NotEinstein
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New parents always worry about their baby’s sleeping. Is it too much? Is it too little? It seems like a lot. Although regular patterns for sleep have not yet developed, babies require much more sleep than a toddler or older children. Some babies can sleep close to an entire day, and this is perfectly natural. The reason babies sleep so much is that their body and brain are adjusting to their new environment in the outside world. At the same time, babies are growing rapidly. Development of the baby largely depends on sleep because human growth hormone, released by the pituitary gland, secretes at a higher rate while sleeping. Sleeping also preserves energy so it can be used for growth.
Both excessive growth and excessive sleeping continue with babies for the first five to six months of their lives. During this time, babies can double their weight. At this point, growth slows slightly and becomes more regular. A baby will begin to stay awake for longer periods and may wake more frequently. The baby will look for attention instead of merely wanting food.
Many new parents believe that the excessive sleep of their baby is caused by their bad parenting. This, of course, is not true. If the baby is comfortable, clean, and well-fed, chances are that the baby is healthy and doing just fine. As the baby gets older, the habits of the parents will begin to affect the child. If parents sleep at odd hours or with odd patterns, a child can mimic this behavior, affecting their health. Babies, however, need all the sleep they can get, and the behavior of the parents rarely causes any disturbance in their sleep.
 Posted 5139 day ago
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