Understanding Newborn Sleep States
by courtkneeYour newborn has different levels of sleeping and waking called “states.” Babies behave in certain ways during each state. There are two separate sleeping states that new parents need to be mindful of; the quiet sleep state and the awake sleep state.
When a baby is in the quiet sleep state, he will be lying still. He doesn’t display any face or eye movements, but may show sucking movements. He may startle or twitch. When a baby is in quiet sleep, he will be very hard to wake up. This is a great time to trim his toe and fingernails, but not a good time to feed.
When a baby is in the active sleep state, she will make body and facial movements. She may also make sucking motions, and smile occasionally. During active sleep, a baby will make brief fussy sounds and motions. It may even sound like she is crying. Her eyelids will flutter during this state as well. A baby in active sleep is more likely to wake than a baby in quiet sleep. However, fussy and crying sounds from an actively sleeping baby do not indicate that she is ready to eat. If you do think that your baby may be ready to eat, you should wait until they are fully awake. To gently awaken your baby when she is in an active sleep state, try taking her blankets off or rubbing her stomach gently.
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