This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Wendy Estrellado-Cruz about how sleep supports a baby’s growth and development. Dr. Estrellado-Cruz is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and a Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Specialist at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. For the first months of a baby's life, sleep comes in many short bursts between feedings. Doctor Wendy Estrellado-Cruz is here to talk about how sleep supports a baby's growth and development. Doctor Estrellado-Cruz is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and she's a Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Specialist at MUSC. Doctor Estrellado-Cruz how does sleep actually promote a baby's growth and development, especially in the first weeks and months of life?
Dr. Estrellado-Cruz: Babies sleep so much in the first three months to support rapid brain and physical development. Physical growth is stimulated by releasing growth hormone during deep sleep, and adequate sleep ensures sufficient production of hormone, which is essential for muscle and tissue development. Sleep is also important for brain maturation. The infant brain roughly doubles in size during the first year, and the sleep is essential for building and strengthening neural connections in the brain.
Conner: What does the sleep pattern look like in those first weeks of life, compared to when the baby is a little more settled, say, at 3 or 4 months of age?
Dr. Estrellado-Cruz: Newborn babies do not have a developed circadian rhythm, and sleep in this age group is fragmented, occurring in short bursts of 1 to 4 hours day and night. In contrast, sleep cycles in infants 4 to 12 months of age are more structured, with greater proportion of non-REM sleep and a smaller percentage of REM sleep. They have longer stretches of sleep at night and a more defined daytime nap schedule.
Conner: And when are babies typically capable of sleeping through the night.
Dr. Estrellado-Cruz: At around six months of age, most babies are physiologically capable of sleeping through the night with 6 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep without feeding. The longer stretches of sleep are brought about by natural development of circadian rhythm, an increase in hormone melatonin during the first half of the night, and also with fading of startle reflex, which allows them to go back to sleep after waking between sleep cycles.
Conner: And what can parents do to encourage their child to sleep through the night when the time is right?
Dr. Estrellado-Cruz: Babies thrive on predictability, so developing a consistent bedtime routine is vital to help the baby sleep through the night. This can be achieved by creating a bedtime routine that includes a soothing, relaxing warm bath, a light, gentle massage, putting on a fresh diaper and comfortable sleep clothes, and feeding the baby before bed. It is also important to learn your baby's signs of being sleepy. Some babies fuss or cry when they are tired, whereas others rub their eyes or pull their ears. Babies will fall asleep more easily and quickly if you put them down the minute they let you know that they are sleepy. Parents may end the routine with a consistent final cue, such as a good night kiss and placing the baby in their crib when they are drowsy but still awake. This crucial step teaches the baby to self-soothe and fall asleep on their own, making it easier for them to fall back asleep after naturally waking up during the night.
Conner: Doctor Estrellado-Cruz, thanks for talking with us about infant sleep.
Dr. Estrellado-Cruz: It's a pleasure, Bobbi, and thanks for inviting me today.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
