Active Role in Active Sleep Cycles

One of the most common mistakes new parents make is interpreting their baby’s “active sleep” cycle as a cry of distress, and unnecessarily and immediately intervening. It’s understandable- you want to be a caring and responsive parent and so when you think your baby needs you, you spring into action. It’s a great instinct, but if you aren’t familiar with the different phases of infant sleep, it’s one that can actually disrupt your child’s sleep. 

Newborns cycle through two distinct states of sleep: active sleep and quiet sleep. Both types of sleep are important for growth and development. . Understanding the differences between active and quiet sleep can help you respond appropriately to different sleep patterns, and therefore help your baby to sleep longer. 

One of the simplest ways to help your baby sleep longer at a stretch is to give them space when they’re in one of their ‘active’ sleep cycles. On the other hand, one of the easiest ways to disrupt your child’s sleep is to mistake their active sleep cycle as a sign of distress and intervene too quickly. But a lot of new parents are worried they’ll ignore a baby who needs them. So how can you tell the difference between an active sleep cycle and a baby who needs your help? 

Active Sleep

Active sleep is the first stage of sleep for newborns. It is characterized by jerky, random movements and lots of eye movement. During active sleep, newborns may also make noises such as grunts, snorts, fussing, and even loud cries.our baby may appear to be awake and uncomfortable to the untrained eye, but they’re actually sleeping. 

Babies usually spend about 50% of their sleep in active sleep. Active sleep is important because it helps your newborn develop coordination, balance, and muscle control. It is also the time when babies’ brains are most active, hard at work developing the neural pathways that will help them learn and grow. Active sleep also helps babies regulate their body temperature and breathing.

Quiet Sleep

Quiet sleep is the second stage of sleep for newborns, and it looks more like what you’d expect a sleeping baby to look like. It is characterized by slower, gentler movements, or none at all. Babies usually spend the other 50% of their sleep time in quiet sleep.

Quiet sleep is important for newborns because it is the time when the body is most relaxed and the brain is most restful. This is when newborns get the deepest, most restorative sleep needed for healthy growth and development. Quiet sleep also helps babies regulate their heart rate and blood pressure.

How to Tell  the Difference Between Active Sleep, Quiet Sleep and a Real Cry of Distress

A baby in  active sleep will show more movement and noise.  A baby in quiet sleep will be still and quiet with no movement.

If you’re unsure of which type of sleep your baby is in, try lightly touching or gently speaking to the  baby. If the baby is in active sleep, look at their eyes. If they’re still shut it’s likely they’re in active sleep and possibly trying to connect a sleep cycle. Stay back and give them space. 

It’s not unusual for new parents to immediately scoop up their baby upon hearing an active sleep cry, which has the effect of disrupting baby’s active sleep cycle and waking them.  If you’re unsure whether your baby is in active sleep or actually needs to be soothed or fed, wait just a minute at very minimum or up to 5 minutes before intervening.